2 Corinthians 4:3 (DBY)

Passage

But if also our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in those that are lost;

Nearby Context

2 Corinthians 4:1 Therefore, having this ministry, as we have had mercy shewn us, we faint not.

2 Corinthians 4:2 But we have rejected the hidden things of shame, not walking in deceit, nor falsifying the word of God, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every conscience of men before God.

2 Corinthians 4:3 But if also our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in those that are lost;

2 Corinthians 4:4 in whom the god of this world has blinded the thoughts of the unbelieving, so that the radiancy of the glad tidings of the glory of the Christ, who is [the] image of God, should not shine forth [for them].

2 Corinthians 4:5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus Lord, and ourselves your bondmen for Jesus' sake.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "gospel", "veiled", and "lost". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "gospel" and "veiled", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "But we have rejected the hidden things..." into verse 4's "in whom the god of this world...", so "gospel" and "veiled" belong inside that flow. In 2 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "gospel" and "veiled" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.