And if our gospel be also hid, it is hid to them that are lost,

“Then because the unbelievers knew not its power, he added, this is no fault of ours, but of their own insensibility. Wherefore also he saith, "But if our Gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that are lost; in whom the God of this world hath blinded the eyes of the unbelieving." As he said also before, "To some a savor from death unto death, to others a savor from life unto life," so he saith here too. But what is "the God of this world?" Those that are infected with Marcion's notions, affirm that this is said of the Creator, the just only, and not good; for they say that there is a certain God, just and not good. But the Manichees say that the devil is here intended, desiring from this passage to introduce another creator of the world besides the True One, very senselessly. For the Scripture useth often to employ the term God, not in regard of the dignity of that so designated, but of the weakness of those in subjection to it; as when it calls Mammon lord, and the belly god. But neither is the belly therefore God, nor Mammon Lord, save only of those who bow down themselves to them. But we assert of this passage that it is spoken neither of the devil nor of another creator, but of the God of the Universe, and that it is to be read thus; "God hath blinded the minds of the unbelievers of this world." For the world to come hath no unbelievers; but the present only. But if any one should read it even otherwise, as, for instance, "the God of this world;" neither doth this afford any handle, for this doth not show Him to be the God of this world only. For He is called "the God of Heaven," yet is He not the God of Heaven only; and we say, 'God of the present day;' yet we say this not as limiting His power to it alone. And moreover He is called the "God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;" and yet He is not the God of them alone. And one may find many other like testimonies in the Scriptures. How then "hath" He "blinded" them? Not by working unto this end; away with the thought! but by suffering and allowing it. For it is usual with the Scripture so to speak, as when it saith, "God gave them up unto a reprobate mind." For when they themselves first disbelieved, and rendered themselves unworthy to see the mysteries; He Himself also thereafter permitted it. But what did it behove Him to do? To draw them by force, and reveal to those who would not see? But so they would have despised the more, and would not have seen either. "That the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ should not dawn upon them." Not that they might disbelieve in God, but that unbelief might not see what are the things within, as also He enjoined us, commanding not to "cast the pearls before the swine." For had He revealed even to those who disbelieve, their disease would have been the rather aggravated. For if one compel a man laboring under ophthalmia to look at the sunbeams, he the rather increases his infirmity. Therefore the physicians even shut them up in darkness, so as not to aggravate their disorder. So then here also we must consider that these persons indeed became unbelievers of themselves, but having become so, they no longer saw the secret things of the Gospel, God thenceforth excluding its beams from them. As also he said to the disciples, "Therefore I speak unto them in proverbs, because hearing they hear not." But what I say may also become clearer by an example; suppose a Greek, accounting our religion to be fables. This man then, how will he be more advantaged? by going in and seeing the mysteries, or by remaining without? Therefore he says, "That the light should not dawn upon them," still dwelling on the history of Moses. For what happened to the Jews in his case, this happeneth to all unbelievers in the case of the Gospel. And what is that which is overshadowed, and which is not illuminated unto them? Hear him saying, "That the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God, should not dawn upon them." Namely, that the Cross is the salvation of the world, and His glory; that this Crucified One himself is about to come with much splendor; all the other things, those present, those to come, those seen, those not seen, the unspeakable splendor of the things looked for. Therefore also he said, "dawn," that thou mayest not look for the whole here, for that which is [here] given is only, as it were, a little dawning of the Spirit. Therefore, also above as indicating this, he spoke of "savor;" and again, "earnest," showing that the greater part remaineth there. But nevertheless all these things have been hidden from them; but had been hidden because they disbelieved first. Then to show that they are not only ignorant of the Glory of Christ, but of the Father's also, since they know not His, he added, "Who is the Image of God?" For do not halt at Christ only. For as by Him thou seest the Father, so if thou art ignorant of His Glory, neither wilt thou know the Father's.”

“Here he then answers a tacit objection. For someone could say to him: you say that you do not fall short in the manifestation of the truth of Christ, but this does not appear to be so, because many contradict you. He therefore answers this question. And concerning this he does two things. First he answers the aforesaid question; second he excludes a certain doubt which seems to follow from his answer, at *for we do not preach ourselves*, etc. Concerning the first he does three things. First he shows to whom the truth of Christ is hidden; second he assigns the cause of this hiding, at *in whom the God of this world*; third he shows that this is not from any defect of the truth of the Gospel, that it should be hidden, at *that it should not shine*, etc. He says therefore: I said that we do not fall short in manifestation, *that*, that is *but*, *if our Gospel*, namely which we preach, *is covered*, that is hidden, it is not covered to all, but to those only *who perish*, namely by providing an impediment lest it be manifested to them. 1 Cor. 1:18: *the word of the cross is foolishness to those who perish*, etc. The cause therefore of this hiding is not on the part of the Gospel, but on account of their own fault and malice. And this is what he adds, *in whom the God of this world*, etc. And this can be expounded in three ways. In the first way thus: *the God of this world*, that is the God who is Lord of this world and of all things by creation and nature, according to that of Ps. 23:1: *the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof, the world*, *has blinded the minds of unbelievers*, not by inducing malice, but deservedly, indeed by the demerit of preceding sins, by withdrawing grace. Is. 6:10: *blind the heart of this people*, etc. Whence he also hints at preceding sins, when he says *of unbelievers*, as though their unbelief had been the cause of this blinding. In the second way thus: *the God of this world*, that is the Devil, who is called the God of this world, that is of those living worldly, not by creation but by imitation, whereby worldly people imitate him. Wisdom 2:25: *they imitate him, who are*, etc. And he blinds here by suggesting, drawing, and inclining toward sins. And so when they are now in sins, they are covered in the darkness of sins lest they see. Eph. 4:18: *having their understanding darkened*, etc. In the third way thus: God has the nature of the ultimate end, and the fulfillment of the desires of the whole creature. Whence whatever anyone sets up for himself as an ultimate end, in which his desire rests, can be called his God. Whence when you hold delights as your end, then delights are called your God; likewise also if the pleasures of the flesh, or honors. And then it is expounded thus: *the God of this world*, that is that which men living worldly set up for themselves as an end, as for instance pleasures, or riches and the like. And thus God blinds minds, insofar as he impedes men from being able to see the light of grace here, and of glory in the future. Ps. 57:9: *fire fell upon it*, namely of concupiscence, so that they should not see the sun. So therefore the blinding of unbelievers is not on the part of the Gospel, but from the fault of unbelievers. And therefore he adds *that it should not shine*, etc. Where it must be known that God the Father is the fount of all light. 1 John 1:5: *God is light, and in him there is no darkness*, etc. From this fontal light, moreover, is derived the image of this light, namely the Son, the Word of God. Heb. 1:3: *who being the brightness*, etc. This brightness of glory therefore, image of the fontal light, took on our flesh and did many glorious and divine works in this world. The declaration therefore of this light is the Gospel, whence the Gospel is also called the knowledge of the clarity of Christ, which knowledge indeed has an illuminative power. Wisdom 6:13: *wisdom is bright, and never fades away*, etc. And indeed, as far as it is in itself, it shines in all and illumines all, but those who provide an impediment are not illumined. And this is what he says: therefore he has blinded the minds of unbelievers, namely so that it should not shine forth in them, namely in the minds of unbelievers, although in itself it is shining forth, the illumination of the Gospel which illumines. Which indeed is illumining, because it is the glory of Christ, that is the clarity. John 1:14: *we have seen the glory*, etc. Which glory indeed comes to Christ from this, that he is the image of God. Col. 1:15: *who is the image of the invisible God*. Note, according to the Gloss, that Christ is the most perfect image of God. For in order that something be perfectly the image of another, three things are required, and these three are perfectly in Christ. The first is likeness, the second is origin, the third is perfect equality. For if between the image and that of which it is the image there were unlikeness, and the one did not arise from the other, likewise also if there were not perfect equality, which is according to the same nature, there would not there be the perfect nature of an image. For the likeness of the king on a coin is not perfectly called the image of the king, because equality according to the same nature is lacking there; but the likeness of the king in his son is called the perfect image of the king, because those three things which have been mentioned are there. Since therefore these three are in Christ the Son of God, namely that he is like the Father, arises from the Father, and is equal to the Father, he is most greatly and perfectly called the image of God. Then, when he says *for we do not preach ourselves*, etc., the Apostle removes a certain doubt. For someone could say to the Apostle, against the aforesaid: above you said that your Gospel is covered, now you say that the Gospel of Christ illumines; if therefore it be granted that the Gospel of Christ is illumining, it cannot follow from this that your Gospel is covered. And therefore to remove this, he does two things. First, he shows that his own Gospel and Christ's are the same; second, he shows whence it is that his Gospel is illuminative, at *for God who said*, etc. He says therefore first: I say that the manifestation of the clarity of Christ is the Gospel of Christ and ours. Ours indeed as preached by us; Christ's indeed, as preached in that very Gospel. And this is what *we do not preach ourselves*, that is we do not commend ourselves, nor do we turn our preaching to ourselves, that is to our own praise or profit, but we refer everything to Christ and his praise. 1 Cor. 1:23: *but we preach Christ*, etc. Ps. 72:28: *that I may declare all your works*, not mine, *in the gates*, etc. *But Jesus our Lord, and ourselves your servants through Jesus*. As if he were to say: we preach Jesus as Lord, but ourselves as servants. And the reason for this is that we principally seek the praise of Christ and not our own. For a servant is one who exists for the advantage of his lord. And hence it is that a minister of the Church who does not seek the honor of God and the advantage of his subjects is not called a true ruler, but a tyrant. For whoever rules well ought to be like a servant, seeking the honor and advantage of his subjects. Gen. 25:23: *the elder shall serve the younger*. 1 Cor. 9:19: *whereas I was free, I made myself the servant of all of you*. Then, when he says *for God who said*, etc., he shows whence his Gospel has illuminative power. Here note the order of proceeding kept by the Apostle, which is this: we formerly, namely before we were converted to Christ, were in darkness just as you and others, in whom the clarity of the glory of Christ does not shine. But now, after Christ has called us through his grace to himself, that darkness has been removed from us, and now the power of the glory of the clarity of Christ shines in us; and it shines forth in us to such a degree that we are not only illumined so that we can see, but also so that we illumine others. From spiritual grace, therefore, and the abundant shining-forth of the clarity of the glory of Christ in us, our Gospel has illuminative power. And this is what he says: I say that our Gospel illumines for this reason, that God, who said, that is by precept alone made, light to shine forth, which was in the separation of the elements, when he illumined the dark chaos by the light which he made. Gen. 1:3: *he said, let there be light*. Ecclus. 24:6: *I made that light should arise in the heavens*, etc. This same God, I say, has shone in our hearts, that is in our minds, previously darkened through the absence of the light of grace and the obscurity of sin. Luke 1:79: *to enlighten those who are in darkness*, etc. He has shone, I say, not only that we should be illumined, but *unto illumination*, that is that we should also illumine others. Eph. 3:8: *to me, the least of all the saints, is given*, etc. Matt. 5:14: *you are the light*, etc. *Unto illumination*, I say, *of the knowledge*, that is that we may make others know. I say, *of the clarity of God*, that is of the clear divine vision, *in the face of Jesus Christ*. The Gloss: that is through Jesus Christ, who is the face of the Father, because without him the Father is not known. But it is better said thus: unto the illumination of the holy clarity of God, which clarity indeed shines in the face of Christ Jesus, that is that through that very glory and clarity, Christ Jesus may be known. As if he were to say: in sum, God has shone upon us unto illumination, to this end, that from this Jesus Christ may be known and preached among the nations.”

“But if our Gospel be hid I So as not to be understood and THE GOD OF THIS WORLD 43 hence not believed. He alludes to the veil of Moses (iii. 13), and anticipates the objection : “ If you, O Paul, manifest, as you say, the word of God in truth, and commend yourself to every man’s conscience, how comes it that this word of God of yours is not manifest to all? Why do not all believe it?” He replies that it is plain enough to the good.and faithful, but to the wicked and unbelieving it is hidden and unknown, because they are reprobate. He is not speaking of the written Gospel, as heretics suppose, as though that were clear to all the elect, but of the mysteries of the Gospel, or the articles of the faith that are open and obvious to every Christian, such as the birth, Passion, and resurrection of Christ These truths were preached by Paul and the Apostles before the Gospels were committed to writing ; and when this letter was written, all the Gospels were not yet written. To them that are lost. It is the proof and cause of their reprobation that they have a veil of blindness and unbelief over their heart, which prevents them from seeing and believing Christ and His mysteries, which are so clearly set forth in the Gospel and the New Testament”

“But if our Gospel be hid,.... When the Gospel is called ours, the meaning is, not that ministers are the authors or subject of it; but it is so styled, because they are intrusted with it; it is preached by them; and is in opposition to another Gospel, the Gospel of the false apostles. Here an objection is obviated, which the apostle saw would be made against the clearness and perspicuity of the Gospel, asserted by him in the foregoing chapter; taken from some persons, who though they sat under the ministry of the word, were not enlightened by it, saw no glory nor excellency in it, nor were their minds in the least affected with it: to which he replies, saying, "if our Gospel be hid", it is hid to them that are lost. But why should the apostle put an if upon its being hid? is it not hid? is it not "the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom?" To which may be answered, that it was hid in God from the beginning of the world; and in Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; and in the ceremonial law, which contained types and shadows of many things in it; and was hid from whole nations, and for whole ages formerly: but now God has made known the mystery of his will; Christ is manifest in the flesh; the ceremonial law is done away, and the Gospel is preached to Jews and Gentiles; so that it is hid to none, as to the outward ministration of it: and if the internal, spiritual, and saving knowledge and experience of it is hid from any, eventually and finally, it is "to them that are lost": all mankind are in a lost and perishing condition through sin; though some will not be lost eternally, whom God has chosen, Christ has redeemed, and who by the Spirit are brought savingly to believe in Christ; but there are others, that will be lost for ever; and to these the Gospel is hid; and they are such, who are left to the native blindness of their minds, and are given up to a reprobate mind, to judicial darkness, and are suffered to be under the influence of the prince of darkness, as in the following verse; now such instances are no more an objection to the clearness and perspicuity of the Gospel, and the ministration of it, than men born blind, who never could, nor never will see light, are to the bright and clear shining of the sun noon day.”

“But if our Gospel be hid - Κεκαλυμμενον· Veiled; he refers to the subject that he had treated so particularly in the conclusion of the preceding chapter. If there be a veil on the Gospel, it is only to the wilfully blind; and if any man's heart be veiled that hears this Gospel, it is a proof that he is among the lost, απολλυμενοι, those who are fully under the power of sin; who have given up themselves to work wickedness; persons who are mere heathens, or live like such, and yet such as Jesus Christ came to seek and save; for the word does not necessarily imply those that will perish eternally, but is a common epithet to point out a man without the Gospel and without God in the world. Christ commands his disciples in preaching the Gospel to go to προβατα τα απολωλοτα, the Lost sheep of the house of Israel; Mat 10:6; for himself says, Mat 18:11, and Luk 19:10 : The Son of man is come ζητησαι και σωσαι το απολωλος, to seek and to Save that which is Lost. And such persons he represents under the parable of the lost sheep; for to find το απολωλος, that which is Lost, the good shepherd leaves the ninety-and-nine in the wilderness, and goes in search of it; Mat 18:12; Luk 15:4. The word more properly signifies, in all those connections, and in the parallel passages, not those who Are Lost, but those who are perishing; and will perish, if not sought and saved.”

“The apostle here brings another proof of the sincerity of his preaching, viz. the success with which it is attended: And he says, if there be any who have not yet received it, that is their own fault. For had they been as eager to receive it, as we have been to announce it to them, the whole world had[would have?] long since been converted. (Theodoret)”

“But if--Yea, even if (as I grant is the case). hid--rather (in reference to Co2 3:13-18), "veiled." "Hid" (Greek, Col 3:3) is said of that withdrawn from view altogether. "Veiled," of a thing within reach of the eye, but covered over so as not to be seen. So it was in the case of Moses' face. to them--in the case only of them: for in itself the Gospel is quite plain. that are lost--rather, "that are perishing" (Co1 1:18). So the same cloud that was "light" to the people of God, was "darkness" to the Egyptian foes of God (Exo 14:20).”