Burdens and False Apostles - 2 Corinthians 11:9-13

Good morning.

Welcome to Kootenai Community Church. Adult Sunday school. We are in 2nd Corinthians chapter 11. Shall we open in prayer? Father it is a privilege to come and look into your great Wonderful magnificent word this morning you have you had no obligation to give us this but it is a gift beyond compare.

It is sufficient and perfect To bring salvation by the grace of the Holy Spirit to those whom you have elected to be your church. And so this morning as we looked into your word We pray that you would illuminate us and help us father to deal with those things that you would have us change and to correct be rebuked be instructed as you do as you deem through your word, which is the only way of Correcting and instructing and perfecting your Saints by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

We look forward to that this morning by your word in Jesus name. Amen. Let's read 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 and From about verse. Let's see how far we think we're gonna make it today. Let's read chapter 11 1 through 15.

Paul’s Defense of Preaching the Gospel Free of Charge

2nd Corinthians 11 1. I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness. But indeed you are bearing with me for I am jealous of you with a godly jealous jealousy for I betrothed you to one husband That to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.

But I am afraid lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness. Your mind should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached or you receive a different spirit Which you have not received or a different gospel, which you have not accepted.

You bear this beautifully for I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent Apostles. But even if I am unskilled in speech yet, I am not so in knowledge in fact in every way we have made this evident to you in all things or.

Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted because I preached the gospel of God to you without charge. I robbed other churches taking wages from them to serve you and When I was present with you and was in need I was not a burden to anyone for when the brethren came from Macedonia they fully supplied my need and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you and will continue to do so as The truth of Christ is in me.

This boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia. Why? Because I do not love you. God knows I do. But what I am doing I will continue to do that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting for such men are false Apostles.

Deceitful workers disguising themselves as Apostles of Christ and no wonder for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguised themselves as servants of righteousness whose end shall be according to their deeds.

So last week we left off with Paul robbing churches. Now if I just stopped right there with that soundbite People would think a false gospel was coming from this church. But you remember he actually would not take from the churches that he was planting Supply in order to to meet his needs.

He would use the supply from other churches that were already planted for a number of reasons. Among them being that he would not he would be independent of that church and be free. To be God's minister of righteousness.

And of the Word of God in and among the believers especially in Corinth that he was talking about when he did it then. And so he chose to use the the money that had come from other churches even meeting with when he met with Titus in Macedonia.

Among the things that were done. There was a transfer of funds so that he could remain Independent when he was preaching in Corinth when he was working in in the Corinthian area in in Achaia. So he says um, I robbed other churches by taking wages from them to serve you and then in verse 9.

And when I was present with you and was in need I was not a burden to anyone for when the church when the brethren came from Macedonia, they fully supplied my need. And in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you and will continue to do so.

So while Paul was in Corinth, he refused to be what he called a burden to the church. As he brought the gospel when the brethren came from Macedonia to meet with him. He received support from them which added by the way the interesting word supplied here.

It's a word that means to fill up by adding to. So in other words what the brethren brought in Macedonia the Macedonian brethren brought. Or what he met with them when he met with them it wasn't the entire amount.

He was providing some of his own sustenance by making leather and making tents. Paul was speaking. He was he was Reminding the Corinthians of this that I was when I was present with you. I was not a burden to anyone and that word burden is a pressing down Something that would press down on your chest and stop your breathing.

That's what the word kind of connotes. The word for supplied is a compound verb, which means to be provided in addition to as you can see here. It's uh, so he it's to fill up by adding to Something that's already there the idea.

So so the the press down upon heavenly burden that paul was talking about he refused to be that way. And he allowed the supply to come in from Macedonia. Remember, however back in chapter 10 He does in the intimate that he the corinthians could participate in sending him further.

In verses 15 and 16 16 in chapter 10 2nd corinthians 10 15 and 16 He says not boasting beyond our measure that is in other men's labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows We will be within our sphere enlarged even more by you.

So as to preach the gospel even to the regions beyond you and not to boast in what has been accomplished in the sphere of Another there's something that happens in the heart of a believer as god works in their lives.

They want to send the gospel on everywhere, especially when you're a new believer, man. You charge the gates of hell with a squirt gun and probably win. But as you get older and more wise That fervor dies down.

Sometimes unfortunately I would say. But nevertheless here paul is reminding the corinthians are asking the corinthians as your faith grows. I will look to you to send the gospel beyond you to send the gospel into the greater reaches of the world.

So once salvation occurs and the holy spirit begins his work in transforming the inner man. The desire to send the gospel further would be a reality in the hearts of those in corinth. And paul knew that but while he was there While he was bringing them the gospel not only would he not be a burden.

But he would he said maintain that status of not being a burden. He would continue to work unlike the false apostles who would not lower themselves to manual labor. Paul worked with his hands as a tent maker or a leather worker.

It is thought that maybe during his time in corinth business was reduced and he found himself in very difficult straits. When silas and timothy arrived bringing the macedonian church's gifts his situation was alleviated.

And so it is the case today even when a church decides to send out. Uh men who will plant a new church in a new region or a new area Or a new location I should say they take upon themselves that church takes upon themselves the support Of those that are planting the church so that the new believers and the new Attenders if there are already believers in the new location will not be burdened.

That the church can get started once the ministry takes root takes hold. And enough families attend the new church to support the teaching ministry of an on-site pastor elder. The new church will take up the cost of supporting the teaching ministry.

Mark, excuse me. Matthew 1 corinthians 9 14. So the lord so also the lord directed those who proclaim the gospel To get their living from the gospel. So there it is. Was paul would paul have been appropriate in receiving gifts from corinth while he was there?

And letting them supply his need. Would he have been appropriate in doing that? Of course he would. It was his choice not to Mark, or excuse me. Matthew 10 9 9 through 11. Jesus said to his his disciples as they went out.

Do not acquire gold or silver or copper for your money belts or a bag for your journey or even two coats or sandals. Or a staff for the worker is worthy of his support. And whatever city or village you enter inquire who is worthy in it and stay at his house.

Until you leave that city look for your support in the area where you are ministering. Jesus said luke chapter 10 verses 5 through 8 whatever house you enter First say peace be in this house be to this house.

If a man of peace is there your peace will rest on him. But if not, it will return to you stay in that house eating and drinking what they give you for the labor Is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house.

Whatever city you enter and they receive you eat what is set before you.

So I.

There's one other little cool little principle in there. I take take it as I as I was reading this. It's kind of trivia principle and I wouldn't go building those secret doctrines on it, but. Don't be picky with what they serve you if it's eggplant.

Eat it.

Set earth eat what they set before you it does a number of things. It blesses the hearts of those who are taking care of you when you when you receive their sustenance their their provision. So so the the laborer which paul was Is worthy of his wages.

He could have imposed upon the corinthians the burden of supporting him. He simply chose not to and for good reason. And now as we look and we see this Situation with the false apostles arising we can see how the holy spirit is going to use that to great advantage.

So any questions about verse 9? Comments. Verse 10. And as the truth of christ is in me this boasting of mine will not be stopped. In the regions of acaia.

Remember.

He's using the word boasting in great measure as a Poke at the false apostles who seem to stop at no Nothing, they couldn't find to brag about. They could always brag about this or about the other. So he says his boasting will not be stopped in the regions of acaia.

Literally this word this verse is the truth of christ is in me. And thus paul is a true man of god as a true man of god. Would continue to bring the gospel to every region and every city that he could.

Now calvin and some others that I was reading take this as an oath. And indeed I suppose it could be His policy of bringing the gospel free of charge into new areas. He says would continue throughout all of acaia.

Apparently based on this statement It appears that those false that the false apostles may have had some influence not only in the church in corinth But also throughout the province of acaia. Paul will not let that stop him no matter where he meets resistance from them.

He's not going to stop. He's going to continue to work. He's going to continue to bring the gospel to that region and he's going to continue to rely on the supply of founded established churches. Why I love this.

Why. Because I do not love you. God knows I do. Remarkably, even though the corinthians by their acquiescence to false teaching had cut paul to the core by doing that. He did not let that mar his love for them.

Brothers and sisters, that's what we've got to do when when genuine believers offend us.

There's a.

I had to count them. There's a seven letter word. That is the most important word in the english language. Anybody know what it is?

Forgive.

How many times i'm just going to give you a number. I like numbers and you can put this on your refrigerator. 20 billion. That ought to cover it you think at least for one person. It ought to cover it.

The hyperbole that the lord jesus christ used was 70 times 7. What he was doing is he was telling peter. Every time it happens now that doesn't mean you don't take proper response and steps if there's been a great offense.

That's caused harm, but we must forgive. We must forgive. It is the it is the. It is the agent that the holy spirit uses to bind and maintain unity in the church. Because we are going to rub one another wrong.

I know I rub people wrong. Many of them tell me. Some of them don't. And I want I want when I when I do that, I want to go to them and ask for forgiveness. But even if we don't get that blessing of having them come to us.

We must forgive. So paul said paul had forgiven the corinthians even though they were putting they were they were eschewing his word. Which was the word of god? He did not refuse their aid because he did not love them as they would assume but rather the opposite.

And he appeals to god who knows all hearts to set the record straight that he indeed loves those in corinth often. Often in parents, you know this it is the child that is the most difficult that seems to need the most love.

I was that child and my mother translated love into two by six. There's math involved in all of that. Yeah. What was that? With holes in it. Actually, I did have a teacher that used a paddle. I better not get too much into detail there.

Um.

The corinthian church needed agape love. They needed agape love and they needed it from paul and he freely gave it to them. As the truth of christ is. Why. Because I do not love you. No god knows I do and he appeals to god.

They know better but there apparently had been some who had accused him of not loving them. And so let it make let us make certain that it is not our actions. Our personal actions that have brought the accusation that we don't love someone if we give them the word of god.

And god's word accuses their conscience. And we do it properly that is love. Letting someone continue in sin is not love. It's endangering them and those around them. So paul loved them and he appeals to god knowing that he does.

So then he says in verse 12, but what I am doing. In case you were wondering am I going to stop is all of this all of this brow beating and And calling my rhetorical skills into question and making fun of my size and my face and and whatever.

Whatever physical abnormality had is all that going to stop me. He says but what I am doing. I will continue to do. That's another thing that a believer needs to do. They have to have. What's what's the word i'm looking for staying power?

Because.

The relentless attacks of the enemy will not stop. Not stop until you step into glory. They will not stop. I will continue to do so that I may cut off opportunity from those Who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting.

Let's break that down. And here we see a main reason why paul is going to continue his policy of preaching the gospel free to the corinthians. And to other churches that he plants those who want to be taken as apostles.

And are not. We're greedy. And they required payment for what they did. Paul here shows that he is not cut from the same cloth. But rather the holy spirit has called him him in this case to give freely to the corinthians the gospel and all of its attendant blessings.

These false apostles wanted to be seen as paul's equal or even by some of the attacks. We've seen as his superior. And they castigated him for this by their standard. Inadequate rhetorical skills and all of the other things his his apparent physical abnormality.

They they tried to draw on that to to work the corinthians against him. He would give them no opportunity to do that. There they're left in a position of having to explain why they're taking full payment for doing what paul did for free.

The contrast could not be greater paul's selflessness compared with their selfishness. With their greed. Some commentators believe that the false apostles were preaching without charge as well. But this this doesn't really line up with the evidence previously seen.

In first corinthians chapter 9 paul details the fact that he could have charged them for preaching the gospel. But he didn't as others did and later in verse 20. He indicates that the false apostles were enslaving.

Devouring taking advantage of and exalting themselves to the corinthians. This indicates Payment. Paul would never do that and he wished to cut off all potential for them to brag about what they were doing.

It was his desire that the lord received the glory. Not even paul that the lord received the glory. Not an apostle at all, but especially not a false apostle. Any questions or comments? We're going to finish up with verse 13.

We're going to talk quite a bit about false apostles.

False Apostles as Deceitful Workers

Okay.

For such men are false apostles deceitful workers deceitful workers. Disguising themselves as apostles of christ. So right here in second corinthians chapter 11 verse 13. It's like paul flipped a switch.

For the next three verses he slipped the switch. He turns off the irony and sarcasm and he gets straight to the point. He labels these people as false apostles. No, bandying words. Deceitful interlopers hypocrites wolves and sheep's clothing even satanic.

They wore a disguise pretending to be christ's apostles, but they were certainly not pseudo apostolos, it's uh, it's probably uh. Many believe that paul coined this term. It's it's not it doesn't appear before this and it's it just shows up right here in the new testament for the first time.

This word it translated. Deceitful the word translated. Excuse me. Deceitful is another greek word that is used only here as well in the new testament it's um. It's the bait and hook deceitful. If you only give me 33 dollars.

For shipping i'll send you this grandfather clock. I'm still waiting on it. That was in 1985. I think it got lost. That was a bait and switch. That's what these false apostles were doing. They were they were presuming one thing but giving another.

And.

People being polite will often Not do what they ought to do and call that stuff out. And some of that is what was happening here in the in the new testament world, especially in corinth. In corinth. So this word has the idea of a decoy.

These derelicts were not only teaching error, but they were doing it in such a way that it baited people. It baited them in gave them a promise and then left them destitute of the truth. Unfortunately, the less discerning would not realize what was being done.

So the word disguising. To change the figure of. And you see it all the time on the internet now, I mean with with photoshop and some of the even more sophisticated tools, they can make things look like they aren't.

And.

It used to be that a picture was worth a thousand words. Not anymore. We need a new saying. I haven't got it. I haven't figured it out. But we need a new saying because you can make things look like they are real and they're not.

That's what these apostles were doing. They were disguising themselves as angels of light. These men were chameleons. They would come in. They would adapt themselves to the culture of the local church.

They would ingratiate themselves to those they found who were in leadership and then Baiting and switching their teaching so that many would miss the change. And not realize that false doctrine was being distributed.

Some of the marks. So now I want to go through some of the marks of a false apostle. And that's probably how we'll finish up. These men were. They will deny the identity and the deity of the lord. Jesus christ.

That's number one. There will be some deviation. There may be some deviation from the proper biblical teaching. But but the final issue will be that they will deny the lord. Jesus christ is god in the flesh that he has come in the flesh and that he is the son of god.

And they will deny that he is the second person of the trinity. They will add to or take away from christ's finished work on the cross. And every spirit that does not confess. Jesus Is not from god. This is the spirit of the antichrist of which you have heard that it is coming and now is already in the world.

They will add to or take from. They will say you need more you need jesus plus or.

Or.

Jesus is not who he says he was now. They won't teach it like that. Well, he was a he was a great teacher. No, he wasn't. If he claimed to be god in the flesh and he wasn't. He was a demon. And he wasn't he was the son of god.

He was who he said he was. They'll they'll add to or they'll take away. Number two, they will be motivated by greed lust power and fame. Maybe not in that order the fruit of their lives will be wickedness.

Second timothy three one through eight. But realize this that in the last days difficult times will come. Four men will be lovers of self lovers of money boastful arrogant revilers disobedient to parents ungrateful unholy unloving.

Irreconcilable malicious gossips without self-control brutal haters of good. Treacherous reckless conceited lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of god holding to a form of godliness. There's the bait.

Although they have denied its power avoid such men as these call them out walk away. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins led on by various impulses.

Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Just as janice and jambrus opposed moses. So these men also opposed the truth. Men of depraved mind rejected in regard to the faith now.

The sad thing is the hard thing to deal with here is is there are many in the church who are walking down the road. In some ways of not accepting the sufficiency and truth of scripture and we've talked about this before actually we had a Seminar on it.

If you start denying genesis chapter one Why not deny the rest of it? Why would we have to hold to the rest of it if I get to make the decision that it doesn't mean god created. On day one day two day three day four day five day six and he rested on the seventh day and the days were days.

If I get to make that decision, why don't I get to make the decision about anything else in there that I don't like? And that's what happens. Once you set yourself up as the arbiter of biblical truth.

You have become one of these bait and switch men. One of these deceitful false apostles and it's I it's sad to say and I I I that there are those who are in the church. Well, you know genesis wasn't supposed to teach science.

Whether it was or it wasn't it's true. It's that simple. It's true.

And so.

Once you start denying those things it will only lead to All the false religions we have and the denials of the power and the glory of the lord. Jesus christ. So they're motivated by greed. Matthew. Chapter 7 verses 15 through 20.

Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing. But inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles are they.

So every good tree bears good fruit. But the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down And thrown into the fire.

So then you will know them by their fruits and the fruits. Display to the world eventually the character qualities that are listed in second timothy. Arrogance.

Braggers.

Revilers. Disobedience. Unwilling to accept authority. Haters of good. Treacherous. That's that's quite a list. That's an excellent list to be reminded of. Number three and I have already kind of gone into this.

So number one is they will deny the identity and the deity of the lord. Jesus christ number two. And there's no. There's no holiness to this order by the way. It's just what I came up with. They will be motivated by greed lust power and fame.

And the fruit of their lives will be wickedness. Number three they will deny the bible as the inspired and infallible word of god. Now what does that mean? What does it mean to be inspired? The light bulb goes on over my head and and I I understand what the word obsequious means all of a sudden inspired in the classical biblical Term is only of used of those whom the holy spirit Use to pen the new testament and the old testament.

We would use illuminated. But inspired means that these are the very words. That god spoke the very ideas and the very words that god gave to the men who wrote the scripture. It's infallible. It's never wrong.

If we think it's wrong we are wrong now. I know you all know this but apparently this is on the internet now and there's a lot of people out there. Who who have got the scripture wrong? It is never wrong.

It is internally consistent. And it is inspired. All scripture second timothy 3 16 says is inspired by god and is Just sitting there to be used as a very beautiful bookend. Makes a nice bookend. It's pretty heavy.

It's leather covered. It'll hold a whole bunch of other books. No, it says it is profitable for teaching for reproof for correction for training in righteousness. That's what the word of god is to be used for is to be used for teaching.

So that everyone who has Not enough understanding can be given that understanding and there are no special people. Who have some sort of an extra handle on the word of god other than those? I would say there are those who study it harder and are able to impart to us understanding but God doesn't have any favorites.

He doesn't have any special ones. The gnostics thought that that's how it was that certain people had greater enlightenment than others. That is not true. Anyone who takes the time to spend it to To spend his time or her time studying the word of god will be graciously compensated by god with understanding with blessing.

With reproof with correction with instruction and with training in righteousness. Yes.

Well.

There really isn't any any okay. The question was how do you deal with people who say that scripture was written by men? The correct answer is but it was inspired by god. They don't believe that and they get to do that.

This is america. They get to believe stupid things. Um, I don't I peter. There's a number of comparisons that can be made. And and and I I can we can walk down that road. The scientific comparisons. The number of manuscripts.

The fact that Metastasis, it depends on a manuscript from the uh, the the year 1000 and it's got nine copies. And the new testament has 18 000 or however many. We can use all those scientific uh Explanations and those are good and and and it's good idea to look into them.

I don't have time to retail them all this morning. But but I know this is going to sound. This is one of those weird things. It's like why do we have to obey your dad because I said so God has said his word is inspired.

And those people who are the elect Will come to their senses By the work of the holy spirit. Those people who are not. Which we don't know who they are and we need to be preaching this to everyone don't misunderstand me.

Nobody has an e painted on their back. And if they did it probably means evil.

I didn't say that.

Cut that out cordell. You're on the internet now. That's this is awful. We can go through the litany the fact that there are are multiple tens of thousands of of papyri and and documents and and copies That go way back into great into antiquity That are are very well attested to be the accurate words that have come down throughout to us from his from history.

But.

When it's all said and done. This is a matter of faith. This is a matter of faith this is a matter of believing that when when when you see the that 300 was a 316 prophecies came true in christ. Is it 300?

It's somewhere around 300. Became literally true. In the life of the lord jesus christ that were predicted that other prophecies that are predicted in the old testament happened. Exactly as they were predicted.

Nobody else has that kind of a track record. Nostradamus is like 40 or 30.

Peter.

You can you we can all rely on the holy spirit. Yes. You can say that. That's a reasonable statement. That's a biblical statement. Whether it's reasonable or not.

Mm-hmm.

And those are good observations and kind of what I was alluding to that in the end. It's a matter of faith and it's a matter of the holy spirit working on the individuals. You present the gospel. You believe the gospel.

You live the gospel. And the holy spirit will do the work in the lives of unbelievers. Those that he has chosen will be Regenerated. Those he is not will not. We don't know who they are. So the the scripture is to be given out equally liberally wherever we can.

And uh again. As as mike's pointed out you can feed all of these documented informational bits and bits and pieces of scientific fact. But the end result is is the person interested in trusting the lord jesus christ for his eternal salvation.

Does he realize that there's a hell does he realize that at the end? He will be judged and he will be cast either into a lake of fire. Or he will be going to heaven to be with the lord Jesus christ the father and the holy spirit and all the other believers for eternity.

That's what the scripture says. And and it's been around for it's been around long enough. We have had this long enough now. Amazingly, there's a lot of people today who who don't know anything about the bible.

I'm always surprised. Matter of fact when I hear someone say that I wonder are they being straight up with me? I mean, this is the Where. Yeah. It's like well, it's like the two strangers walking down the the mayas walking down the road of mayas with jesus.

What about this? What have you been living under a rock?

Yeah, so.

The word is the word is so so let me just go through the rest of these. For the word of god God says is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword and piercing. So as far as the division of soul and spirit of both joints and marrow.

And able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And then second peter one. And here's a good one for those folks.

So.

We have the prophetic word made more sure to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp Shining in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. But know this first that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation.

For no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will but men moved by the holy spirit spoke from god. I wish I had a magic statement you could say to these people who challenge the authenticity And the inspiration of the bible, but there isn't one.

Oh, yes, there is. It's the gospel. You give them the gospel you just keep telling them the truth. And the truth will beat into their heart as god determines. And it will spread all of those lies apart and make its way like a laser beam to where it needs to be.

If they are one of his if they are one of his sheep. And it's a glorious thing to see. And the ones who have decided not to believe and will not believe. You can be compassionate and do the best you can.

We don't know who those are. But we do know that if we preach the gospel It will not return void.

It will.

Try it will turn those who are of his of his sheep. The last thing of the last last point there's a whole bunch I I thought about like 20 points of false apostles. I boiled it down to four because people are trying to get me to write shorter stuff.

They will claim their own authority and refuse to be subject to spiritual authorities. They will often take on special titles such as bishop.

Apostle.

Father or others and I could I could give you numbers of those. Oh, there's the next slide. That's a good one. It's in invisible. It's in digital secret ink. Anybody can read that? They will claim their own authority and they'll take on names for themselves.

They'll claim to be apostles. We have that today the new apostolic reformation and others that that need to be. I'm trying to think was it. Was it the moonies? Did he was it? Sun young moon, I think he wanted to be called father.

That was his preferred title. We've got that now preferred pronouns. We've that's been with us a long time. They'll claim their own authority. No one has any authority lest it was given to them by God.

No one and Anybody who is teaching in a bona fide Church of God will understand that they are under first the authority of God. Through the scripture through the Council of Elders and through the body of believers who are Bereans.