In this message we shall give a concluding word regarding the divine dispensing of the Divine Trinity issuing in the maturity of life and constitution of ministry.
In 4:4 Paul, referring to those who are perishing (v. 3), says, “In whom the god of this age has blinded the thoughts of the unbelieving, so that the illumination of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not shine in them.” Christ is the image of God, the effulgence of His glory (Heb. 1:3). Hence, the gospel of Christ is the gospel of His glory that illuminates and shines forth. Satan, the god of this age, has blinded the minds and the thoughts of unbelievers, so that the illumination of the gospel of Christ’s glory should not shine in their hearts. This is similar to covering the lens of the camera so that light cannot shine into the camera with the image that is being photographed.
Literally, the Greek word translated “shine” means to see distinctly, to discern, and also to shine. Hence, the translation of the second part of verse 4 may read, “So that they should not see the illumination of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” Because the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, they cannot see the illumination of the gospel’s glory, just as a blind man, or a man with his eyes veiled, cannot see the light of the sun.
In 4:6 Paul goes on to say, “Because the God who said, Out of darkness light shall shine, is the One who shined in our hearts for the illumination of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” God’s shining in our hearts results in the illumination of knowing the glory of God in the face of Christ, that is, in the enlightenment that causes us to know the glory of the gospel of Christ. The illumination, the enlightenment, that makes the glory of Christ’s gospel known to us issues from the shining of God in our hearts.
In understanding Paul’s word in 4:6, we may regard “illumination” as equal to light and speak of the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. According to this verse, the gospel is the gospel of the glory of Christ. This gospel has light, illumination. The light of the gospel of the glory of Christ shines in us. This is actually God shining Himself into our being. Do you know what this shining is? This shining is the divine dispensing of the Divine Trinity.
When the gospel is preached in a proper way, people should experience God’s shining Himself into them. They should have the consciousness of light being transfused into them. This means that the proper gospel preaching involves God’s shining into our heart. This shining in our heart is God’s dispensing. As He shines into us, He dispenses the divine element into our being.
In 3:3, 6, 17, and 18 we have the Spirit, and in 4:4 and 6 we have light. Whenever we preach the gospel or minister, we must be full of the Spirit and also full of light. If we speak without the Spirit and without light, nothing will be dispensed into others. But when our speaking is with the Spirit and with light, the Spirit and the light will accomplish the work of dispensing. Whenever the divine light is shining, this shining dispenses the divine element into others. As a result, they become constituted of this element. Therefore, our speaking must be full of the Spirit and light.