2 Corinthians 4:3
New International Version
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

New Living Translation
If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing.

English Standard Version
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

Berean Standard Bible
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

Berean Literal Bible
But if indeed our gospel is concealed, it is concealed to those who are perishing,

King James Bible
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

New King James Version
But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,

New American Standard Bible
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,

NASB 1995
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,

NASB 1977
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,

Legacy Standard Bible
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,

Amplified Bible
But even if our gospel is [in some sense] hidden [behind a veil], it is hidden [only] to those who are perishing;

Christian Standard Bible
But if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

American Standard Version
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that perish:

Contemporary English Version
If there is anything hidden about our message, it is hidden only to someone who is lost.

English Revised Version
But and if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that are perishing:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So if the Good News that we tell others is covered with a veil, it is hidden from those who are dying.

Good News Translation
For if the gospel we preach is hidden, it is hidden only from those who are being lost.

International Standard Version
So if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are dying.

Majority Standard Bible
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

NET Bible
But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing,

New Heart English Bible
Even if our Good News is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing;

Webster's Bible Translation
But if our gospel is hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

Weymouth New Testament
If, however, the meaning of our Good News has been veiled, the veil has been on the hearts of those who are on the way to perdition,

World English Bible
Even if our Good News is veiled, it is veiled in those who are dying,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and if our good news is also veiled, it is veiled in those perishing,

Berean Literal Bible
But if indeed our gospel is concealed, it is concealed to those who are perishing,

Young's Literal Translation
and if also our good news is vailed, in those perishing it is vailed,

Smith's Literal Translation
And if also our good news is hid, in the lost is it hid:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And if our gospel be also hid, it is hid to them that are lost,

Catholic Public Domain Version
But if our Gospel is in some way hidden, it is hidden to those who are perishing.

New American Bible
And even though our gospel is veiled, it is veiled for those who are perishing,

New Revised Standard Version
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
If our gospel is hidden, it is hidden to those who are lost:

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But if our gospel is covered up, it is covered up to those who are lost,
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
But if our gospel is vailed, it is vailed among the lost,

Godbey New Testament
But if indeed our gospel is hidden, it is hidden with those who are lost:

Haweis New Testament
And if now our gospel be hid, it is hid from those who are lost:

Mace New Testament
but if our gospel be obscure, it is so only to those who are lost:

Weymouth New Testament
If, however, the meaning of our Good News has been veiled, the veil has been on the hearts of those who are on the way to perdition,

Worrell New Testament
And, even if our Gospel has been veiled, it has been veiled in those who perish;

Worsley New Testament
And if our gospel also be veiled, it is to those that perish;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Light of the Gospel
2Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not practice deceit, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by open proclamation of the truth, we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.…

Cross References
2 Corinthians 3:14
But their minds were closed. For to this day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant. It has not been lifted, because only in Christ can it be removed.

2 Corinthians 2:15-16
For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. / To the one we are an odor that brings death, to the other a fragrance that brings life. And who is qualified for such a task?

Romans 11:7-8
What then? What Israel was seeking, it failed to obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, / as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, to this very day.”

1 Corinthians 1:18
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

John 12:40
“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they cannot see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.”

Matthew 13:13-15
This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’ / In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. / For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’

Isaiah 6:9-10
And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ / Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Romans 1:21-22
For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. / Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools,

1 John 2:11
But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness. He does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Ephesians 4:18
They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts.

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12
and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them. / For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie, / in order that judgment may come upon all who have disbelieved the truth and delighted in wickedness.

John 3:19-20
And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil. / Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

Acts 28:26-27
‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” / For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’

Isaiah 44:18
They do not comprehend or discern, for He has shut their eyes so they cannot see and closed their minds so they cannot understand.

Jeremiah 5:21
“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.


Treasury of Scripture

But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

our.

Romans 2:16
In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

1 Thessalonians 1:5
For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

1 Timothy 1:11
According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

it is.

2 Corinthians 4:4
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.

2 Corinthians 2:15,16
For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: …

2 Corinthians 3:14
But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.

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2 Corinthians 4
1. Paul declares how he has used all sincerity and diligence in preaching the gospel,
7. and how his troubles and persecutions did redound to the praise of God's power,
12. to the benefit of the church,
16. and to the apostle's own eternal glory.














And even if
This phrase introduces a conditional statement, suggesting a hypothetical situation. The Greek word "καὶ εἰ" (kai ei) implies a concession, acknowledging a reality that might not be immediately apparent. In the context of Paul's ministry, it reflects the apostle's awareness of the challenges in spreading the gospel. Despite the power and truth of the message, Paul recognizes that not everyone will receive it. This acknowledgment serves as a reminder of the spiritual battle inherent in evangelism, where human free will and spiritual blindness can hinder the acceptance of divine truth.

our gospel
The term "gospel" comes from the Greek "εὐαγγέλιον" (euangelion), meaning "good news." This is the core message of Christianity, centered on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. By using "our," Paul personalizes this message, indicating his deep commitment and the shared mission of the apostles. The gospel is not just a set of doctrines but a transformative message that has been entrusted to believers to share with the world. It is a divine revelation that offers salvation and hope to humanity.

is veiled
The imagery of a "veil" comes from the Greek "καλύπτω" (kalypto), meaning "to cover" or "to hide." This metaphor suggests that the truth of the gospel is obscured or hidden from certain individuals. In the historical context, Paul may be alluding to the veil over Moses' face in the Old Testament, which symbolized the Israelites' inability to fully perceive God's glory (Exodus 34:33-35). Spiritually, this veil represents the hardness of heart and spiritual blindness that prevents people from understanding and accepting the gospel. It is a reminder of the need for divine intervention to lift this veil and reveal the truth.

to those who are perishing
The phrase "those who are perishing" translates from the Greek "τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις" (tois apollymenois), indicating a state of spiritual destruction or loss. This is not merely a physical death but an eternal separation from God. In the conservative Christian perspective, this underscores the urgency and seriousness of evangelism. The perishing are those who have not accepted the gospel, and their fate is a poignant reminder of the consequences of rejecting God's offer of salvation. It calls believers to compassion and action, to pray and work diligently to reach those who are lost, trusting in God's power to remove the veil and bring them to the light of Christ.

(3) But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.--Better, in both cases, as keeping the sequence of thought, has been veiled, instead of "is hid," and among them that are perishing. (See Note on 2Corinthians 2:15.) He cannot close his eyes to the fact that the glorious words of 2Corinthians 3:18 are only partially realised. There are some to whom even the gospel of Christ appears as shrouded by a veil. And these are not, as some have thought, Judaising teachers only or chiefly, but the whole class of those who are at present on the way to perish, not knowing God, counting themselves unworthy of eternal life. The force of the present participle, as not excluding the thought of future change, is again to be carefully noted.

Verse 3. - But if our gospel be hid. This is added to avoid the semblance of a contradiction. He has spoken of "manifestation of the truth," and yet has spoken of all Jews as unable to see it because they will not remove from their hearts the veil which hides it from them. How can "a veiled gospel" be a "manifested truth"? The answer is that the gospel is bright, but the eyes that should gaze on it are wilfully closed. Similarly in 2 Corinthians 2:16, he has compared the gospel to a fragrance of life, yet to the doomed captives - "to the perishing" - it comes "like a waft from the charnel house." A better rendering would be, But even if our gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1; Romans 2:16) is a veiled one. it is veiled only among the perishing (comp. 1 Corinthians 1:18). Be hid; rather, has been veiled. To them that are lost; rather, to the perishing (see note on 2 Corinthians 2:15).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
And
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

even
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

if
Εἰ (Ei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1487: If. A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.

our
ἡμῶν (hēmōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

gospel
εὐαγγέλιον (euangelion)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 2098: From the same as euaggelizo; a good message, i.e. The gospel.

is
ἔστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

veiled,
κεκαλυμμένον (kekalymmenon)
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 2572: To veil, hide, conceal, envelop. Akin to klepto and krupto; to cover up.

it is
ἐστὶν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

veiled
κεκαλυμμένον (kekalymmenon)
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 2572: To veil, hide, conceal, envelop. Akin to klepto and krupto; to cover up.

to
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

those who
τοῖς (tois)
Article - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

are perishing.
ἀπολλυμένοις (apollymenois)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 622: From apo and the base of olethros; to destroy fully, literally or figuratively.


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NT Letters: 2 Corinthians 4:3 Even if our Good News is veiled (2 Cor. 2C iiC 2Cor ii cor iicor)
2 Corinthians 4:2
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