I am replacing a ceiling fan with a light fixture. There are 2 switches that operate this light. There is a black, white, ground, and red wire from ceiling. Light fixture is a gold cord that is just separated in half and I don't think it will matter which of these wires is connected to black or white. Problem is light will work, but neither switch will turn the light off.

First you need to check continuity with a volt meter or tester. In a normal circumstance, one switch controlled the light, one the fan. Actually, those twin wires are different, one side is smooth, one is ribbed. The ribbed side is neutral. We don't know how the fan was wired but there must be some reason for 2 switches. How was the light for the fan wired?

The ribbed side of the lamp cord is the neutral, connect to the white.
The black and red wires from the ceiling are hot. One of the hots is switched (goes through the switch), the other is not switched, it is hot all the time. If you have the non-ribbed lamp cord wire connected to the black, move it to the red. If the non-ribbed lamp cord wire is connected to the red, move it to the black.

If one of the light cords is ribbed, I cannot detect that. I've been told that they are not always 1 smooth & 1 ribbed. The fan didn't have a light. There is a switch at both ends of the room. There are also some recessed lights that operate off the same switches. I switched the light wire from black to red, and then the fellow that removed the fan for me told me to wire the light cord to both the red and the black. None of this worked. Results were the same, recessed lights will turn off & on with both switches, but new light will not turn off by either.

OK, so you have a room with recessed lighting. You have 3-way switches, (you can turn the lights on and off from either switch). You had a ceiling fan without a light kit which you had removed.
Did the switches also turn the fan on and off?
Was the fan part of the original wiring or was it something
You or someone else installed?
Do you have access to the wiring (is it in an attic)?

Some lamp/2 conductor, and other 2 conductors may not have a rib, but instead will have a corner or noticeable edge, not real noticeable, but may actually be there.
If not, use a continuity tester to identify shell being neutral if a lamp with white tape.
If you had 2 good bulbs and bulb sockets, wire up and see the results of switching?