2 Cor 4.4 (Jesus, The God of this age!)

[Apple7]

εν οις ο θεος του αιωνος τουτου ετυφλωσεν τα νοηματα των απιστων εις το μη αυγασαι τον φωτισμον του ευαγγελιου της δοξης του χριστου ος εστιν εικων του θεου

en hois ho Theos tou aiōnos toutou etyphlōsen ta noēmata tōn apistōn eis to mē augasai ton phōtismon tou euangeliou tēs doxes tou Christou hos estin eikōn tou Theou

In whom The God of this age has blinded the thoughts of the unbelieving, so that the brightness of the gospel of The Glory, The Christ who is the image of God, should not dawn on them. (2 Cor 4.4)


Contrary to popular modern belief, ‘The God of this age’, (ho Theos tou aiōnos toutou), actually pertains to Jesus Christ and NOT Satan, and provides yet another potent scriptural proof for Jesus’ deity.

Outside of 2 Cor 4.4, the only other inflections of ‘blinded’ (i.e. etyphlōsen & etyphlōken), used in the entire NT, are located in John 12, and 1 John 2, and have Jesus as the subject:

• John 12 records that Isaiah wrote about Jesus, ‘The Arm of God’, ‘His Glory’ as blinding the thoughts of the unbelievers.

• 1 John 2 records without Jesus’ light, the unbelievers are blinded.


Contextually, the epithets contained within 2 Cor 4, including Theos, relate to Jesus…not to Satan.

 

[KingdomRose]

εν οις ο θεος του αιωνος τουτου ετυφλωσεν τα νοηματα των απιστων εις το μη αυγασαι τον φωτισμον του ευαγγελιου της δοξης του χριστου ος εστιν εικων του θεου

en hois ho Theos tou aiōnos toutou etyphlōsen ta noēmata tōn apistōn eis to mē augasai ton phōtismon tou euangeliou tēs doxes tou Christou hos estin eikōn tou Theou

In whom The God of this age has blinded the thoughts of the unbelieving, so that the brightness of the gospel of The Glory, The Christ who is the image of God, should not dawn on them. (2 Cor 4.4)


Contrary to popular modern belief, ‘The God of this age’, (ho Theos tou aiōnos toutou), actually pertains to Jesus Christ and NOT Satan, and provides yet another potent scriptural proof for Jesus’ deity.

Outside of 2 Cor 4.4, the only other inflections of ‘blinded’ (i.e. etyphlōsen & etyphlōken), used in the entire NT, are located in John 12, and 1 John 2, and have Jesus as the subject:

• John 12 records that Isaiah wrote about Jesus, ‘The Arm of God’, ‘His Glory’ as blinding the thoughts of the unbelievers.

• 1 John 2 records without Jesus’ light, the unbelievers are blinded.


Contextually, the epithets contained within 2 Cor 4, including Theos, relate to Jesus…not to Satan.

You are so unkind. What you say is disparaging to followers of Christ and, most importantly, to Jesus Christ who represented his Father on Earth, remaining faithful to God to the end of his human life on the planet. To say that he blinded the eyes of anyone is so far outside the realm of truth that it's upsetting to read and to think that anyone could say such a thing.

How does it really feel to verbally slap Jesus in the face?

 

[Apple7]

You are so unkind. What you say is disparaging to followers of Christ and, most importantly, to Jesus Christ who represented his Father on Earth, remaining faithful to God to the end of his human life on the planet. To say that he blinded the eyes of anyone is so far outside the realm of truth that it's upsetting to read and to think that anyone could say such a thing.

How does it really feel to verbally slap Jesus in the face?

You're NOT a Christian, so why worry about being 'offended'...?

Further, scripture supports my interpretation of this passage.

If you disagree, then speak to scripture to buttress your worldview....or admit that you cannot...

 

[Jerry Shugart]

So even though the LORD does not want any people to perish but yet He blinds the mind of people to the truth of the gospel?

Makes no sense to me.

 

[KingdomRose]

You're NOT a Christian, so why worry about being 'offended'...?

Further, scripture supports my interpretation of this passage.

If you disagree, then speak to scripture to buttress your worldview....or admit that you cannot...

Every scripture that refers to Jesus Christ depicts him as loving, kind, compassionate, empathetic, and dead-set on spreading his Father's loving thoughts and commands. The Bible says "GOD IS LOVE." (I John 4:8) If Jesus was mirroring his Father, and his Father is "love," how could Jesus possibly "blind the minds of the unbelievers" so that the glorious Good News about himself! would not shine through?

How could he possibly come to the earth to tell men the Good News of wonderful things to come, but then cause men to be blinded to what he was saying? I don't think you can buttress such a ridiculous idea.

 

[genuineoriginal]

In whom The God of this age has blinded the thoughts of the unbelieving, so that the brightness of the gospel of The Glory, The Christ who is the image of God, should not dawn on them. (2 Cor 4.4)


Contrary to popular modern belief, ‘The God of this age’, (ho Theos tou aiōnos toutou), actually pertains to Jesus Christ and NOT Satan, and provides yet another potent scriptural proof for Jesus’ deity.

I had always thought the "god of this world" was referring to Satan, but I can see now that it makes more sense for the phrase to be referring to God Himself.

 

[genuineoriginal]

To say that he blinded the eyes of anyone is so far outside the realm of truth that it's upsetting to read and to think that anyone could say such a thing.

So even though the LORD does not want any people to perish but yet He blinds the mind of people to the truth of the gospel?

How could he possibly come to the earth to tell men the Good News of wonderful things to come, but then cause men to be blinded to what he was saying?

What did Jesus Himself say about the matter?

Matthew 13:13-15 13 [JESUS]Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.[/JESUS] 14 [JESUS]And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:[/JESUS] 15 [JESUS]For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.[/JESUS]​

 

[glorydaz]

I had always thought the "god of this world" was referring to Satan, but I can see now that it makes more sense for the phrase to be referring to God Himself.

Same here, but I didn't really think about the Jews being blinded when I read that verse. In fact, it always bothered me that it seemed to be saying that satan had that power.

Isaiah, though, points to this very thing.

Isaiah 6:9-10 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.​

Same with the parables...

Matthew 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.​

Same with the verse that [MENTION=8445]DAN P[/MENTION] keeps posting about the veil...

2 Cor. 3:13-14 And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: 14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.​

 

[glorydaz]

You are so unkind. What you say is disparaging to followers of Christ and, most importantly, to Jesus Christ who represented his Father on Earth, remaining faithful to God to the end of his human life on the planet. To say that he blinded the eyes of anyone is so far outside the realm of truth that it's upsetting to read and to think that anyone could say such a thing.

How does it really feel to verbally slap Jesus in the face?

You "slap Jesus is the face" when you call Him "a god" in your Bible.

I don't suppose you're allowed to read Isaiah chapter 6, are you?

 

[glorydaz]

So even though the LORD does not want any people to perish but yet He blinds the mind of people to the truth of the gospel?

Makes no sense to me.

The Jews who had rejected Him time and time again.

 

[1Mind1Spirit]

εν οις ο θεος του αιωνος τουτου ετυφλωσεν τα νοηματα των απιστων εις το μη αυγασαι τον φωτισμον του ευαγγελιου της δοξης του χριστου ος εστιν εικων του θεου

en hois ho Theos tou aiōnos toutou etyphlōsen ta noēmata tōn apistōn eis to mē augasai ton phōtismon tou euangeliou tēs doxes tou Christou hos estin eikōn tou Theou

In whom The God of this age has blinded the thoughts of the unbelieving, so that the brightness of the gospel of The Glory, The Christ who is the image of God, should not dawn on them. (2 Cor 4.4)


Contrary to popular modern belief, ‘The God of this age’, (ho Theos tou aiōnos toutou), actually pertains to Jesus Christ and NOT Satan, and provides yet another potent scriptural proof for Jesus’ deity.

Outside of 2 Cor 4.4, the only other inflections of ‘blinded’ (i.e. etyphlōsen & etyphlōken), used in the entire NT, are located in John 12, and 1 John 2, and have Jesus as the subject:

• John 12 records that Isaiah wrote about Jesus, ‘The Arm of God’, ‘His Glory’ as blinding the thoughts of the unbelievers.

• 1 John 2 records without Jesus’ light, the unbelievers are blinded.


Contextually, the epithets contained within 2 Cor 4, including Theos, relate to Jesus…not to Satan.

Looks to me like the spirit of Christ, that was in Isaiah, was testifying about His Father.


39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:
40
“He (Father) has blinded their eyes
and hardened their hearts,
so they can neither see with their eyes,
nor understand with their hearts,
nor turn—and I (Christ) would heal them.”

My added parenthesis.

 

[glorydaz]

Looks to me like the spirit of Christ, that was in Isaiah, was testifying about His Father.


39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:
40
“He (Father) has blinded their eyes
and hardened their hearts,
so they can neither see with their eyes,
nor understand with their hearts,
nor turn—and I (Christ) would heal them.”

My added parenthesis.

Isaiah is full of scripture that speak of the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, but notice what Isaiah says here.... "Who will go for US?"

Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

 

[1Mind1Spirit]

Isaiah is full of scripture that speak of the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, but notice what Isaiah says here.... "Who will go for US?"

Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

The son of God.

 

[glorydaz]

The son of God.

The second person of our Triune God. :thumb:

 

[1Mind1Spirit]

The second person of our Triune God. :thumb:

Whatever floats yer boat.

 

[glorydaz]

Whatever floats yer boat.

Well, He's either God or He isn't. What say you?

If you say He is the Son of God, then you're still saying He is God or He isn't. Which is it?

Unless you believe there is more than one God. :think:

 

[Jerry Shugart]

The Jews who had rejected Him time and time again.

So are you saying that those Jews rejected Him because He blinded their minds to the truth of the gospel?

 

[glorydaz]

So are you saying that those Jews rejected Him because He blinded their minds to the truth of the gospel?

I'm saying it fits so much of scripture, it can't be denied.

John 12:37-41 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: 38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? 39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, 40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. 41 These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.​

I think the author of this OP makes an excellent point. It was the glory of the Lord (Jesus Christ) that blinded these Jews. John 12:41

 

[1Mind1Spirit]

If you say He is the Son of God, then you're still saying He is God or He isn't. Which is it?

Without adulterating the word I am saying he is the son of God.

Saying he is God the son is in my opinion adulterating.

:think:

 

[glorydaz]

Without adulterating the word I am saying he is the son of God.

Saying he is God the son is in my opinion adulterating.

:think:

So is the Son of God a lesser God in your view, or another God, or not God at all?