2 Corinthians 4:1-6

Butler's Commentary

SECTION 1

Machination (2 Corinthians 4:1-6)

4 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2We have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways; we refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. 4In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the likeness of God. 5For it is the God who said, Let light shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:1-2 Constraint: Discouragement is a problem for all Christians, and especially for preachers of the gospel. We have already discussed despair in our comments on 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 (see notes there). Any preacher who says he has never been disappointed or discouraged is either lying or he lives a life completely isolated from any confrontations between truth and falsehood and other human beings. Even Jesus registered disappointment. He was angry. and grieved (Mark 3:5) at the blasphemy of the Pharisees; he marveled (actually, was astounded or disappointed) at the unbelief of some Jews (Mark 6:6). Paul certainly had many discouragements (Most prominent was his discouragement at the behavior of these Christians at Corinth!); Paul was also disappointed with the Christians of Galatia (Galatians 1:6; Galatians 4:16; Galatians 5:7, etc.).

The word, Therefore in 2 Corinthians 4:1 connects what he is to say here immediately to what he has said in chapter 3. The primary cause of Paul's discouragement and disappointment was the hardness and perverseness of the Judaizers, secretly brought in, slipped in to spy out. freedom which we have in Christ Jesus. in Corinth as they had done in Galatia (see Galatians 2:2). What disappointed Paul was the enslavement, the constraint, the circumscription, the blinding of minds that always accompanied the Judaizing of a congregation of Christians. Paul contrasts his ministry with that of the Judaizers in Corinth who were slandering his reputation as one of their methods in seducing the congregation. He says, We (my co-workers and I) have this ministry by the mercy of God.. On the other hand, They have their (the Judaizers) ministry from disgraceful, underhanded ways of cunning and tampering with God's word.. The very fact that the Corinthians could not recognize the difference between the two was discouraging and disappointing to Paul.

Paul infers that he once was a Judaizer himself, when he says, We have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways.. He once was a Pharisee of the Pharisees, considered himself blameless as to the law Philippians 3:6 and had persecuted the church of God and had tried to destroy it, because he was convinced Christianity was blasphemy (Galatians 1:13; Acts 9:1-2). At one time in his life Paul gloried in his self-righteousness (Philippians 3:4; Philippians 3:9) and made void the word of God by his traditions. But when he received the grace of God he renounced all that. And he recognized that in his former life he had done disgraceful (Gr. aischunes, shameful, fearful) and underhanded (Gr. krupta, cryptic, secret, hidden) things. He had to practice cunning (Gr. panourgia, literally, all working, or doing anything thus, deceit, subtleness) and he had to tamper with God's word (Gr. dolountes, to dilute, to water-down, to adulterate) in order to be a Pharisee (see Matthew 15:1-20; Matthew 23:1-39). Paul knew exactly how the Judaizers were deceiving the Corinthians. He knew because he had been one!

Now the Corinthians must be warned. These Judaizers are deceitful workmen (2 Corinthians 11:13); they conduct their work secretly (Galatians 2:4); they adulterate the word of God by their traditions (Matthew 15:6). The necessary consequence of adopting legalism as a way of justification is watering down the word of the gospel. By suggesting that Christians voluntarily come under the law or Pharisaic traditions the Judaizers would have to dilute the spiritual obligation of the Christian to go beyond the law (as Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount, and as Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 8:1-13; 1 Corinthians 9:1-27; 1 Corinthians 10:1-33), in his devotion and obedience toward God. This is always the way of legalistic living. Those who preach legalism think they are making godliness more certain, when, as a matter of fact, they are diluting the power of godliness. Legalism always creates self-righteousness and that is a drastic dilution of total righteousness imputed to believers through the grace of Christ. It is true that man needs divine guidelines and principles to help him determine what the will of the Lord is for a life of holiness under grace, but these guidelines and principles must never be perverted into legalism as a means of justification.

As Applebury points out, There are various ways to use the word of God deceitfully, or to tamper with it. Using a Bible text to preach a -sermon-' that has little or nothing to do with the Bible is one of the common ways of doing it. Teaching it accurately, but refusing to live by it is equally deceitful. (see our notes on 2 Corinthians 2:17 for comments on peddlers of God's word).

We usually think of watering down God's word as an exclusive practice of liberal-minded theologians who deny the supernatural element of the scriptures, or the moral absoluteness of Christianity. Legalists always think of themselves as protecting the word of God from being adulterated. But Paul is talking about the legalists watering down God's word!
The Greek phrase, pros pasan suneidesin anthropon, could well be translated, ... to every kind of consciousness of men.. Paul continually commended (Gr. sunistanontes, present tense verb, standing-with) himself to all men by his open statement of (Gr. phanerosei, manifestation of) the truth (the gospel). He openly stated the gospel to every consciousness of men; he made his appeals for their loyalty to God to every kind of judgment that men useto logic, to gratitude, to feeling, to scriptures, to common sense. He was underhanded with no one!

While Paul was discouraged and disappointed that the Judaizers were using disgraceful and underhanded ways and tampering with the word of God; and while he was disappointed that some of the Corinthians had been robbed of their freedom by these legalists, Paul did not lose heart. He did not cave in and give up his ministry. He had confidence in the gospel stated openly and clearly. He knew the seed (the gospel, Luke 8:11; Mark 4:14) had the power in itself (Mark 4:26-29) to accomplish that for which God sends it (Isaiah 55:10-11). Paul knew that the matter of sowing seed required patience, humility and faith on the part of the sower. He knew that the seed grows slowly, and in divine orderfirst the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. He did not lose heart. He knew that even if three-fourths of the seed fell on unproductive soil in Corinth he would be judged by Christ only on his faithfulness to sow the seed and not on his success in making the seed grow and mature. The responsibility for germination, and growth, lies with the soil and the seednot the sower! DO NOT LOSE HEART, PREACHER.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 Confounding: Of all the machinations of the legalists, their league with the devil to blind the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel is the most insidious. The scriptural, spiritual blindness of so many is one of the most discouraging things a preacher of the gospel must face.

In spite of his open statement of the truth, Paul acknowledges that the gospel truth had not won universal acceptance. Some, even of the Corinthians, had been blinded to it. The Greek work kekalummenon is the perfect tense participle of a verb we have already seen in 2 Corinthians 3:13-14, and signifies here that the gospel had been previously veiled and continued to be veiled in the minds of these unbelievers. The perfect tense participle kekalummenon is used in both instances in 2 Corinthians 4:4. This definitely connects the subjects of chapter three to the subjects of chapter four. The veil was Judiastic legalism and it had been accomplished by the Judaizers long before Paul wrote this letter and it was continuing.

The gospel is veiled to those perishing (Gr. apollumenois, present tense participle of apollumi, to kill, to utterly destroy, to bring to nothing). They were in a continual state of perishing. Legalism as a means of justification is condemning. The legalist is under the judgment of God because he seeks to be justified by law, while the Scriptures unequivocally say, By the law shall no flesh be justified (Galatians 2:16).

The scheme by which the devil (working through legalists) brings about the destruction of the unwary is blinding the minds of the unbelievers. Legalism (the system of justification by works of the law) blinds and veils the minds of those who do not believe in justification by the free gift of God's mercy apart from the law. The Greek word etuphlosen is translated blinded and comes from the root word tuph which means, to burn, or, to smoke. It is used metaphorically of the dulling of the intellect (John 12:41; 1 John 2:11). Paul says the god of this world puts up a smoke-screen which bedazzles the unbeliever's mind.

The phrase, this world, is a translation of the Greek words tou aionos. This does not mean the devil is ruler of creation. Jehovah God is the absolute Sovereign of all creationincluding the devil. There is no religious dualism taught in the Bible. There is no Biblical doctrine of two eternal, coexisting deities, one evil and one good, engaged in a showdown for supremacy over human life. Such supernatural dualism is Zoroastrianism (Persian religion) and not Biblical. God alone is God. Satan, however, has usurped the place which God should have in some minds and deeds. Jehovah rules the world. The devil is only the pretended ruler (see Jeremiah 27:5-11; Psalms 50:10-15; Daniel 2:21-22; Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17; John 12:31; John 16:11). Jesus was able to order demons (colleagues of the devil) to do anything he wanted them to do. He cast demons out of people; sent them back to the abyss; gave them permission to inhabit swine. Jesus even commanded the devil to leave him after his temptation, and the devil obeyed. The devil is referred to as a god in the Bible because some people have been seduced by him into believing they can be justified by works of lawlegalism. This is a deception by the devil. God never intended his law for justification. By this deception the devil has blinded their minds and brought them under his influence.

The phrase this world. means, this present evil age (Galatians 1:4). It means, a worldly-mentality, a fleshly orientation (see Ephesians 2:1-3,etc.). Satan is the prince of the spirit of disobedience and rebellion against God. He is the leader, the first rebel, and totally opposed to the mind of the Spirit. Out of Satan's obsession for everything hateful, hurtful and hellish, he seeks to influence every human being he can to surrender to his wicked influence. Satan wants to rule, and pretends to rule, but he also knows he is subject to the sovereignty of God (see our comments on Revelation 12:12, in 26 Lessons on Revelation, pub. College Press). The devil is the leader (god) of rebellion against Almighty God, but he is not the ruler of anything or anyone. The devil is not even the ruler of hell. Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone along with every other rebel sinner and will suffer torment just like the others. Jehovah-God, through the Lamb, Jesus Christ, rules as Absolute Sovereign forever. He, alone, is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. He alone has the keys of Death and Hades. Of course, the devil has the major portion of the world deceived into believing that evil rules this world and will triumphthat truth and goodness has been subjected to wickedness and injustice. But the incarnation of God (Jesus Christ) and his resurrection from the dead proves just the opposite. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is precisely that light of the gospel of the glory of Christ upon which the devil focuses his most intense deception. If he can blind the minds of unbelievers as to the reality of the resurrection of Christ, he can keep them from seeing the sovereignty of God and Christ and thus seduce them into thinking he is the god of this world.

2 Corinthians 4:5-6 Conceitedness: A discouraging and disappointing thing to Paul, the preacher, was the conceit of those at Corinth who preached themselves. They were probably Judaizers or some who had been discipled by the Judaizers. The promotion of self was definitely a characteristic of legalism (see Galatians 6:11-16). Self-glorification is the very essence of legalism. Thinking oneself to be justified by works of the law is always accompanied by conceit, pride, hypocrisy and arrogance.

The people stirring up trouble and attacking the reputation of Paul in Corinth, whether Judaizers or not, were preaching themselves. They were comparing themselves and measuring themselves with one another instead of Christ, the perfect standard, and were, as Paul says, without understanding: (2 Corinthians 10:12).

Paul preached nothing of himself among the Corinthians. He always preached Jesus Christ as Lord, and apostles as servants (Gr. doulous, bond-slave) for the sake of Christ. Jesus was Lord, apostles were slaves serving every command of Jesus. That is the way Paul preached and lived. The Corinthian Christians could not deny that! Paul never measured himself by other human beings, nor even by his own standards (see 1 Corinthians 4:1-5). He always measured his ministry and his life by the standard of Godthe perfect Son. That is why Paul was always thinking of himself as a slave for Christ.

This conceit of the Corinthians was the cause of the divisions within the congregation (see 1 Corinthians 1:10 ff). They measured one teacher against another instead of measuring them all against Christ.

Paul always preached Christ Jesus (not himself) because God chose to enlighten the minds of men through the knowledge of Christ. Legalism blinds (because Satan uses it to blind men's minds); knowledge (intellectual and experiential) of Christ enlightens man about the glory of God, (see John 1:4-5; John 8:12; Acts 26:12-18). God is light, and in him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5-10), but legalism which refuses to admit sin is a lie and is darkness. Conceit is darknessit cannot behold the glory of Godit cannot abide in God.

The Lord Jesus was disappointed and discouraged with the conceit of the self-righteous Pharisees and Jewish rulers which made them so spiritually blind (see Matthew 15:14; Luke 6:39; Matthew 23:16-17; Matthew 23:19; Matthew 23:26; John 9:39-41). Paul rebuked his Jewish brethren for their spiritual blindness (Romans 2:19). Peter warned against spiritual blindness through conceit (1 Peter 1:9). Christ accused a whole church of spiritual blindness because of its arrogance (Revelation 3:17).

The practice of legalism resulting in arrogance and self-righteous comparisons have wreaked havoc within many modern congregations of Christians and caused untold numbers of preachers of the Gospel to become discouraged and quit their ministries.

Applebury's Comments

Paul's Response To The Ministry Under
The Glorious New Covenant
Scripture

2 Corinthians 4:1-6. Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we faint not: 2 but we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that perish: 4 in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them. 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus-' sake. 6 Seeing it is God, that said, Light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Comments

Therefore seeing we have this ministry.Paul had just explained his great boldness of speech in connection with his ministry under the New Covenant. This is a continuation of his answer to those who might criticize him for his claim to be adequate for such a ministry.

even as we obtained mercy.Paul had already made it clear that his sufficiency for this ministry was from God. He did not hesitate to admit that in himself he had no right to make such claims, for he remembered his former attitude toward Christ and his church. As he wrote to Timothy about the gospel of the glory of the blessed God which had been committed to his trust, he reminded him that Christ had counted him faithful and had appointed him to His service. This was in spite of the fact that once he had been a blasphemer and a persecutor and an injurious person. He had readily admitted to the Corinthians that he was the least of the apostles, not even worthy to be called an apostle because he had persecuted the church of God. See 1 Corinthians 15:9. But he obtained mercy because he did it ignorantly in unbelief. See 1 Timothy 1:11-14. God's mercy had brought him pardon; his sins had been washed away by the blood of Christ at the time of his baptism. See Acts 22:16. Although Paul had been a Pharisee, his humility as a Christian reminds us of the publican who prayed, Be merciful to me the sinner (Luke 18:13). Paul may have had in mind those arrogant false teachers who were troubling the church at Corinth, suggesting that they, too, should have called upon God for mercy.

we faint not.Paul's humility is matched by his courageous faith and confidence in the Lord. He was like David who, after he had slain the lion and the bear, fearlessly faced the giant Philistine who had been defying the army of Israel. Like David, Paul also came in the name of the Lord. He refused to act the part of a coward as he faced the hardships of this glorious ministry. Neither was he frightened by the derogatory slander of the false teachers at Corinth.

we have renounced the hidden things of shame.While renounce may have the sense of give up, it is doubtful that this would be true in Paul's case.

As to the righteousness which is in the Law, Paul declared that he had been found blameless. See Philippians 3:6. This reminds us of the Rich Young Ruler who said to Jesus that he had observed all the commandments from his youth. See Luke 18:21. But he had failed to keep the first commandment which said, Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Paul freely admitted, however, that before he had become a Christian he had been guilty of covetousness. Sin had dwelt in him, dominating his life and leading him to do many things he hated. See Romans 7:7-20. But he had been released from the tyranny of that master when he became obedient to Christ the Lord. See Romans 6:17-18.

Renounce also means to refuse. Even as a Pharisee, it is doubtful if Paul ever resorted to the shameful practices which he condemns in this context. But certain Judaizing teachers who had been disturbing the churches were guilty of them. Paul categorized the corrupt teachers who had been disrupting the Galatian churches as false brethren, privily brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Jesus Christ, that they might bring us into bondage (Galatians 2:4).

It is true also that Paul had persecuted the church of God and had tried to destroy it, because he was convinced that it was wrong. See Galatians 1:13. Breathing threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord he had traveled even to Damascus hunting them down. He had obtained letters from the high priest giving him authority to arrest any whom he might find that were of the Way, men or women, and bring them bound to Jerusalem. See Acts 9:1-2.

Whatever these hidden things of shame were, as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul refused to become involved in them. He gave full notice to all that he would not stoop to such practices in order to gain power over his fellowmen.

not working in craftiness.This is a reference to the methods of those who indulged in the hidden things of shame. See Ephesians 5:12. Some of them would do anything to accomplish their own selfish ends, even if it meant handling the Word of God deceitfully. Paul had already mentioned those who were making merchandise of the Word of God. As a fisherman uses a lure to attract the unsuspecting fish, so the false teacher used deceit in order to capture his victim. Paul, however, had said to the Ephesian elders: I am pure from the blood of all men, for I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:26-27).

There are various ways to use the Word of God deceitfully. Using a Bible text to preach a sermon that has little or nothing to do with the Bible is one of the common ways of doing it. Teaching it accurately, but refusing to live by it is equally deceitful. Jesus condemned the scribes and Pharisees for this very thing. See Matthew 23:1-2. Paul wrote about some of the Jews who were doing the same thing, saying, for this reason the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you (Romans 2:23).

Both Jesus and Paul demonstrated the proper use of the Scriptures. In the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus read from the prophecy of Isaiah concerning Himself. When He had finished reading He explained the meaning of the prophecy to the people. They wondered at the gracious words which He spoke. See Luke 4:16-21. Paul told Timothy that the inspired Scriptures were profitable for teaching, correction, instruction in righteousness, and that they completely equip the man of God for every good work. See 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Paul insisted on proclaiming the truth of God's Word and letting that truth be seen in his life. See Galatians 2:20 and 1 Corinthians 11:1.

commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.Paul's ministry was out in the open so that every man could see and know the truth for which he stood. And this is the thing that commended him to them. He was aware of the fact that as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ all that he said and did was done in the sight of God.

even if our gospel is veiled.He was, no doubt, anticipating the reaction to his remarks about the veil that lies upon those who hear the Law of Moses read. He frankly admitted that the gospel is veiled in the case of those who were perishing. They were perishing because they had failed to turn to the Lord who is revealed in the glorious New Covenant. The message of the gospel is about eternal life and also about eternal death. To reject the message of the Lord is to perish.

in whom the god of this world.Satan is properly called the god of this age because he is worshipped by those who are perishing. Of course, there is only one true God, the Father, and one true Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ. See 1 Corinthians 8:6. When Gentile sacrificed to idols, Paul said that they were sacrificing to demons and not to God. Idolatry was demon worship. Satan is known as the prince of demons. See Matthew 12:44. Satan even dared to challenge the Son of God to fall down and worship him, offering to give Him all the kingdoms of the world if He would do so. See Matthew 4:8. Jesus made it clear that no one can serve two masters. He said, You cannot serve God and mammon (Luke 16:13). Satan can be called the god of this age because of the time limit that is imposed upon his activities. At the close of this age, the devil will be cast into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone where are also the beast and the false prophet, and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. See Revelation 20:10.

Christ conquered Satan at the cross and provided the means whereby His followers may also overcome him, that is, by the blood of the Lamb, the Word of their testimony, and their dedication to the Lord that is indicated by the fact that they love not their lives even unto death. See Revelation 12:11 and Hebrews 2:14.

blinded the minds of the unbelieving.Belief in Christ rests solidly on the evidence of His resurrection. See Romans 10:9-10. The sheer weight of that evidence compelled the apostles who had investigated every phase of it to believe that God had raised Jesus from the dead. The inspired writers have left us a reliable record of the evidence of that greatest fact of history.

Paul knew that many were blind because they did not want to believe. They were satisfied with the Old Covenant and proud of their own righteousness.

Jesus had found this same blindness among the people of His day. They did not understand what He said because they did not hear what He was really saying. Why? Because they were intent on doing the evil which their father, the devil, was suggesting to them. He was a liar and the father of liars. His offspring were not interested in the truth which the Son of God spoke. See John 8:42-46.

that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.Unbelief had closed the minds of those who were perishing. They would not permit the knowledge of the gospel which tells of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ to enlighten their darkened minds. They loved the darkness rather than the light (John 3:19).

who is the image of God.Paul pointed out the seriousness of this blindness. To reject Christ is to reject God, for He is the image of God, that is, the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). John, also, says that No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him (John 1:18). Thus both John and Paul emphatically state their belief in the deity of Jesus. John says that the Word was God (John 1:1), and that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

The Gospel of John unfolds the story of the Father as He is seen in the Person of Jesus Christ. Jesus declared, I and the Father are one (John 10:30). He also said no one cometh unto the Father but by me (John 14:6). When Philip said, Lord, show us the Father and it sufficeth us, Jesus answered, Have I been so long time with you, and do you not know me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father (John 14:8-9). Indeed, if they had recognized Him, they would have known the Father. See John 14:7. The writer of Hebrews indicates that the Son is the exact representation of God. See Hebrews 1:3. The veil of unbelief prevented many from seeing this truth.

Paul declared that in Christ dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). The most complete explanation of this profound truth of Christianity is found in Philippians 2:5-11. His deity and humanity are presented by Paul in terms similar to those used by John in his Gospel and his first epistle. See John 1:1-8 and 1 John 1:1-4.

for we preach not ourselves.In no way did Paul preach himself. He always preached Christ Jesus as Lord. He was merely the agent through whom the knowledge of Christ had been made known in every place. He had no lordship over their faith; his task was to help them in their joyous relationship to the Lord.

Of himself he could say, I am your servant for Jesus-' sake. In so doing he was following the standard which the Lord had set for all who would serve Him. Whosoever would be first among you, He said, let him be servant of all. The Son of Man did not come to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give His life a ransom for the many. See Mark 10:44-45.

This attitude was the opposite of that of the false teachers who were troubling the Corinthians, for they were commending themselves and measuring themselves by their own standards. See 2 Corinthians 10:12.

Seeing that it is God.This is Paul's reason for preaching Christ. In contrast to what he had said about the god of this world who had blinded the minds of the unbelieving, Paul declared that it was God who caused light to shine out of darkness and who had shined in his heart to give the enlightenment that comes from the knowledge about the glory of God as it is seen in the face of Jesus. He wrote to the Galatians to say that God had revealed His Son in him that he might preach Him among the Gentiles. See Galatians 1:16.

Several contrasts are seen in these verses: (1) The god of this age is contrasted with God who created the world. (2) The blinded minds of the unbelievers are contrasted with the enlightened heart of Paul as a believer in Christ. (3) Unbelief which prevented the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ from dawning on the darkened minds is contrasted with the faith of the opened heart that allows the enlightenment that comes from the knowledge of the glory of God which is seen in the face of Christ to shine.
The shining brilliance on the face of Moses suggests the thought of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Moses-' face shone as he spoke to Israel the message which God had given him. Christ is the One through whom God revealed His gospel to the apostles, and they preached Christ Jesus as Lord for the salvation of the believer.

Paul had been permitted to see the brilliant light and to hear the voice of Christ when He commissioned him to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. See Acts 26:12-18. Jesus told him that through his preaching the Gentiles were to open their eyes, that they might turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they might receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in Christ.

Since Paul has been discussing the Old Covenant in contrast to the New, it might be well to recall what the writer of Hebrews said about the mountain from which God spoke to Israel. That mountain burned with fire and unto blackness and darkness, and tempest and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which they that heard entreated that no more should be spoken unto them (Hebrews 12:18-19). The message that came from Mount Zion, however, brought the good news of remission of sins that had been promised to all believers from the time of Abraham. See Galatians 3:6-14; Isaiah 2:1-4.

John wrote of Christ saying In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not (John 1:4-5). Jesus said, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12). All this seems to say the same thing that Paul did when he spoke of the enlightenment of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.