Veiled
2 Corinthians 4:3 “But if our gospel be ihid, it is hid kto them that are lost:” [1]
I. Hidden
A. Existent
B. Elusive
II. Hide
A. Elude
B. Evade
III. Hopeless
A. Erased
B. Exhausted
Introduction: The title of today’s message and the corresponding text are different because language is different and it is getting more different with each passing moment. The title of today’s message is “Veiled.” The focal verse of text today speaks of something hidden.
The words veiled and hid are very close in definition yet there is a subtle difference. When a bride to be is veiled she is not hidden from view. Everybody can clearly see her and can see her face under the veil. Traditionally her face is unreachable to the husband who has not yet vowed to give her his life as her husband. Once the minister of the vows says the magic words, “You can now kiss your bride”, the husband lifts the veil and, well you know the rest…
Our readings are from the 1900 KJV yet even 122 years ago the original text was translated into something subtly different. My concentration is always on the Bible as I am reading during my devotional times yet one particular morning I was distracted about this thing of people wearing face coverings. It seems we are finally getting over this nonsense.
The story that any mask which does not fully cover the mucous membranes prevents the spread of a virus is a mistruth. Some will never accept that truth. People working around hazardous environments wear either airline respirators or self-contained breathing apparatus to protect against microscopic airborne things like chlorine or ammonia, which are poison. A mask that will protect from a virus must protect the mucous membranes around your eyes.
Doctors and those tending to people who might have contagious blood born disease such as HIV or hepatitis do wear those paper or fabric masks to prevent splatter. I wore one as an EMT whenever I came in contract with people to protect both them from my germs and me from what they might have. N95 dust masks might somewhat help people who suffer from allergies but even they don’t cover the mucous membranes so they won’t stop a virus either. So why?
If you do not have immunity from any virus then you will probably get it unless you know what to do to protect yourself. Don’t touch your eyes unless your hands are sanitized. This is the same thing that First Responders were taught again at the beginning of this outbreak. People who wear masks that only cover their nose and mouth and not their eyes are no more protected from a head or corona virus than someone who does not cover part of their face.
A veil will not help you to be virus free. The idea was propagated to make the population think somebody had an answer that would keep them safe. It won’t. We are a flock of sheep! Has this ever happened before? Is there any group of religious people who insist on face covering?
When Moses returned from being in God’s presence his face shown so brightly that he had to put a veil over his face. Why? The people could not stand to look at him. He would take the mask off again when he came back into God’s presence. Now is not the first time people felt good about covering somebody else’s face. It won’t be the last time either. Moral of the story; some things are just too hard to look at. I really like seeing peoples’ faces.
Scripture: The scripture today is 2 Corinthians 4:3. Please stand for the reading of God’s word.
Message: This year I decided to read the Good News Translation for my annual read through the Bible. I also read through a Lectionary that leads the reader to specific phrases of scripture associated with the Christian events of the calendar. This period of time is known as the time of Epiphany or the coming of Christ to the world. Wednesday, which is Ash Wednesday, begins the traditional period of Lent.
The particular Lectionary guided me to this scripture but instead of using the word hid the Good News Translation used the word veiled. The KJV remains one of the closest translations of the original text of the Bible. There have been so many changes to our language that it often takes translation from the 1900 KJV even to today’s language. My mentors advised that it is good to read several translations and then learn some Hebrew, Greek, and Latin to find the many truths.
When I came to that word veil I thought about these masks. I thought about Moses being asked to wear a mask when he returned from meeting with God. Why? Events recently even on our church here caused me to visit again the idea that those who won’t see the truth of God will be caused to not be able to see God.
It is no wonder why lost people do not want to come to church. They do not want to be reminded of the truth so they won’t be reminded. They are receiving what they want and they have nobody to blame but themselves. Should we feel sorry for them for not seeing? How do you feel when you are forced to look at things you would rather not see? Let’s go back a few verses and see about this thing.
1 Corinthians 3:13-4:4, "13 And not as Moses, rwhich put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not sstedfastly look to athe end of that which is uabolished: 14 But btheir cminds were dblinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away ein the reading of fthe old testament; which vail is udone away in Christ. 15 But even unto this day, ewhen Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. 16 Nevertheless gwhen it shall turn to the Lord, hthe vail shall be taken away. 17 Now ithe Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, jthere is liberty. 18 But we all, with open face kbeholding as in a glass lthe glory of the Lord, mare nchanged into the same image ofrom glory to glory, even as ||by the Spirit of the Lord.
4 Therefore seeing we have athis ministry, bas we have received mercy, cwe faint not; 2 But have renounced the hidden things of †dishonesty, not walking in dcraftiness, nor ehandling the word of God deceitfully; but hby manifestation of fthe truth gcommending ourselves hto every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 But if our gospel be ihid, it is hid kto them that are lost: 4 In whom lthe god mof this world nhath blinded the ominds of them which believe not, lest pthe light of qthe glorious gospel of Christ, rwho is the image of God, should shine unto them." [2]
In our vocal verse the word hid is there twice. If the gospel is hidden is a rough translation which the old word hid is an adverb or a descriptor of the word of the gospel. Paul is saying the gospel is real. If it is hidden then somebody had to hide it. The gospel exists and there is nothing that anybody can do about that. It is the truth! It is elusive only to the ones that it has been hidden from but for those who love it there it is!
Somebody had to hide it from those who didn’t want to see it. Who put a veil over the gospel? Everybody knows that the Bible exists but for those who refuse to read it or hear about it in church it might as well be inexistent. The truth of His glory eludes them that won’t understand. That is where God’s sovereignty and our free will to receive works. That is also where God’s sovereignty and our free will not to receive works. His sovereignty, our choice. When we evade His will, He eludes us from being able to receive Him.
Paul ends this verse with a very dark truth. If a person comes to the end of their journey and they have not had a change of conscience that person is lost. We only have one hope in this life and His name is Jesus! Either we receive Him Who is our only hope or we die hopeless.
When a person dies without confessing their sins and asking for help to repent, their name erased from the lamb’s book of life. Do you believe that anyone came into this world without having their name written in that book? There comes a time, and for many there comes several times, when a person is faced with the decision to choose life or death. God will bring you to that point over and over again until He finally decides that you have exhausted your last chance. When that time comes choice ends and your name is erased. If it is all up to God, then why are we still here? If we forfeit our position to witness God in our lives then our time here will be no more. One day sooner than it was yesterday we will be forced to forfeit the position that we have here but only God knows when that day will be. So let us live here now in the presence of God where we need not to be ashamed.
Prayer: Let us pray.
Invitation: "5 For swe preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and tourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, uwho commanded the light to shine out of darkness, †hath wshined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God xin the face of Jesus Christ." [3]
You see; that is why we are here. It is not over until it is over. Are we to feel sorry for those who have made their own choice? No! Are we to continue to stand on the gospel of Jesus Christ as the world watches? Absolutely! That is the only reason we are still here! Some will not turn but we must continue to pray for them to finally accept Jesus. It is not up to us to hide the gospel from those we feel don’t deserve it. That is only up to God. Let them see as long as we have hope. Consider as we sing…
i Comp. ch. 3:7, 14, 18.
k See ch. 2:15.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 2 Co 4:3). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
r Ex. 34:29–35.
s ver. 13. See Luke 4:20.
a Rom. 10:4. Comp. Gal. 3:23–25.
u See 1 Cor. 13:8.
b Rom. 11:25. See Matt. 13:14.
c See ch. 2:11.
d Mark 6:52. So ch. 4:4.
e See Acts 15:21.
f Comp. ver. 6.
u See 1 Cor. 13:8.
e See Acts 15:21.
g Rom. 11:23, 26.
h Comp. Isai. 25:7.
i ver. 6. Comp. John 4:24. & 15:26.
j Gal. 5:1, 13. See John 8:32.
k See 1 Cor. 13:12.
l John 17:24. So ch. 4:4, 6.
m See Rom. 8:29.
n See Matt. 17:2.
o See Ps. 84:7.
|| Or, of the Lord the Spirit. Comp. ver. 17.
a See Acts 1:17. & ch. 3:6.
b See 1 Cor. 7:25.
c ver. 16. See Luke 18:1.
† Gr. shame. Phil. 3:19. Jude 13. So Rom. 6:21.
d See Luke 20:23.
e See ch. 2:17.
h ch. 5:11. & 11:6. See Acts 23:1.
f ch. 6:7. & 7:14.
g ch. 6:4. See Rom. 16:1.
h ch. 5:11. & 11:6. See Acts 23:1.
i Comp. ch. 3:7, 14, 18.
k See ch. 2:15.
l See John 12:31.
m See 1 Cor. 2:6.
n So ch. 3:14.
o See ch. 2:11.
p So ch. 3:8, 9, 11, 18. ver. 6. See Acts 26:18.
q 1 Tim. 1:11.
r Wisd. 7:26. Col. 1:15. So Phil. 2:6. Heb. 1:3. See John 14:9.
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 2 Co 3:13–4:4). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
s 1 Cor. 1:23.
t 1 Cor. 9:19. So ch. 1:24.
u Gen. 1:3.
† [Gr. is he who hath].
w 2 Pet. 1:19.
x ch. 2:10 (Gk.).
[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 2 Co 4:5–6). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
