Simplicity Of The Gospel Of Christ

2 Corinthians 11:3

As the serpent ensnared Eve with guileful arguments (see 4:2), so his smooth talking rivals have snaked their way into the Corinthians’ affection and captured their minds with a more alluring gospel but a deadly one since it is no gospel. Harvey observes:

The very first human betrothal that between Adam and Eve was vulnerable to the seduction of the serpent, and resulted in disloyalty of thoughts and intentions. Paul is afraid a similar corruption of the mind is in the church, causing disloyalty to Christ. The signs of it are those different versions of “Jesus” or Spirit” or “gospel” which have apparently been imported into the congregation and tolerated by it.

“Another Jesus” refers to a different interpretation of Jesus that is not congruent with the facts of Jesus’ life and death. Paul’s emphasis in 13:4, that Christ was “crucified in weakness,” suggests the possibility that the rivals presented a Jesus who was not “weak, suffering or humiliated.” They may talk about Christ, but Christ crucified is not the heart of their gospel nor does it influence the way they live. In contrast to his attack on the Judaizers who infiltrated the Galatians, Paul does not single out any particular false doctrine in condemning these Corinthian rivals. We may infer from this that it is primarily their haughty manner and actions that expose their faulty theological doctrine.179 They are self-seeking, not self-denying. Savage concludes:

Their approach to ‘ministry’ speaks volumes of their ‘Jesus.’ It suggests to Paul that their grasp of Jesus is not only gravely inadequate, but almost nonexistent. Their doctrine is not just unsound, it is empty. They use the name ‘Jesus’ and claim to be his ministers, but only as a means by which to advance their interests.

What are the criteria for identifying that someone is preaching a false Jesus, Spirit, and gospel as opposed to the genuine Jesus, Spirit and gospel? For the Corinthians, the “other Jesus” is one Paul did not preach. The Jesus Paul preached is Jesus Christ crucified (1 Cor 1:23) and Jesus Christ as Lord (4:5). Jesus as Lord requires humble submission and makes absolute moral demands. Any gospel that has no moral core, fosters boasting, and soft-pedals sacrifice is no gospel.

In a first century Jewish writing and account of Adam and Eve’s life is written in what is called the Apocalypse of Moses........very detailed account.......not sure if it is so or not, but in Eve’s account of the deception of the serpent this is what is said........... “And instantly he hung himself from the wall of paradise, and when the angels ascended to 2 worship God, then Satan appeared in the form of an angel and sang hymns like the angels. And I bent over the wall and saw him, like an angel. But he saith to me: "Art thou Eve?" And I said 3 to him, "I am." 'What art thou doing in paradise?" And I said to him, "God set us to guard and 4 to eat of it." The devil answered through the mouth of the serpent: 'Ye do well but ye do not eat 5 of every plant." And I said: "Yea, we eat of all. save one only, which is in the midst of paradise, concerning which, God charged us not to eat of it: for, He said to us, on the day on which ye eat of it, ye shall die the death."

Deception is subtle and self-seeking, in any age of humanity most folks seek after their own desires. It can be taught that way and deceive many!

Listen to this preacher.........Play video........

1 Corinthians 1:17-25..........

The devil works in a way that is super subtle and cunning. He promotes in the hearts of man the idea that we want to infiltrate God’s way with ours. Cultural movements infiltrating the church, it no longer is about God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ it becomes about me and what I want out of God!

Normally there is no repentance, no recognition of sin, no moral standard set by God, their moral standard consist of how they see it.

Note worthy, the reality is, we don’t tell God what to do or how we want it!

That is a false God and Christ!

Legalism plays into this too!

I mentioned it this morning, we point the finger and say stop this or do that, not realizing that the flesh has no mechanism or power to stop or do!

The realization that we are sinners is correct, but we must have a standard to measure by, that is Jesus!

Because He walked this life like we did and lived perfectly, testifies to the very fact of how sinful we are!

He is our measure!

Therefore, being that He lived perfectly and testified to our guilt, He died perfectly taking the punishment for that guilt of ours.....

In turn, He becomes our advocate, He becomes our power to overcome being slaves to sin!