2 Cor 11:1-15 Sincere and Pure Devotion

Sincere & Pure Devotion

2 Corinthians 11:1-15

We need to lead people to discern the difference between a godly, gospel-centered tolerance and a worldly, spiritually devastating tolerance. (Guthrie 512)

What must the church tolerate and what must the church reject and Why?

Main Idea: Followers of Christ must reject the teaching and practice of false teachers for the sake of sincere and pure devotion to Christ and his mission.

Followers of Christ must reject the teaching of false teachers for the sake of sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

1 I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me!

Paul feels the need to “fight fire with fire,” and so he indulges in boasting. “If he stoops to their level by boasting, he is a fool. But if he does not defend himself, he might lose the congregation to even greater fools.” (Guthrie 504)

Trans: His primary concern is for the Corinthians...

2 For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

What is divine jealousy? Chrysostom says, ‘For God is said to be jealous, not in a human way but so that everyone may know that he claims sovereign rights over those whom he loves and does what he does for their exclusive benefit. Human jealousy is basically selfish, but divine jealousy is both intense and pure’ (Bray, p. 290). (Kruse 240)

word picture of betrothal( 1 yr) and marriage. We are in the inbetween period of betrothal to Christ and the marriage of the lamb.

The problem is that the church, toying with the leadership of the “super apostles”, seems on the verge of jilting Christ, to whom, at their conversion, they have already been committed for marriage. (Guthrie 507)

The purity that he seeks is the purity of faith. (Seifrid 403)

3 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

What did the serpent say to Eve? Did God really say?

It is significant that the serpent’s ‘seduction’ of Eve was not sexual, but rather the beguiling of her mind by denying the truth of what God had said (Gen. 3:1–7). Thus, the story of Eve aptly depicts the danger the Corinthians faced (i.e. that their minds will be led astray). (Kruse 241)

The main danger confronting the Corinthian church was in their minds—their adulterous flirting with a false gospel

your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

sincere or “simplicity” expresses the openness and freedom of communication, the communion with Christ to which the Corinthians have been called. (Seifrid 406)

Illus:

Transition: The cunning of these teachers was their alternative, false gospel and their charismatic power. It is clear from this passage that the pure gospel alone joins us to, and keeps us in a right relationship with, Christ. A sincere devotion to Christ is possible only where the true and authentic gospel of Christ is taught and heard. Christians need to think about what they are being taught rather than being impressed by who is teaching them, however winsome he or she may be. (Barnett 164)

4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.

Summary of the Christian faith: Jesus, spirit, gospel.

Jesus Christ crucified and risen, Spirit given to those who believe, Good news of forgiveness and reconciliation with God.

The real Jesus, the Spirit, and the gospel are inseparably linked. (Guthrie 510)

A different gospel is not the gospel...

Galatians 1:6–9 ESV

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

What was the super apostle gospel: Triumphant Jesus, Overpowering and overwhelming spirit, overcoming gospel

American Gospel...

Why must we reject the teaching and the practice of false teachers?

Followers of Christ must reject the practice of false teachers for the sake of the mission of Christ.

5 Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. 6 Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.

Paul confronts the idea that he inferior to these super-apostles. Though, he admits that his not a trained speaker as they have been, he refuses to use their standards to evaluate the ministry given to him by Christ. It was not eloquence which would commend Paul’s message but the power to save which accompanied it. (Bray via Guthrie 517) He does defend right knowledge which led to right proclamation. He may not have mastered the rhetoric that the Corinthians expected and required, but he certainly was capable of communicating the Gospel to them. (Seifrid 413)

1 Corinthians 2:1–5 ESV

1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Trans...he now addresses the accusation of his sin against the Corinthians by the super-apostles and apparently adopted by some in the church.

7 Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God’s gospel to you free of charge?

How did he humble himself? Manual labor.

Acts 18:3 ESV

3 and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.

The Corinthians would have viewed manual labor as below a teacher.

They would have expected to pay a teacher/speaker.

Instead Paul preached the gospel for free.

8 I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. 9 And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way.

Philippians 4:15 ESV

15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only.

Principle: Preach the gospel among those who have never heard. Receive support for established churches who understand their mission in the world.

Trans: Paull is emphatic

10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. 11 And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

V. 11 one last accusation and answer

V. 10 Paul has no plans to change his mind in regards to offering the gospel free of charge regardless of the culture.

Why offer the gospel for free?

To avoid being obligated to wealthy donors.

Free gift of salvation must be delivered free of charge.

Isaiah 55:1 ESV

1 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

So What?

Am I(are we) identifying and rejecting the teaching and practices of false teachers?

I am not implying that we should constantly listen with the expectation that we are going to hear false teaching. Hearing something incorrect and identifying someone as a false teacher are different. When we hear something incorrect, we should gently and lovingly question what we hear and correct what was said in light of Scripture.

False teachers are those whose practice and regular teaching is in opposition to and contradiction of the teaching and doctrine of the Scripture. When we identify false teachers they should be exposed and rejected.

Three valuable principles may be distilled from Paul’s contrast of himself with the false apostles. First, believers must not be taken in by smooth, clever, seemingly spiritual oratory. Such speech may mask satanic lies and deception. Many false teachers use biblical terms but invest them with a radically different meaning. Second, believers must go beyond a teacher’s words and examine his life. Religion is big business to false teachers, but those consumed with accumulating wealth and power are not true servants of Jesus Christ. Finally, believers must avoid the temptation to make tolerance a virtue. Tolerance is the supreme virtue only to those who lack strong convictions. To discern the true from the false spiritual leaders is vital to the health of the church. To fail to exercise discernment is to open wide the door to the sheepfold and allow Satan’s savage wolves to ravage God’s flock. (MacArthur)

Much is at stake today brothers and sisters. We must take the stance of Paul...

12 And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

Satan does not come to us as Satan; neither does sin present itself as sin, but in the guise of virtue; and the teachers of error set themselves forth as the special advocates of truth. (Hodge 641)

boated mission

deceitful workmen

disquising themslelves as apostles of Christ

clear association 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

Matthew 7:21-27

Connect the word pictures…false foundations collapse.

8 am gathering appeal

9:30 baptism

Global Summit:

Friday-prayer gathering

Sat am-family activiities

Sat afternoon/early evening: Gathering and food trucks

Sunday; Special message.

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