In verse 3 Paul goes on to say, “And if also our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in those who are perishing.” In some the gospel is veiled by old concepts, especially the concept concerning the law (3:14-15). In principle, anything like philosophy or cultural traditions that hinders others from apprehending the gospel of Christ is a veil. Hence, the preaching of Christ must unveil them, just as in photography we remove the cover from the lens of a camera in order to take a picture.
Paul’s word in verse 3 implies that the gospel preached by the apostle should not be veiled. There is no reason for it to be veiled. But if it is veiled, it is veiled in those who are perishing, that is, in those for whom the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ is death unto death.
In verse 4 Paul continues, “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.” The god of this age is Satan, the deceiver, the ruler of this present age. He dominates today’s world and hunts for man’s worship by blinding his mind and his thoughts. In this verse blinded means to veil a person’s understanding. Furthermore, the thoughts here denote the understanding or the mind.
Christ as the image of God is 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 the unbelievers, so that the illumination of the gospel of Christ’s glory should not shine into their hearts. This is similar to covering the lens of a camera so that the light cannot shine into the camera.
What Paul describes in verse 4 is a kind of spiritual photography. We are like cameras with a lens and a shutter. When the shutter is pressed, there is a way for the light with the object, the figure, the image, to shine into the camera and be impressed on the film. The light brings the figure to the film and forms an image on it. However, if the lens of the camera is covered, there is no way for the light to shine into the camera. Sometimes when we preach the gospel to others, they are like a camera with the lens covered. The light cannot shine into them. Praise the Lord that, by His mercy and grace, the satanic cover has been removed from our minds! We have not only an unveiled face, but also an uncovered mind.
The unveiled face in 3:18 is the uncovered mind in chapter four. According to Paul’s concept, these two things are one. To have an unveiled face, therefore, is to have an uncovered mind. It is to be like a camera open to the shining of light.
As light shines into us, it brings in the image of Christ. This illumination shines into our spirit through our mind. Our spirit can be compared to the film. When the shining comes into us through our open mind, it reaches our spirit and brings the figure of Christ, the image of God, into us. In the church we are practicing such a spiritual and heavenly photography.
Literally, the Greek word translated shine in verse 4 first means to see distinctly, to discern; second, it means to shine. Hence, the translation of the second part of this verse may read, “So that they should not see the illumination of the gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God.” Since 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.