Paul unmask these false apostles to the Corinthian
Church
2
Corinthians 11:10-15 As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of
this boasting in the regions of Achaia. Wherefore? because I love you not? God
knoweth. But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them
which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves
into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed
into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers
also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be
according to their works. KJV
Paul begins this section of his letter with a
defiant rebuke to those false apostles who continued to disparage his
authenticity as a true Apostle of Christ and to smear his character before the
Corinthian Church that Paul planted. Paul declares by “Christ in him the hope of glory”
(Colossians 1:27) that he was determined
by his willingness to labor with his own hands for his sustenance (before the
Corinthian believers to eliminate any and all accusations of him being a
hireling only preaching for the financial gain. It was these false apostles who
made these accusations trying to get Paul to recant and receive money and gifts
from the Corinthian Church, so that they could then use his example as a means
of extorting or fleecing them of even more money. It is evident that these Judaizers
were doing exactly that without providing any true spiritual nourishment to the
Corinthian Church as Paul goes on to declare in verse 20 of this Chapter. It is
also certain that these are the same men or different men from the same
religious group that Paul wrote to Titus to beware of with these words, “For
there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of
the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole
families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain” (Titus 1:10-11).
Paul’s boldness and his willingness to humble
himself before them was because of his great love for them and his desire to
keep them from being robbed of their material goods by men who cared nothing
for them nor that they walked in the truth of Christ and His Word. Paul was
confident that God knew his motives regarding them (John 21:17 & Romans 9:1
& 1 Timothy 2:7). Paul wants to
pull back the curtain and let the Corinthian believers see who really energizes
these men. Paul calls them deceitful workers and this English word comes from
the Greek words dolios and dolos which means guileful or one marked
by skill in deception; one filled with the art of trickery to allure, entice,
and then entrap in order to extract money from someone. Paul wanted to remove
the mask from these fraudulent men so that the Corinthian believers could see
clearly who they were dealing with and then flee from them and all of their greed
and works based teachings (Mark 13:22
& Philippians 3: 17-19). Paul
concluded his letter to the brothers and sisters in Rome with this warning
speaking of these kinds of men, “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on
those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you
learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord
Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech
they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting” (Romans 16:17-18).
Paul declares the eternal doom and damnation of
these men who parade as mercenaries, messengers, or ministers of our Lord Jesus
Christ (when the reality is they belong to Satan) by pulling off their mask or
disguise or their transformation or the Greek word metaschematizo which is exactly how Satan came to Eve at the very
beginning in the Garden of Eden disguised as an “Angel of Light” briefly
covering up his blackness and darkness for he despises light and can only
temporarily clothed himself with it because he is the essence, the substance, and
the core of all that is dark, black, and evil (Ephesians 6:11-12 & 1
John 3:8). The Apostle Jude even used stronger language to describe these
men when he wrote this, “For certain persons have crept in unnoticed,
those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly
persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only
Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude
1:4).
My
own Personal Note: Though we who love our Lord Jesus Christ with all our hearts
(1 Peter 1:3-9) are often distressed, faithless, and even disobedient, we are
not of those who pervert the gospel of Christ and Grace for “filthy lucre” or
monetary gain, but instead we love it and even suffer for the truth of it by
the power of God to the Glory of God.
“We are not to
suppose that all that appears to be piety is piety. Some of the most plausible
appearances of piety are assumed by Satan and his ministers. None ever
professed a profounder regard for the authority of God than Satan did when he
tempted the Savior. And if the prince of wickedness can appear to be an angel
of light, we are not to be surprised if those who have the blackest hearts
appear to be people of most eminent piety. We should be on our guard. We should
not listen to suggestions merely because they appear to come from a pious man,
nor because they seem to be prompted by a regard to the will of God. We may be
always sure that, if we are to be tempted, it will be by someone having a great
appearance of virtue and religion. Their doom in eternity shall not be
according to their fair professions and plausible pretenses, for they cannot
deceive God; but shall be according to their real character, and their works.
Their work is a work of deception, and they shall be judged according to that.
What revelations there will be in the day of judgment, when all impostors shall
be unmasked, and when all hypocrites and deceivers shall be seen in their true
colors! And how desirable is it that there should be such a day to disclose all
beings in their true character, and forever to remove imposture and delusion
from the universe!” Albert Barnes
If you do not
know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your
heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus,
I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You
shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead
proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my
sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my
life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...Sincerely in Christ,
Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…
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