Bible verses I've been struggling with

>The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Corinthians 4:4) (This is the one I'd like the most explanation for)
Pretend I'm a stupid idiot, what do these mean?

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Paul's just saying there's lots of 'gods' who are really just imaginary or are demons, not that there actually are any other gods.

Re: the psalm…
If man in his unadulterated form—being a creature in the image and likeness of God to whom God has given dominion over all of creation—does not qualify as a little-g god, I don't know what could possibly.

The word god can sometimes refer to authorities other than the one true God. Usually this is indicated in translation with a lower case g. In the case of the last verse you quoted it is referencing Satan. If you look around you you'll notice that Satan has dominion over a lot of worldly things: politicians, banks, corporations, etc.

Psalm 82 is about unjust judges who make themselves out to have the power of gods. It's an imprecatory (cursing) psalm. The psalmist is cursing the unjust judges of Israel. I hate to do this, but this one you actually should read the NIV, as it puts quotes around "gods."

1 Cor 8:5 is about meat sacrificed to idols. Apparently in a lot of old market butcheries, the animals were sacrificed to something. Then the question comes up, is it licit for a Christian to eat that meat? Paul's saying, look, the world says there are a lot of God, but we know the one true God, so sure, you CAN eat it, but you SHOULDN'T, because it could look like you worship that idol. See 1 Cor 8:6-7

2 Cor 4:4 is a reference back to the radianceof Moses, whose face literally glowed so much he had to wear a veil to avoid freaking people out (Exod 34). 2 Cor 4 is asking if Christ died and rose again, why can't people see what we have? Paul answers that that satan has blinded them in sin. Cornith was a port city with all associated vices therewith, the Church in Corinth had some issue starting out - Paul pretty much hollers at them all through 1 Cor.

These aren't polytheistic verses - the answer to all polytheists is Isaiah 43:10, always, and forever.

Quote Todd Friel, "How do I know? For the CONTEXT tells me so."

Psalm 82: God, in the heavenly court, is chastising the demons who try to rule over the Earth to corrupt it.
1 Cor. 8:5: Paul is refuting the foolishness of the so-called "strong brothers" who think idols aren't attached to real spiritual forces. Paul probably has Ps. 82 in mind as well as other verses. 1 Cor. is all to often mis-interpreted since people forget that Paul quotes things from a letter from Corinth and proceeds to respond, mostly with criticism.
2 Cor. 4:4: "The god of this world" is the devil, continuing the Bible's use of the generic "god", but Christ is the spittin' image of the true, almighty God. There are many reasons unbelievers do not readily accept the Gospel, and the devil's work is one of them.


Nope, wrong. The word in Psalm 82 is e*lo*him (אֱלֹהִ֣ים), which is a special generic (an oxymoron, I know) for "lord" or "lords". That e*lo*him is slightly different from the Elo*him referring to THE Lord (אֱ‍ֽלֹהִ֗ים) in the same passage. Corrupt human judges can be viewed here only because they are influenced all too easily by these evil, spiritual judges. Asaph uses the typical prophetic double entendre, but the primary meaning is demons.

Not only that, but the phrase "sons of the Most High" or "sons of God" in the OT 99% of the time refers to angels, or in this case and some others, demons.

OP, I suggest you read the Book of Job and Book of Kings. In it are mentioned some type of councils God presides over with various Spirits presenting themselves (including the devil). The prophet Isaiah mentioned being in God's Throne Room and there being various creatures like cherubim and seraphim encircling God's Throne. Point being, Heaven isn't going to be a boring place but is full of life beyond what you or I can imagine. Lastly, in The First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul mentions we (the saved) are to judge angels one day giving us a higher position than even the angels themselves.

tl;dr Read the Bible in its entirety

I forgot to mention this, but Christ deals with this point: "Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in yyour Law, z‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be abroken— 36 do you say of him whom bthe Father consecrated and csent into the world" (John 10:34-36)

The point isn't that Jesus has become a polytheist, but that the religious leaders misinterpret both the Tanakh and the ministry of Christ. At the very least, Christ should be considered a "god", or better read judge, according to that use of the word because of His works and words are good. The leaders won't even admit that. Guess what? Jesus quotes Ps. 82.


You are pitting Paul against Christ (Rev. 2:14,20) and the members of the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:20 and Paul agreed to that!). See the part here about 1 Corinthians.

I like you and your style user.

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Yeah, please forgive CAN here, COULD would have been better.

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And yet nothing that enters a man from outside can defile him. The sticking point of eating meat from a sacrificial offering is not the meat but participation in the sacrificial rite.

Close, but it's a generic for gods, not lords. El means god, not lord. Doesn't imply demons. John 10:34-35 makes clear who Psalm 82:6 is talking to.

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Which is why God doesn't punish those who mess up the Lord's Tab….oh: 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

So it's okay to use vaccines made from butchered babies who were simple, unprotected cells as long as I'm not the Moloch scientists? It's okay to accept a tithe from a man who charges interest from the poor or who got the money from extreme gambling or graft as long as I'm not the money teller? Why Thanks for clearing my conscience user! :) I guess God doesn't care about the little things like our eating habits, which is why He….well sh–! There's 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 ruining everything again!

If you have to use a verse out of context to get a quick shot at my arguments, you are probably reading you Bible wrong. We know, we Protestants have been dealing with this for loooonnnnggg time with the issue of Justification.

My bad, especially for that mis-translation.

From Wesley's notes:
The God of this world - What a sublime and horrible description of Satan! He is indeed the god of all that believe not, and works in them with inconceivable energy. Hath blinded - Not only veiled, the eye of their understanding. Illumination - Is properly the reflection or propagation of light, from those who are already enlightened, to others. Who is the image of God - Hence also we may understand how great is the glory of Christ. He that sees the Son, sees the Father in the face of Christ. The Son exactly exhibits the Father to us.

This is a problem for me. Then what about the Greek's gods? What about the Summerian's gods? Demons fooling humans? For what purpose? And why would God permit it for so long?
To my mind it makes more sense that these entities are, as you've said, completely fanciful, but become "real," and powerful, as humans invest energy and emotions into them. Tulpas. I don't completely rest my faith in that being the case, but it strikes me as a more plausible explanation.

Ruining what? The drunkard of 1 Corinthians 11:21 is defiled by his neglect of a brother, not the booze. If this is your best attempt at context you'd be better off cultivating that snide tongue of yours.

Why did the Devil ask Jesus, the eternal uncreated Son to kneel down and worship him? Overweening hubris is in the nature of demons.

That Psalm is about humans. Jesus quotes this Psalm in john 10 confirming that it's about humans. Because humans are made in image and likeness of God and purpose of our life is Theosis/Divinization. It's not talking about pagan """"god's""""

V.1God rejected the Jews in the preceding psalm, and here the reason is assigned. Congregation, or church of the Jews, who were gathered together like cattle, and sought after temporal advantages (S. Aug. in Ps. lxxii. 23.) alone.
This is not exactly true of all, (Heb. xi. 14.) though it might be of the people in general, who seldom raised their thoughts to spiritual delights
Of gods. Heb. "of God," who presides in his own council, and gives authority to others.
Yet Syr. has, "the angels;" Chal. "the just;" Prot. "the mighty;" and Aquila, "the powerful ones."
Gods here are put for judges, who act in God's name. Deut. i. 17. Ex. xxii. 28. To decide affairs of consequence, the priests and other judges met in the temple; and the Romans did the like, each senator offering incense and wine to the god who was honoured in that place. Suet. in Aug. xxxv
All magistrates ought to be equally careful in what they determine, as if they heard God present giving them the following instructions
This bringeth on the reprobation of the Jews, v. 5. &c.

Ver. 6. Gods. The people look upon you as such, and treat you with respect. But entertain not sentiments of pride on that account.
If judges, even those whom God condemns, may be styled gods without blasphemy, how much more might Jesus Christ, who was holy and did the works of God? He uses this argument to make the fury of the people abate: but then he continues to prove that he was God in a very different and proper sense, insomuch that the Jews, clearly perceiving his meaning, which Socinians would now mistake, took up stones to throw at him. Jo. x. 34.
If he had not been God, He would surely have told them plainly, as S. Paul did when people would have offered sacrifice to him, and as S. John Baptist confessed that he was not the Christ. The sons of Seth, priests, the just, and all the Israelites, were styled sons of God, as well as the angels and judges. Gen. vi. 2. Ps. xxviii. 1. Wisd. v. 5. Job i. 6. But no individual is called the Son, except Jesus Christ the true God.
This passage may be understood of all the faithful, (S. Aug.) particularly of bishops: and Constantine the Great was hence deterred from judging them (S. Greg. i. dec. Grat. p. 2. c. 11. q. 1.) or the clergy; (S. Melchiades. c. 12. q. 1.) though this name seems inaccurate, as the died before (Glossa) the council of Nice. Amama restrains the text to men in power.
Their elevated station make their ignorance and misconduct less excusable.

Ver. 5. Many gods, &c. Reputed for such among the heathens.

Ver. 4. In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of unbelievers. Thus the words are placed, both in the Latin and Greek text, so that the true God seems to be called the God of this world, as he is elsewhere called the God of heaven, the God of Abraham. God, says S. Chrys. blinded, that is, permitted them to be blinded. Others translate, in whom God hat blinded the minds of the infidels of this world; so that this world may be joined with unbelievers, and not with God: and by the God of this world, some understand the devil, called sometimes the prince of this world, that is, of the wicked.

the other Gods are highly specialized demons who have blinded humans with imagination which is a lie, to the reality of God that is the truth.