Our Gospel is veiled 30/09/2021

[Photo by novia wu on Unsplash]

Paul is tackling a thorny issue which has caused debate and discussion throughout the centuries. He discusses the fact that there are many people who do not respond to the Gospel when it is preached. He says that as far as these people are concerned, the Gospel is 'hidden' or 'veiled'. In Paul's case this is not the fault of the preacher. He has preached faithfully but the response varied from one listener to another.

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. [2 Corinthians 4:3‭-‬4 NIV]

Paul is explicit that this failure to respond is extremely serious. It has eternal consequences. He describes those who fail to respond as 'perishing.' This reminds me of the teaching of John's Gospel. See previous Day Shares entitled 'Condemned Already 14/10/202' and 'The one who believes in the Son has eternal life 18/10/2020.' It is also similar to the parable of the sower which Jesus used to refer to the different reactions to the Word of God which was compared to seed and the growth depended on the soil. (Matthew 13:1-23; Mark 4:1-20; Luke 8:4-15)

Paul refers to the activity of Satan whom he labels 'the god of this age.' Satan is actively opposing the preaching of the message by blinding the minds of unbelievers. So this explains the use of the word 'veiled' or 'hidden' to describe the lack of appreciation of the message in so many hearers. I was reflecting on how Satan is blinding people in Britain in 2021 by the following

• Telling people that the Bible is not to be trusted because science has disproved it

• Pointing to failures on the part of Christians as evidence that Christianity does not work

• Highlighting the divisions in the Christian Church

• Blaming religion for all the wars in the world and including Christianity as another 'religion.'

• Emphasising the destructive forces of Islamic fundamentalists as evidence that religion is harmful and evil.

• Distracting people from anything to do with the message of the Gospel by offering a wide variety of entertainment and other gods.

The list could of Satan's tactics are endless. In some parts of the world, he is actively encouraging hatred and persecution of Christians but he is much more subtle in Scotland and the United Kingdom.

There are questions raised in these verse in 2 Corinthians which will provoke discussion. How can we blame someone for not accepting this message from God if Satan is so powerful and violently opposed? It is surely the fault of Satan and therefore those who have rejected the message can shift the blame to him. How can God then punish 'unbelievers' when they are dictated and controlled by such a powerful being? This is not how God sees it. God is sovereign and it is not open to humans to challenge him.

That statement I have just made will provoke a negative reaction in some readers of this blog. If we look carefully at the text, we see that it is not entirely the fault of Satan. Satan is described as 'the god of this age' and this implies that people have chosen him as a counterfeit god. They have been happy to be distracted by Satan and to worship him instead of the One God. Corinth was a prime example. It was a city where people chose to live lives with no moral or ethical restraint. And would Britain in 2021 be any different? Also the word 'unbelievers' suggests a deliberate choice. They have chosen not to believe and have substituted other ideas and obsessions for God.

There are serious consequences for this rejection of God's message. The word 'perishing' is used and again this is used in John's Gospel. Those who do not believe are 'perishing.' This is not merely meaning the end of physical existence or annihilation. It is the exact opposite of eternal or everlasting life. It means eternal death - separation from God's presence eternally. This is too awful to begin to contemplate and should encourage us to witness to those who have not believed in Jesus Christ and who are viewed as 'perishing' or condemned already.

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. [John 3:18 NIV]