2 Corinthians 4:4 - Easy To Read Version The ruler {\cf2\super [17]} of this world (the devil) has blinded the minds of people who don’t believe. They cannot see the light (truth) of the Good News—the Good News about the glory of Christ. Christ is the One who is exactly like God. Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers' minds [that they should not discern the truth], preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah), Who is the Image and Likeness of God. American Standard Version (1901) 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. Common English Bible The god of this age has blinded the minds of those who don’t have faith so they couldn’t see the light of the gospel that reveals Christ’s glory. Christ is the image of God. Catholic Public Domain Version As for them, the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, would not shine in them. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of unbelievers, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not shine unto them. |
The Lord answered, ‘How will you trick King Ahab?’ The angel answered, ‘I will confuse all of Ahab’s prophets. I will tell the prophets to speak lies to King Ahab. The messages from the prophets will be lies.’ So the Lord said, ‘Good! Go and trick King Ahab. You will succeed.’”
Confuse the people. Make the people not able to understand the things they hear and see. If you don’t do this, then people might really understand the things they hear with their ears. The people might really understand in their minds. If they did this, then the people might come back to me and be healed (forgiven)!”
And what is the seed that fell among the thorny weeds? That seed is like the person that hears the teaching but lets worries about this life and love for money stop that teaching from growing. So the teaching does not make fruit {\cf2\super [184]} \{in that person’s life\}.
The Word {\cf2\super [5]} became a man and lived among us. We saw his glory—the glory that belongs to the only Son of the Father. The Word was full of grace (kindness) and truth.
No man has ever seen God. But the only Son (Jesus) is God. He is very close to the Father {\cf2\super [7]} (God). And the Son has shown us what God is like.
Now is the time for the world to be judged. Now the ruler of this world (the devil) will be thrown out.
Then Jesus said, “The light will be with you for only a short time more. So walk while you have the light. Then the darkness (sin) will not catch you. The person that walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.
“God made the people blind.\par God closed their minds.\par God did this so that they will not\par see with their eyes\par and understand with their minds.\par God did this so that they would not turn and be healed.”\par \i (Isaiah 6:10)\i0 \par
I will not talk with you much longer. The ruler of this world (the devil) is coming. He has no power over me.
I did things among those people that no other person has ever done. If I had not done those things, they would not be guilty of sin. But they have seen those things I did. And still they hate me and my Father.
And the Helper will prove to the world the truth about judgment, because the ruler of this world (the devil) is already judged.
Later, Jesus talked to the people again. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. The person that follows me will never live in darkness. That person will have the light that gives life.”
You will show the people the Truth. The people will turn away from darkness (sin) to the light (good). They will turn away from the power of Satan, and they will turn to God. Then their sins can be forgiven. They can have a share with those people who have been made holy {\cf2\super [494]} by believing in me.’”
They said that the Christ {\cf2\super [499]} would die and be the first to rise from death. Moses and the prophets said that the Christ would bring light to the Jewish people and to the non-Jewish people.”
But I am saying that when food is sacrificed to idols, it is an offering to demons, {\cf2\super [74]} not to God. And I don’t want you to share anything with demons.
I did this so that Satan (the Devil) would not win anything from us. We know very well what Satan’s plans are.
I went to Troas to tell people the Good News {\cf2\super [6]} of Christ. The Lord gave me a good opportunity there.
If the agreement that disappeared came with glory, then the agreement that continues forever has much greater glory.
But their minds were closed—they could not understand. Even today that same covering hides the meaning when they (the Jews) read the writings of the old agreement. {\cf2\super [15]} That covering has not been removed. It is taken away only through Christ.
And our faces are not covered. We all show the Lord’s glory. We are being changed to be like him. This change in us brings more and more glory. This glory comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
God once said, “The light will shine out of the darkness!” And this is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts. He gave us light by letting us know the glory of God that is in the face of Christ.
Jesus gave himself for our sins. Jesus did this to free us from this evil world we live in. This is what God the Father wanted.
Yes, in the past you lived doing those sins. You lived the way the world lives. You followed the ruler of the evil powers over the earth. That same spirit is now working in those people who refuse to obey God.
Our fight is not against people on earth. We are fighting against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness. We are fighting against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly places.
Christ himself was like God in everything. Christ was equal with God. But Christ did not think that being equal with God was something that he must keep.
No person can see God. But Jesus is exactly like God. Jesus is ruler over all the things that have been made.
That teaching is part of the Good News {\cf2\super [4]} that God gave me to tell. That glorious Good News is from the blessed God.
We should live like that while we are waiting for the coming of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. He is our great hope, and he will come with glory.
The Son shows the glory of God. He is a perfect copy of God’s nature. The Son holds everything together with his powerful command. The Son made people clean from their sins. Then he sat down at the right side {\cf2\super [2]} of the Great One (God) in heaven.
This makes us more sure about the things the prophets {\cf2\super [2]} said. And it is good for you to follow closely what the prophets said. The things they said are like a light shining in a dark place. You have that light until the day begins and the morning star brings new light to your minds.
But the person who hates his brother or sister is in darkness. He lives in darkness. That person does not know where he is going. Why? Because the darkness has made him blind.
But also I write this command to you as a new command. This command is true; you can see its truth in Jesus and in yourselves. The darkness (sin) is passing away and the true light is already shining.
These are the people who divide you. These people do only what their sinful selves want. They don’t have the Spirit. {\cf2\super [9]}