Paul And The False Apostles

INTRO

Yesterday’s lesson on 2 Corinthians 10 encouraged us to experience freedom in the Lord because we have the Treasure in us—that is, Christ is inside us. Even in our weaknesses, we get to see the Lord work. Paul said the enemy would come and try to smash anything that had been established. In this case, it was the Corinthian church. Paul encouraged them to recognize the enemy in the camp and then talked about how to fight that enemy. Because Paul loved the Corinthian church, he wanted to be the shepherd that protected them from the enemy. Today, in 2 Corinthians 11, Paul said there were people inside the camp (the church) who were wolves disguised as sheep’s clothing. Paul loved the church enough to call out the false apostles in their midst.

TEACHING

2 Corinthians 11:1–6, 13–15: According to Warren Wiersbe, these verses show Paul’s jealousy over the church.¹ Paul wanted them to “put up with” him (1) because he was “jealous over you with a godly jealousy” (v. 2). Paul painted a picture of a loving father who had promised his daughter to one husband. This was a picture of the local church being engaged to be married to Christ.² In Ephesians 5:22–27, Paul further described this picture. A similar image of becoming one with the Messiah is found in Romans 7:4. However, this marriage doesn’t take place until Christ comes for His bride (Revelation 19:1–9). Until that happens, the church is supposed to remain pure without letting anything come into the picture to muddy the waters.

But the Corinthians were in peril—in danger of being unfaithful to Christ. And the person behind the peril was Satan.³ Paul reminded them, “The serpent had deceived Eve by his cunning” (v. 3), and they were also in danger of being deceived. If they couldn’t make the distinction between the enemy’s voice and God’s voice, then how would they know what was wrong? In Genesis 3:1, the serpent was described as “the most cunning of all the wild animals.” Satan then deceived Eve (Genesis 3:1–6) by questioning God’s Word.

Satan continues to get us to question God’s Word and to deny God’s Word. Then Satan substitutes his own lie.⁴ As believers, we get impatient. When we get impatient, we become unfaithful and lose our sincerity and devotion. We become defiled and then just let Satan creep in. Paul was so jealous over the Corinthians because they were giving in to their old way of life.

Paul pointed out that they were giving in to another Jesus, giving in to a different spirit, and giving in to a different gospel (v. 4). How many false religions are out there today that say Jesus was an incredible man but He wasn’t God? Or yes, Jesus died on the cross, but He wasn’t God? Or yes, Jesus is a Savior, but He isn’t God? There’s a different gospel out there today that combines works and faith—it’s a counterfeit gospel. There’s two ways to look at the “super-apostles” (v. 5). Maybe they aren’t really super apostles, but the false apostles—the pseudo apostles—whose methods are deceitful. The other way to look at

it is that the term refers to the genuine apostles of Christ who came before.⁵ Though Paul had no professional training as a speaker (v. 6), he was very knowledgeable.

2 Corinthians 11:7–12: Next, Paul talked about “his generosity to the church.”⁶ Paul pointed out he had never charged them for anything (v. 7). Nelson’s Commentarysaid, “At that time, professional philosophers and teachers in the Greek society charged people for teaching.”⁷ Paul labored as a tent maker and received support from other churches. But in Corinth’s context, he preached the gospel free of charge. Paul even stated: “I robbed other churches by taking pay from them to minister to you” (v. 8). Other people supported me so I could minister to you, and this is how you’re going to treat me? To maintain his integrity and to prevent people from holding it over him, Paul did not collect any financial support from them even though he could have (1 Corinthians 9:1–12). Instead Paul relied on the brothers from Macedonia to supply his needs so he would not be a burden on them (v. 9). Wiersbe said Paul had a father-figure mentality. Paul didn’t want to be a burden on them.⁸ This burdening image can also be translated “chargeable.” According to Wiersbe, “In the Greek, it literally means ‘to grow numb.’ The word comes from the image of the electric eel numbing its victim with its shock. A numbed part of the body would be a burden to the victim.”⁹ Because of the Treasure (Christ) in him, Paul was determined to continue his work. Paul refused to be the one who weighed them down (v. 20) because he loved them (v. 11). Paul’s ministry was a labor of love. Paul did this so no one would have the opportunity to speak falsely against him (v. 12).

2 Corinthians 11:16–33: Paul described “his anxiety for the church.”¹⁰Paul listed all the things he had gone through: the five times he had received 39 lashes (v. 24); the three times he was beaten with rods by the Romans; the stoning; the shipwrecks (v. 25). Paul listed the spiritual components and the physical hardships he had faced: dangers from rivers, robbers, the Gentiles, in the city, in the open country, the open sea, false brothers (v. 26). But then Paul mentioned “the daily pressure on me: my care for all the churches” (v. 28). Paul felt anxiety for the churches because he cared—he didn’t want them to cave in or give in. He was willing to go through all this because he cared for them. Paul was willing to go through anything and everything so that they would just stay on the course.

CLOSING

Paul is really a father figure to the Corinthian church. He was warning them there was people creeping into the camp that were false apostles and that he needed every one to be aware of them. In Acts 20:24, Paul said, “But I count my life of no value to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.”