2 Corinthians 4:3 (DRB)

Passage

And if our gospel be also hid, it is hid to them that are lost,

Nearby Context

2 Corinthians 4:1 Therefore seeing we have this ministration, according as we have obtained mercy, we faint not.

2 Corinthians 4:2 But we renounce the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness nor adulterating the word of God: but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience, in the sight of God.

2 Corinthians 4:3 And if our gospel be also hid, it is hid to them that are lost,

2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of unbelievers, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not shine unto them.

2 Corinthians 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Jesus Christ our Lord: and ourselves your servants through Jesus.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "But we renounce the hidden things of..." into verse 4's "In whom the god of this world...", so "gospel" and "lost" 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 "lost" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.