2 Corinthians 11-12: God is Strong in Our Weakness
All Scripture is God-breathed and useful, but there are some Scriptures that we can consider the Himalayan mountaintops of the Bible. In the next few months, we will be looking at a series of great texts that inspire and move us - the "Himalayan Heights" of God's Word.
Today's Reading: 2 Corinthians 11:5-15
The Corinthians were Paul's problem church. In chapters 11-12, he defended his apostleship and shows us the value of weakness and humility.
Through the Bible Readings: 2 Chronicles 17-18, Acts 5:1–31, Psalm 78:26–32, Proverbs16:12–14
If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings.
Devotional: Dark Angel of Light
In Genesis 3, when the Serpent tempts Adam and Eve, it uses (abuses) the words of God to do so. When Satan tempts Jesus he quotes (misquotes) Scriptures in the attempt. Our enemy is a "scholar" of God's word who uses it freely. The problem is that he always twists it.
In 2 Corinthians 11, we are told about false teachers in the church of Jesus. Guess what. They don't preach from the Bhagavad Gita! Like Satan, they use and abuse God's word and the people of God need to be wary of their presence.
In 2 Corinthians 11, we are told about false teachers in the church of Jesus. Guess what. They don't preach from the Bhagavad Gita! Like Satan, they use and abuse God's word and the people of God need to be wary of their presence.
Almost every Scripture that speaks of the end times warns us of the proliferation of false Christs (who would claim to be God’s new representative on earth), false apostles (claiming new authority over God’s church), false prophets (claiming new revelation to add to or clarify what God’s perfect Word already says) and false teachers (who lead God’s people astray by twisting truth for their own reasons – generally money and power). We are duly warned that such will always be within the church (yes, that is right – INSIDE the church) trying to lead God’s people astray from the inside.
But this spirit of antichrist was already at work in the church of Corinth. There were those who had come in among the brethren there and tried to undermine Paul’s authority and call the gospel of grace he proclaimed into question. It was the presence of these men, these false apostles, that caused Paul to deal so harshly with the Corinthian church. He was worried that they would follow the lies into spiritual destruction.
Wouldn’t it be great if liars and deceivers wore signs and marked themselves clearly? I was reading recently of a well-known “evangelical” writer who has now compromised on pretty much every doctrine and moral standard that we hold dear. Yet he never says, “I’ve left the faith and am no longer a Christian.” He continues to maintain that he is both a Christian and faithful to God’s Word. He is pleasant, a great writer, charismatic (in the personality sense) – seems all around like a nice guy. But his doctrine is increasingly poisonous. Wouldn’t it be nice if he admitted his doctrinal deviation?
That is not the way of false teachers, false prophets, false apostles or false Christs. Paul addressed this in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15. He begins by describing those against whom he contended, in verse 13
“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.”
The false teachers play dress-up, make-believe. Verse 14 explains the reason for this.
“And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
He makes this conclusion in verse 15.
“So, it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.”
Satan is not a hideous creature with grotesque features – like he is presented in fiction. He is aa being of light who presents his ways as beautiful, wonderful, and happy. “God wants you to be happy,” he whispers as you try to decide whether to do the right thing or not. “It’s all about you.” “Just follow your heart and do what you feel is best.” Satan whispers sweet things to us and tells us what we want to hear.
It is all a masquerade. His purpose is to kill and to destroy. From the beginning of time, his strategy has been to lie to God’s creation and to get us human beings to choose what is wrong instead of choosing obedience. By shining his lying light on us, he induces us to choose the wrong path and bring the consequences of sin in our lives.
We must be deep in the Word of God and sensitive to the Spirit of God so that we can identify these false workmen who would lead us astray from the inside.
Father, help me to be a proclaimer of truth and righteousness, to identify and expose those who would lead the Body of Christ astray.
Think and Pray:
Do you assume that every person who quotes God's word is a true man or woman of God?
Do you exercise discernment, judging teachings against the clear teachings of God's word or do you just accept what you are taught and assume that there is no such thing as a false teacher?
Do you exercise discernment, judging teachings against the clear teachings of God's word or do you just accept what you are taught and assume that there is no such thing as a false teacher?
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