Who is "the god of this world"? God or satan?

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ewq1938

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I already wrote the answer in the three previous responses. Please confer with those replies.

Joh 12:38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Joh 12:39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,
Joh 12:40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

Isa 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
Isa 6:9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
Isa 6:10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
Isa 6:11 Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,
Isa 6:12 And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
 

Wrangler

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The word “god” in that Scripture is “theos”, which is a word with many applications....it refers to Yahweh when prefaced with “ho” (only Yahweh is ever called “ho theos”) Jesus is called “theos”...angels, satan and even human judges....

Strongs tells us that it’s primary definition is....
  1. “a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities”.
It can also mean....
  1. “whatever can in any respect be likened unto God, or resemble him in any way
    1. God's representative or viceregent
      1. of magistrates and judges”
So not a word that applied to God alone, but context determining the translation.
One of your more concise replies. Well said. Thank you.
 

Wrangler

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How do we reconcile this passage,

"In whom ho theos [the God - YHVH] of this the age [ho aion] has 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. ,

With, 2nd Peter 3::9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. ?
My favorite Psalm is 19. Ever read it?

I believe the evidence for YHWH’s existence - and its implications - are plain to see for those with eyes to see. Therefore, disbelief is a willful act TO SPITE the evidence. Such people are left to their self-deception and the ongoing deception of the Deceiver.

That’s how I reconcile it.
 

Button

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My favorite Psalm is 19. Ever read it?

I believe the evidence for YHWH’s existence - and its implications - are plain to see for those with eyes to see. Therefore, disbelief is a willful act TO SPITE the evidence. Such people are left to their self-deception and the ongoing deception of the Deceiver.

That’s how I reconcile it.
How do people see when God blinds their eyes?
 
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Wrangler

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How do people see when God blinds their eyes?
A teacher is silent during the test.

Ever hear of The Signature In The Cell? DNA is a language. Behind every known language is an intelligence. Who would have the power to write a 4-D language into the very molecules that govern life in every cell in every life form on Earth?

I read a book Atheism On Trial. The author posits a compelling reversal; I don’t have enough faith to be an atheist.

The test is a test of faith. I don’t know why faith is so important to our Creator. Perhaps it’s because he is a jealous God? In any event, how can faith be tested if it is displaced by certain knowledge?

Even after you get passed believing their is a God, the test continues. A great saying is, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

Hope this helps.
 

Button

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A teacher is silent during the test.

Ever hear of The Signature In The Cell? DNA is a language. Behind every known language is an intelligence. Who would have the power to write a 4-D language into the very molecules that govern life in every cell in every life form on Earth?

I read a book Atheism On Trial. The author posits a compelling reversal; I don’t have enough faith to be an atheist.

The test is a test of faith. I don’t know why faith is so important to our Creator. Perhaps it’s because he is a jealous God? In any event, how can faith be tested if it is displaced by certain knowledge?

Even after you get passed believing their is a God, the test continues. A great saying is, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

Hope this helps.
Preaching to the choir.

When God blinds eyes and hardens hearts,I think he tells us,as Jesus did his disciples. We do not choose him.

He chooses us.
 

Jericho

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Some will say it's a little "g" on god so that means its not God. Not so. There are no capitals vs. small letters in the manuscripts. The small g is purely the translators opinion.

True, but it doesn't make it an inaccurate translation either. There are many instances where gods (plural) are mentioned. One example is Psalm 136:2: "Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever." It wouldn't be accurate to say "God of Gods" because there is only one God. A lowercase "g" is used to make a distinction between God (the supreme being) and other spiritual beings who exist in the same realm as God and share some of his attributes but are not on par with God (i.e., angels, cherubim, seraphim, etc.). They are translated in English as "gods," but they are all elohim in Hebrew.

Even if we ignored 2 Corinthians 4:4, there are other scriptures that would support that Satan is the god of this world. John the Apostle said the whole world is under the control of the evil one (1Jo 5:19). In Ephesians 2:2, Satan is called the prince of the power of the air. When Satan took Jesus up on a high mountain to tempt him with all the kingdoms of the world, Jesus never contested his claim of ownership. Indeed, Satan could not tempt Jesus with something he didn't have. Jesus acknowledged in Matthew 12:26 that Satan has a kingdom.

Here's why I think it's true. God gave Adam, and all humanity by birthright, dominion over planet earth. To use a political analogy, we act as governors over earth while God is the president. He is the one ultimately in control, but he has given us authority to act in his stead. So, when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden at the behest of Satan, or one of his emissaries, we gave him "some" ownership and control of earth. To use another analogy, Adam gave Satan permission to be a squatter on earth. That makes Satan the de facto god of this world. It is only temporary, however. When Jesus came to earth, was crucified, and was resurrected, it was the first step in reclaiming the earth from Satan. It will end at the Second Coming of Christ.
 
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Aunty Jane

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Here's why I think it's true. God gave Adam, and all humanity by birthright, dominion over planet earth. To use a political analogy, we act as governors over earth while God is the president. He is the one ultimately in control, but he has given us authority to act in his stead. So, when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden at the behest of Satan, or one of his emissaries, we gave him "some" ownership and control of earth. To use another analogy, Adam gave Satan permission to be a squatter on earth. That makes Satan the de facto god of this world. It is only temporary, however. When Jesus came to earth, was crucified, and was resurrected, it was the first step in reclaiming the earth from Satan. It will end at the Second Coming of Christ.
If I might add to your thought here....in Luke 4:5-7 it states something important with regard to satan’s rulership.....
“And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.” (NASB)

This indicates who delivered rulership over to the devil. The only one authorised to give satan world rulership is the one who already had it....not Adam, but God himself. And this is why Jesus did not dispute that fact. The reason why God “handed over” world rulership to the devil, was to allow this usurper to prove his case...that he was the preferred god and ruler of this world.....Adam chose him the moment he took a bite out of the forbidden fruit.

Accusations were made that slandered the true God and that demanded a legal case to prove what the devil said was false. The accuser was to show us all what a superior ruler he was, and demonstrate why it was wrong for God to withhold certain knowledge from his earthly children.

We all know now why his rulership has been such an abject failure. The final outcome will mean that no rebel in the future (should any free willed being decide again to defect from their Creator) will ever be able to challenge God’s Sovereignty again. Precedents are set for all eternity.
 
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ewq1938

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True, but it doesn't make it an inaccurate translation either. There are many instances where gods (plural) are mentioned. One example is Psalm 136:2: "Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever." It wouldn't be accurate to say "God of Gods" because there is only one God. A lowercase "g" is used to make a distinction between God (the supreme being) and other spiritual beings who exist in the same realm as God and share some of his attributes but are not on par with God (i.e., angels, cherubim, seraphim, etc.). They are translated in English as "gods," but they are all elohim in Hebrew.

Even if we ignored 2 Corinthians 4:4, there are other scriptures that would support that Satan is the god of this world. John the Apostle said the whole world is under the control of the evil one (1Jo 5:19). In Ephesians 2:2, Satan is called the prince of the power of the air. When Satan took Jesus up on a high mountain to tempt him with all the kingdoms of the world, Jesus never contested his claim of ownership. Indeed, Satan could not tempt Jesus with something he didn't have. Jesus acknowledged in Matthew 12:26 that Satan has a kingdom.

Here's why I think it's true. God gave Adam, and all humanity by birthright, dominion over planet earth. To use a political analogy, we act as governors over earth while God is the president. He is the one ultimately in control, but he has given us authority to act in his stead. So, when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden at the behest of Satan, or one of his emissaries, we gave him "some" ownership and control of earth. To use another analogy, Adam gave Satan permission to be a squatter on earth. That makes Satan the de facto god of this world. It is only temporary, however. When Jesus came to earth, was crucified, and was resurrected, it was the first step in reclaiming the earth from Satan. It will end at the Second Coming of Christ.

The context of 2 Corinthians 4:4 and 9 previous verses is God blinding people so while satan is allowed to rule the world, only God is the God of this Aion/age. Other scriptures affirm that God blinds people.
 

soberxp

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All things—whether favored by the righteous or the wicked—come from God. Without God, even evil deeds would be impossible. Satan merely borrows what belongs to God, leading humans to take pleasure in wrongdoing. The Chinese meaning of "evil" (恶) implies a divided heart, not a single-minded focus.

In other words, good things are borrowed and twisted by Satan into dual purposes: one remains the original good, the other becomes evil.

Everything Satan possesses is borrowed from God.

Remember the prayer: "All authority belongs to You, forever and ever."

This is true.
 

Aunty Jane

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All things—whether favored by the righteous or the wicked—come from God. Without God, even evil deeds would be impossible. Satan merely borrows what belongs to God, leading humans to take pleasure in wrongdoing. The Chinese meaning of "evil" (恶) implies a divided heart, not a single-minded focus.

In other words, good things are borrowed and twisted by Satan into dual purposes: one remains the original good, the other becomes evil.
These are very important points sxp.....everything in existence comes from God.

In creation we see equal opposites everywhere so that there is perfect balance in what God created... “up/down”...”in/out”...”with/without”...”positive/negative”...for/against...and many more. We take them for granted every day....but the only opposites that God originally withheld knowledge about, was “good and evil”, which existed only as equal opposites.

It was never God’s intention for humans to know or to experience the equal opposite of his goodness. It would not be beneficial, and a wonderful life would have resulted if that knowledge had never been revealed by a rebel spirit, who denied that the withholding of this knowledge was beneficial for the humans....he suggested that God had a sinister motive and even called him a liar.

This would have repercussions in both realms because the first rebel was not human, but he involved the humans in his rebellion, and forced God to defend himself. He had been slandered! Millions of angels were observing and millions of humans would be affected by how he handled this situation.

By his power God could have just eliminated the rebels from existence, but the accusations made by satan would not have been addressed. God’s power was not called into question....it was his Sovereignty that was challenged...his right to set the limits of the free will that he gave to all his children.

So once that ‘genie was out of the bottle’ there was no putting it back....the Creator would now allow the full consequences of their abuse of free will to teach all of his children a valuable lesson on the benefits of obedience, verses the results of disobedience. We have been living with them since the fall in Eden.
What have we learned?

Everything Satan possesses is borrowed from God.
Yes...satan is a mimic...he copies the things God has put in place to claim them as his own and to influence fallen humanity to give him and his dupes the credit for what God has made. Through his human minions, who have copied the things in creation to invent products and processes used in science and commerce, he has given the credit to the copiers along with accolades for their inventions, that have come to be used by all of us....but with no mention of the real inventor...the genius and power behind all creation.

As the one to whom God delivered the world that he wanted to rule, (Luke 4:5-7) satan then set about setting up human rulership...all over the world, governmental establishments were set up to govern the now flawed human race...with the result that history attests to in one failed form after another....mankind’s history of conflict, conquest and bloodshed is nothing to boast about, but it has the devil’s stamp on all of it.
It just screams abject failure! Mankind was not designed to rule himself...he is designed to be ruled by an incorruptible God.

God’s Kingdom will put an end to the failed rulership of the devil....so....that will all soon change....
The rightful Sovereignty of the Creator will be vindicated.
 
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Ezra

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do not believe the verse is speaking about Satan being the God of this world.
god not G the god of this world is the devil this world is not our home nor is it our God world my kingdom is not of this world.....36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” John 18:36
 

ewq1938

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god not G the god of this world is the devil this world is not our home nor is it our God world my kingdom is not of this world.....36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” John 18:36

You are conflating two different "worlds". God is the God of this Aion, while satan is the ruler of the Kosmos. They are not the same things at all.
 

Ezra

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You are conflating two different "worlds". God is the God of this Aion, while satan is the ruler of the Kosmos. They are not the same things at all.
i aint confused nothing
 

soberxp

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These are very important points sxp.....everything in existence comes from God.

In creation we see equal opposites everywhere so that there is perfect balance in what God created... “up/down”...”in/out”...”with/without”...”positive/negative”...for/against...and many more. We take them for granted every day....but the only opposites that God originally withheld knowledge about, was “good and evil”, which existed only as equal opposites.

It was never God’s intention for humans to know or to experience the equal opposite of his goodness. It would not be beneficial, and a wonderful life would have resulted if that knowledge had never been revealed by a rebel spirit, who denied that the withholding of this knowledge was beneficial for the humans....he suggested that God had a sinister motive and even called him a liar.

This would have repercussions in both realms because the first rebel was not human, but he involved the humans in his rebellion, and forced God to defend himself. He had been slandered! Millions of angels were observing and millions of humans would be affected by how he handled this situation.

By his power God could have just eliminated the rebels from existence, but the accusations made by satan would not have been addressed. God’s power was not called into question....it was his Sovereignty that was challenged...his right to set the limits of the free will that he gave to all his children.

So once that ‘genie was out of the bottle’ there was no putting it back....the Creator would now allow the full consequences of their abuse of free will to teach all of his children a valuable lesson on the benefits of obedience, verses the results of disobedience. We have been living with them since the fall in Eden.
What have we learned?


Yes...satan is a mimic...he copies the things God has put in place to claim them as his own and to influence fallen humanity to give him and his dupes the credit for what God has made. Through his human minions, who have copied the things in creation to invent products and processes used in science and commerce, he has given the credit to the copiers along with accolades for their inventions, that have come to be used by all of us....but with no mention of the real inventor...the genius and power behind all creation.

As the one to whom God delivered the world that he wanted to rule, (Luke 4:5-7) satan then set about setting up human rulership...all over the world, governmental establishments were set up to govern the now flawed human race...with the result that history attests to in one failed form after another....mankind’s history of conflict, conquest and bloodshed is nothing to boast about, but it has the devil’s stamp on all of it.
It just screams abject failure! Mankind was not designed to rule himself...he is designed to be ruled by an incorruptible God.

God’s Kingdom will put an end to the failed rulership of the devil....so....that will all soon change....
The rightful Sovereignty of the Creator will be vindicated.
"邪恶" This is a compound word, and its meaning is also evil.

But the first character"邪" Very interesting.,It is a word formed by combining the characters for "tooth" and "ear".

I feel that they respectively represent the serpent and Eve.

And it foretells that all evil originates from this very moment. It starts when a poisonous tooth speaks out and enters another ear.

@St. SteVen
 
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Aunty Jane

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"邪恶" This is a compound word, and its meaning is also evil.

But the first character"邪" Very interesting.,It is a word formed by combining the characters for "tooth" and "ear".

I feel that they respectively represent the serpent and Eve.

And it foretells that all evil originates from this very moment. It starts when a poisonous tooth speaks out and enters another ear.

@St. SteVen
Could it be more correctly stated that evil did not originate at this moment, but was revealed as knowledge that was withheld unless God’s free willed children chose to reveal it, by partaking of the forbidden fruit.....believing the lie that the devil told....that this knowledge was somehow beneficial....and that God lied about the penalty....”you surely will not die” is what he told the woman. And she believed him.
 
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