Sunday Morning Service

II Corinthians 11:1-21

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“Peering Into The False Prophet's Lair” • 5.5.13 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service

Intro.

- Paul has come out pretty strong as he writes the Corinthians about their ability or lack thereof in recognizing authentic ministers.

- Many of them had come to some conclusions based on all the wrong criteria and were now firmly under the thumb of these false teachers, most scholars believe to be the Judaizers.

- In chapter 11, Paul continues his barrage and gives us a peak into their lives.

- If chapter 10 is a statement of how one can get caught up by a false teacher or cult, chapter 11 is a look into what happens to those when they are caught up!

Text

• II Corinthians 11:1-3 : "Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly—and indeed you do bear with me. For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." : Having to talk about oneself in such a way as Paul was forced to do, was foolishness.

- He needed to convince them of his authentic ministry in order that they might come to their senses regarding the false ministry that they had allowed to run their life.

- Paul says literally, "Please bear with me. You will bear with me!" Paul needed to talk to them because he was repeatedly, presently, burning with godly zeal for the Corinthians.

- A worker of God is not worried about anyone's opinion of them. He is not going to bat an eye when a person goes from one healthy ministry to another healthy ministry.

- I pray that if the Lord calls you to leave our church, it will be that you are leaving for a church in another area with a like mind and that you would add strength to their assembly.

- But in the case before us, Paul had left them healthy, responding to the Lord properly and a group of people had come in with an agenda that was going to corrupt them.

- Paul had acted as a Father arranging the marriage of his unmarried daughter to one husband, literally joining her to him. He had engaged them as a pure virgin to Christ.

- Paul did not want their love or loyalty personally. He had made the introduction and worked so that the marriage between God and the church of Corinth would be what it was meant to be.

- But something had happened. Another suitor swept in and swept away God's betrothed!

- It had happened before. In the Garden of Eden, the serpent had found his way into the heart of Eve, even as the false teachers had crept into the church in Corinth.

- With his wiley tongue, Satan deceived Eve by his cunning false wisdom. Hey Corinthians, does this sound familiar!?

- In the same way that Eve was deceived, so were their minds corrupted or defiled.

- If there had been damage of any sort or neglect of any kind, they would declare the temple corrupt. The Corinthian minds had been defiled from the simplicity that is in Christ.

- This word "simplicity" indicates a single focus, a single response toward the Lord. Isn't that exactly what had happened to Eve?

- Before the serpent came, she walked contentedly in the garden with God, but then her theology became so complicated, that she declared, "We can't even touch the tree or we'll die!

- This was happening to the people of God. They had trusted in Christ alone, had been gifted by His Spirit and were now moved away from the simplicity of faith. How had they been moved?

- They shifted their focus from Christ, to those who claimed to be Christ's servants!

• II Corinthians 11:4 : "For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!" : Paul, what does it matter if they reject your ministry and adopt theirs? If he is not successful in convincing them, who knows what lie they'll believe!

- Understand that the first deception in scripture from Satan comes from a spiritual standpoint. Satan appealed to Eve's desire for something deeper than a simple walk with God.

- He intimates that God is withholding from Eve and that if she'll transgress the one command that God gave, she'll be like Him, having wisdom, knowing good and evil.

- Satan did not tell her, "Hey, check out that other guy that God just made!" or "Have you checked into the hallucinogenic properties of this herb over here?" It was spiritual in nature!

- The false teachers came with that same Satanic approach appearing in their midst and proclaiming a Jesus, a spirit and a gospel. Notice, they used the same terms that we do!

- This is the danger that sucks people in. People will say, "They use the same vocabulary. They read out of the Bible." Most of what they say is from the Bible, just quoted out of context.

- There are two ways of saying "another" in Greek, one speaks of another of the same kind and one speaks of an entirely different category. That's the word here!

- This isn't a similar Jesus that they promote. This is an all together different Jesus, foreign to the one that really exists and that one that really saves. The same is true today!

- There are many who are asking you to believe in Jesus, but are offering a Jesus that is not presented in scripture.

- The Mormons preach Jesus, the brother of Lucifer. The Jehovah's Witnesses preach Jesus, the one who became a god. The Word Faith Movement preaches Jesus, the rich guy!

- None of these people called "Jesus" exist and none of them can save! "Oh, but what does it matter!? Isn't this a theological splitting of hairs?"

- What you believe about Jesus is the primary issue of eternity! I believe in the Jesus of the Christian Bible who has always been God and added humanity to identify with His people.

- I believe in the Jesus who was born into that humanity through the virgin's womb and was thus sinless at birth, remaining sinless in life, fulfilling the law of God perfectly.

- I believe in the Jesus who physically died, was buried and who rose physically from the grave three days later, ascending to the Father 40 days after that.

- I believe that God has made THIS JESUS THE ONE whose name is above every name and whose name will be the dividing line between heaven and hell, to which all will bow!

- The False teachers came into Corinth offering a different Jesus and a different spirit which they had not previously received.

- Where the Spirit of God is, there is freedom, joy and a clear pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ. Where the Spirit of God is there is attention to God's Word and a powerful conviction to act.

- Where there is a counterfeit, there is heaviness and a promotion of experience. Where there is a counterfeit there is attention paid to each other's actions and a compulsion to imitate.

- Where there is guilt, heaviness and a need to imitate another person's gift or giving, that is another spirit and it's not the Holy Spirit! They have a Jesus, a spirit and a gospel. 

- The false teachers laid out a gospel, but not the one that they had accepted, a word referring to taking someone into your home in a hospitable way, when Paul's company came.

- They had warmly received the gospel of Christ, but were now putting up with the gospel that was being offered that was different. What made it different?

- These particular villians were likely attempting to convince the Corinthians that there was something deeper than grace through faith, proposing a return to the observance of the law.

- Grace through faith got you in the door, but if you wanted the "real" thing, you would now need to be circumcised and live under the Mosaic law.

- Any system of belief that adds an obligation after there has been faith exercised in Jesus Christ and the free grace of God has been received, is no gospel at all! That is in fact, BAD news!

- The gospel is that infinitely ill deserving people who believe and exercise full, exclusive trust in Jesus Christ are granted the righteousness of Christ and brought into relationship with Father God!

- Those who believe this will immediately show their authentic Spirit baptism by exhibiting a repulsion of previously enjoyed sins and a insatiable hunger to obey God's Word. The end!

- They were being warned. If they did not know and believe this, they were game for all other false systems out there. I warn you as well.

- If you do not trust that Christ's work was completely sufficient upon the cross for the saving of your soul, you can and will be guilted into believing that you need to do more.

- If you are not convinced that He has given you the full measure of His Holy Spirit and that your communion with Him is predicated on obedience, you will fall prey to another spirit!

- If you are not complete in the gospel, knowing that it has been the medium by which you are entered into the greatest riches of eternity, then another gospel might sway your thinking!

•  II Corinthians 11:5,6 : "For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles. Even though I am untrained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge. But we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things." : Why had the Corinthians been open to these theolgically left concepts? Because of the super, the AV adds, "the very chiefest" apostles, who had come in and impressed the church with their show!

- Once Paul added things up, he understood that he did not fall behind any of them. Yes, he spoke the language of the people, literally an "idiot" in speech.

- He did not have the oratory skill of an Apollos, the presence of Peter, but he matched each of them in knowledge. This had been made clear in every possible way when he was with them!

• II Corinthians 11:7-11 : "Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you. And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself. As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia. Why? Because I do not love you? God knows!" : Part of the Corinthian mindset, especially given the culture of the day and the practice of the false teachers, was to pay for people to speak.

- It was a form of entertainment that was valued and for a person not to charge money confused them. When Paul came to them, he came humbly and didn't charge them!

- In fact, he was there on the dime of other churches who had sent him ahead and the brothers of Macedonia who blessed him with a gift.

- Obviously, Paul's words are tongue and cheek and a very scathing report to the Corinthians, who should have been looking to participate, but did not.

- Even when he had a legitimate need, Paul did not share it with them, not wanting to burden them. For most of the year and a half, Paul worked for his wage with Aquila and Priscilla.

- He ministered there purely from a love for the people and the work that God had given him. Believe it or not, because he did not charge them, they thought that this showed a lack of love!

- Quite the contrary! He loved them and provided them with an example that all other true Apostles would have been glad to follow.

• II Corinthians 11:12-15 : "But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works." : Paul was going to continue to minister on this basis in order to sever the opportunity for the false teachers to claim equaility.

- He would continue to minister from his own support to provide an alternative to the false teachers, who wanted to be looked at in the same light without living the same life!

- These that live a different life, proclaim a different Jesus, promote another spirit and preach a different Gospel are pseudo-Apostles. They claimed apostolic authority falsely.

- Remember what an Apostle is. An Apostle is one who is sent with the authority of the one who has sent. Jesus sent out 13 men with a message who are biblical Apostles.

- There were others who would be sent, but not like these 13 men. The false teachers are those who boast of authority that had never been given to them.

- They are deceitful workers, a word describing the process of catching something with bait or a lure. How do they deceive?

- They deceive and lure Christians in by transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. The word "transforming" here refers to a change an outer appearance.

- When God transforms a person, He changes who they are from the inside out. These people transform themselves, simply putting on an outer show, imitating real Apostles.

- This is no surprise! Satan does this, making himself seem to be an angel of light! He is always doing this, never showing his true nature.

- If Satan can do it, so can his little minions! What a scathing word from Paul! These false teachers were con artists then and are con artists now, whose relation is not to God, but to Satan!

- We might be tempted to be a bit more politically correct. Not the Apostle! He calls them like he sees them and he projects that their end will be according to their works!

- In the same way that seed sown will bear fruit, so also will work bring a certain end, good work and a good end, evil work and an evil end!

- At the moment that Paul wrote this, it will have seemed otherwise. The false teachers had the esteem and the life that one could only hope to have. Paul wasn't looking at now, but at the end!

• II Corinthians 11:16-21 : "I say again, let no one think me a fool. If otherwise, at least receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little. What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were, foolishly, in this confidence of boasting. Seeing that many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast. For you put up with fools gladly, since you yourselves are wise! For you put up with it if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face. To our shame I say that we were too weak for that! But in whatever anyone is bold—I speak foolishly—I am bold also." : Paul wants so little to do with speaking about himself. That is always the furthest thing from his mind. It was reserved for those who were fools, to boast about themselves.

- His words are strong here, in that he is saying, since it's fools that you listen to, let me condescend to that level! They considered themselves wise for that, but were fools!

- Thinking of themselves as wise and looking at an outward show, caused them to be consistently fooled.

- Each of the words we're about to examine are written in the present indicative meaning that these things were happening in their midst and were repeatedly happening!

- When a false teacher comes in, they'll stay and continue until there is nothing left!

- This was the behavior that they were accepting in their midst. They allowed the false teachers to bring them into slavery.

- The false teacher enslaves those who are willing to listen without wisdom, who are willing to take everything on good faith, ignoring the Word and the warnings of friends.

- He enslaves them to a lifestyle patterned after his own and for his own benefit. The false teacher leads people not into freedom, but into slavery with their half truths.

- They are ones who devour or consume. Literally, Paul says, "They are eating you to the bone! As a lifeless carcass is slowly eaten by various animals, so the Corinthians were!

- The false teachers that had come to Corinth were like one of these vultures, picking away at helpless flesh, picking and picking until all was consumed.

- Metaphorically, this refers to the endless call for money to finance their latest dream or campaign. The money just pours in, usually from those who have nothing to give.

- The Corinthians were fine with letting the false teacher take from them. What was the Corinthians belonged to the false prophets, but not vice versa! That relationship goes one way!

- The false teachers exalted themselves. Other translations use the phrase "putting on airs." They raised the consciousness of their own names and their own activities.

- They had become so deceived that they accepted striking across the face. They kept looking at them, giving them attention as the false teachers beat and thrashed them with the Word!

- Paul stands there incredulously, saying, "You stand there and take it over and over again!"

- The Apostles were too weak to approach things with them in that manner, Paul says sarcastically! Paul was bold, but in a very different way than these false teachers.

- They were bold, as in they were bold faced liars! Paul was bold in that there was not an adventure or difficulty that he would not face for the sake of the Lord.

Conclusion
- What are we to gather from this chapter? Is there a chapter that is less relevant to CCF? I tell you truthfully, this is one very relevant section of scripture!

- Let me offer two points from this message that you can take away and ponder.

- FIrst, Know The Authentic. Don't settle for me telling you about Jesus, the Spirit and the gospel. You go and search the scriptures yourself. See if what I say is consistent with the authority.

- Know what you believe, be ready to give an answer. The truth is always the best defense against the lie!

- Second, Know When To Speak Boldly. Think of it like this: Your loved one gets into a relationship with someone and all you see is that their different because of abuse.

- Will you let that continue without saying something to them? There are those who are being seduced as we speak by false teachers. Know when to speak boldly to them.

- Why? Because they are believing in a Jesus that can't save them, a spirit that will dominate them and a gospel that will enslave them! These aren't just misguided people who are a little wrong!

- They are wolves in sheep's clothing, seeking to devour the naive and the novice.