Ministering Without Charge and False Apostles

Well, good morning. We're continuing on in chapter 11. And actually, you know, and looking at the chapter, you might think, boy, it seems like Paul is just all over the map. I mean, his emotions go up and down. And I'm robbing you. I'm doing this. I'm doing that. Is there any focus here?

He's exercised, right? I said he should have had a cell phone. He could have texted the Corinthians some of his thoughts. But he didn't have a He didn't have that so So we have his word which is marvelous All right, so I've titled this Ministering without charge and false apostles and actually those two connect they really do so hopefully I can show you that so here's my outline I'll just put it all up here, and so this is through the whole chapter, so this is the you know his apostolic ministry if you will we look last week at godly jealousy for the Corinthians and Mixed in with that we're going to review that a slight bit today And then we're going to look ministering without charge and the false apostles then that marvelous declaration that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light and then mixed in with that in that last section to up to 21a is talking about more Paul boasting and then of course a very familiar section in in 21b through 28 where Paul is he lists all you know for us it would be it would be a death sentence it seems like all the beatings and imprisonments it just goes on and on and on to show he he wants to show that he has suffered for the Lord and it's because he loves he loves Corinthian church and he desires them to grow and then lastly talks about I will boast on what pertains to my weaknesses we'll see that okay So now let's get into it here.

Okay, so I want to go back. I back even a verse beyond Jim. I actually outdid Jim here today. Okay, so we're going to start back in verse 4. And the reason I want to go back to verse 4 was because we're going to see here that Paul wants to identify these false teachers, these quote super apostles, and he wants to identify them based upon Not just because he doesn't, you know, nothing exterior, but what are they teaching?

What are they about? And so this verse really talks to that point, if you will. So it talks about, basically, he starts and he says, if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached. So a thing to remember here is that in the new testament paul's writings along with the apostles writing are the are the doctrine that built the church is called the faith in some sections so he says if if one is assumed to be true if one comes to you and he is is is a truthful statement and preaches another person as jesus whom we have not preached so he says what we preach is the true jesus so paul and apostles preach the true jesus the events of his life This preaching of the false teacher was contrary to that, in opposition to that.

So actually what I found here, I found three statements by Dr. J. Vernon McGee. I'm a fan of him. Not everybody is, but I think he's great. And he has three very crisp statements about how do we sort out preaching about our Savior. He starts off with a biggie.

If they deny the virgin birth, they're preaching another Jesus. Secondly, if they deny he performed miracles, they're preaching another Jesus. If they deny that he was raised dead bodily from the grave, they're preaching another Jesus. So those are three critical points. Not the only points, but three critical points. So the point here, these people were coming and preaching another Jesus.

Okay, secondly, or you receive a different spirit in nature to the spirit which you have received. So actually, this connects really well with 1 John. John warns us about testing the spirits. And he says in 1 John 4.1, Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. And so then verse 2 tells you what the test should be. By this you know the Spirit of God Every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.

So that was the second point about these false prophets. They didn't bring the Spirit of God with them, the Holy Spirit. Thirdly, you receive a different gospel which we have not accepted. So all true believers, to be a true believer you have to accept what God has done. You have to accept the gospel that he died for our sins He was buried and he raised and was raised in the third day and that was preached by Paul and the and the other teachers So he warned him actually back in Galatians about the same issue about a different gospel So it says in Galatians 1 6 through 7. I'm amazed that you are so quickly deserting him as Christ who called you by the grace of Christ for a different For a different gospel only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ So so at that point I just stop there then the very last part we see Paul's emotions kind of coming through here So here's here, you know three points to look for and the last point he says you bear this beautifully beautifully We don't quite get the full impact of that least has it You are most beautifully tolerant of him, the one saying these things. So they're very tolerant of these people. They're saying another Jesus, a false spirit, and another gospel. They're very tolerant. Oh, come on in and just tell us all these things. No, don't do that. Stop. Don't do that, brothers and sisters. Okay. So he goes on.

For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent or super apostle. So Paul talks about his calling as an apostle. So he's going to admit something. He's going to say, hey, you know, maybe I wasn't the most eloquent speaker around, but I gave you the information you needed. That's kind of the gist of what verse 5 is about. So he says here, I took the amplified version here, yet I consider myself in no way inferior. Inferior is the idea of Not being behind or lacking behind or not less than in no inferior to these and I like this amplified just To these precious extra super false apostles Whoa, so I think that just you want to get these guys were good.

I mean they were slick. They were good They were good talkers. I mentioned last week about experience when we were overseas about a really slick talker and I mean, we've seen them. They're good. But are they telling you the truth? Is it really the truth they're telling you? That's the bottom line. Okay.

And this is from Constable. The eminent super apostles were probably the false apostles who claimed to be eminent rather than the genuine apostles. So it seems like from the context here, that's who he's talking about. And also, the context of the word, or actually this word for eminent or super, kind of validates that too. So here's kind of another kind of caustic, I'll call it a caustic statement, which probably Mike will have to cover in chapter 12.

So okay, it says 2 Corinthians 12, verse 11, I become foolish, you yourselves compelled me. He says, you Corinthians, by accepting these guys, you've compelled me to do this. Actually, I should have been commended by you. You should be patented and say, good job, Paul. For in no respect was I in fear to the most eminent apostle, even though I'm a nobody."

So there's a, like I said, he needed a cell phone or some kind of other device to get his emotions out to them. Okay, alright, so then lastly for review here, but even if I'm 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. So he says, basically, but even if I'm unskilled in speech, and I kind of put in there, as some say, apparently some were saying that, and the reason I want to say that is because of this verse earlier that we covered, verse 10 in chapter 10.

For they say, speaking of the Corinthians, it seems like, or maybe his critics, his letters are weighty, strong, but his personal appearance is unimpressive. He wasn't a cool dresser, I guess. And his speech was contemptible. He didn't like his speech. So his speech, by the words, he unskilled here, but even if I'm unskilled, the idea is, he was a plain talker. He talked plainly. That's kind of the idea here.

Yet, I'm not so in knowledge. So he's saying, You listen to me, I wasn't maybe your number one speaker you liked, but what I told you, I told you the truth. I gave you the true knowledge. As we know, content is more important than delivery many times. I've been blessed many times by a person that is not so eloquent than I have by people that are super eloquent. And then McCauley points out, what you say is more important than the way you say it.

And then Paul basically says, I've given you the truth. And then lastly, the last part of this from Weist, but in everything we made it plain among all with a view for your benefit. He made it plain. He gave them the plain truth and it was for their benefit. Okay, so that's that's review. So I'm not going to reread this again. It's a little bit long to do. So we're just going to jump into it.

And it kind of maybe where we're headed here is that He's going to continue on talking about these false apostles, and he's going to get down to the point we come down to the point the very last verse he really He points out three facts about the their false apostles verse 13 their false apostles deceitful workers Disguising themselves as apostles of Christ, so you wouldn't you wouldn't notice these guys you wouldn't see these guys That's how how deceptive it was, but we're going to build up to that okay, and So now he goes back and he's rhetorical, here's a rhetorical statement he starts off with, or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted?

Humbling is the idea of bringing yourself low, abasing yourself. Exalting is to, he wanted to exalt the good news, exalt the good news about Jesus Christ. He humbled himself to do that. So Paul will now give his reasons for humbling himself. And the reason he humbled himself was to preach the gospel of God to the Corinthians without charge. And that kind of connects.

He determined, and we're going to see this, that he would not ask for any donations, if you will, when he spoke in Corinth. All the time he was there, it wasn't long, he didn't ask for donations. And that kind of caused a problem, because we're going to see, I'm going to summarize that, we're going to see that sometimes he talked about being getting rightful pay for preaching and sometimes he said no I can I can work I can do I can work for my my keep so to speak and so gospel says here Paul claim the freedom to minister in Corinth without receiving financial support from the Corinthians to illustrate his self-sacrificing love for his readers Okay, so what let me take a little sip here and then so we're going to talk about I have three charts on this So what was Paul's I want to show the two aspects? Should I receive money or should I work for what I? Work while I'm here.

So the first point So Paul had written and we're going to see the verses that apostles have the right to refrain from working for a living to live off the gifts of their audience and So we see this in 1 Corinthians 9.6. This is actually a longer passage.

He and Barnabas were preaching. Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from doing manual labor for a livelihood in order to go about the work of the ministry? And then here's a very familiar one that we know in 9.14. So also the Lord directs those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel. And most churches take that, you know, people who minister God's word on a regular basis, you know, should be compensated for that.

So Paul said, that's okay. The other side of the coin is when he got to Corinth. He says, yet he made tents in Corinth and refused to accept gifts from the Corinthians. There are some verses about that. Actually, the verses that talk about the making of tents with Aquila.

So in Acts 18.1 it says, After these things, he, Paul, left Athens and went to Corinth. And because he, Aquila, was of the same trade, he stayed with him, with them, actually his wife, Priscilla, and they were working, for by trade they were tent makers.

And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade the Jews and the Greeks. Well, I listened to the Merriman's tape from many years ago on this, and he pointed out that Paul, he kind of read between the lines here in some verses, and it seemed like Paul, he had lots of energy. He would do his tent making maybe in the early hours into the morning, then the afternoon evening he'd go out and confront the Jews and the Greeks. So he was a busy guy. He was making money and doing his tent making, and then he was at the same time persuading the Jews and the Greeks.

And then in 9.12 it says, If others share their right over you to receive money for his work, do we not more nevertheless? So here's where he says, we have the right, but I'm not going to use that right. Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endured all things so that we may cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ." So a couple points here.

Some thought, well if he doesn't accept any money, then maybe he's not an apostle. That's one set of thoughts. Other apostles normally accepted support from the recipients of the ministries. Apparently, this was the false apostles. They were willing to accept money.

And I have a funny statement about that later on. So the logic here was, this is from Macaulay, the logic here is, you said you're an apostle and have the right to receive compensation, but you refused it, therefore you're not an apostle. Okay? So now we're going to see, Paul's going to talk about his love for the Corinthians and how he didn't accept contributions and money because of that very fact.

It's kind of a long section, so I just kind of chunked it up. So he starts off with, once again, his sarcasm. I robbed other churches by taking wages from them to serve you. Really, Paul, you actually robbed? No, I don't think you robbed. Okay. To make his point, he uses the word robbed. Exaggeration.

So now, he's going to show about not taking the funds and how that worked out. What were the details of that? That's all of verse 9. When I was present with you, Corinthians, and was in need, what did he do? He didn't want to burden anyone. For when the brethren came from Macedonia, they fully supplied my need, or the Amplified Bible says it was abundantly made up by the brethren. So what happened was that the time he was in Corinth, he was working it seemed like, and also he was in the shortfall of that were made up by his brothers that came from Macedonia.

I have a picture just to remind you of the geography. Macedonia is to the north and Achaia is to the south. We'll show that in a bit here. Thirdly, I kept myself from being a burden to you and will continue to do so. That was Paul's mindset. His mind was made up. He's not going to ask for any contributions.

Then 10 and 11 kind of go together and has this interesting statement which I really liked. So 10 and 11 read, 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. So once again, his kind of interesting way of phrasing things. So that phrase, the truth of Christ is in me, I said, what does that mean? What is he talking about there? So what happens like Bob did in Sunday school?

What happens when you go to the verbs? The verbs should help you, right? The verbs should help you out here. And verbs do help you out. Verbs are good. Nouns are good. Verbs are good. All the language is good, right? Okay, so is is a me. It's a state in which someone or something continuously exists.

So he says, the truth of Christ, actually I have it here, So to paraphrase that, the truth of Christ continually exists in me. So you could take this a couple of ways. One, you could say, well, we know from Scripture, from Paul's writings, we know that Christ is in us. Christ in me, the hope of glory. Christ lives within the believer. He could be speaking of that, right? Well, I kind of thought maybe he was speaking of, so what is the truth of Christ? So I thought it was more the truth of the message So what was the most important message in the context of what we see here?

It was the gospel, the good news. That's what he wanted to get out. And that's why he was boasting. His boast was not going to be stopped. He wanted to get the gospel out. If it took boasting to get the gospel out, that was good. If it took not burdening them for money, that's good too. I like that. The truth of Christ is in me. Pretty cool. Okay, let's go on.

So here's a picture just to remind you. Macedonia to the north, Achaia to the south, And this letter, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, is to the church at Corinth. We don't see other churches mentioned, to my understanding, in Achaia. He talks about ministering in Achaia in these verses.

Okay. So now, he says, but what I, Paul, am doing, I will continue to do. And by context, in Achaia, in that region, around the Corinthian church, he's going to continue to do. So what was Paul doing? Back over this again. He was preaching the gospel without charge.

So actually in this verse, kind of hidden, wrapped in there, there are two what they call purpose clauses in the original language. There's two purpose clauses. This is the first one. Many times you can identify those in the English by looking for the word so that or that. So if you look carefully, this is the first one, so that, and then later on there's a little that tucked away. So we're going to look at both of those that's. I said it right? Look at both of those that's okay. Okay, so the first thing, this sounds kind of strange. This sounds like some kind of game or some kind of war games.

Okay, so here's what Paul's going to do. He said, so that, let me start back again. But what I'm doing, I will continue to do, so that I may cut off, he wants to cut something off, he wants to Deprive persons of the occasion to do something and typically we'll see it's it can be a military kind of thing and What he wants to deprive here is the opportunity of the ones wanting an opportunity Kind of double talk the opportunity of the ones wanting opportunity the ones I believe here are the false apostles and The opportunity was it was a starting point. They wanted a bait what we call an abasive operations. They wanted a Today's world would say they wanted some kind of talking point.

They wanted something to say, we're going to start here and then we're going to start our offensive against Paul from that. And it seems like to prevent, and this is from Merriman, to prevent an opportunity of a starting point of criticism for Paul. Paul realized that these guys, that they were kind of after him, so to speak, and so he didn't want them to get a launching point to make it even worse. So apparently Paul had to be very careful about receiving money in the region of Achaia.

And we're not quite sure why that's the case. So here's a second purpose clause. In which they, the false apostles, could boast that they may be found as we are also. A little bit maybe complicated. These false apostles wanted to be regarded as Paul. They wanted to look like Paul. They wanted to get the recognition that Paul had. So Paul wanted to show their true motivation of these apostles.

And then I like this one. This has been from Merriman. Paul is saying, cut off their funds and see how long they stay around. I thought that was good. Funds many times. Isn't it amazing how funds go away and the people go away? You can go across the whole spectrum of life just about. That was pretty cool. Okay. So basically, Paul said, Merriman points out, let them be put to the same test as I'm being put, is what Paul is saying. Alright, so now we come to our final verse, which is pretty cool here.

For now he just nails these guys, he says, here's what they're about. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguised themselves as apostles of Christ. So Paul gives the truth about these so-called super apostles. And he says it, Macaulay has it, like in three categories. About their office, their character, and their methods. So Macaulay's good. I just like him so much. We use him a lot here at Holly Hills. But anyway, he gets that from what?

Their office was they were, quote, apostles. They're wannabes. They wanna be apostles, right? That's their office. Their character was they're deceitful. Not a good character trait. And their method They're disguising themselves. That's where he gets that from. Okay.

For, or indeed, such men, the ones from verse 12, these false apostles, are, and this verse has been supplied to make it easier to read, are false apostles. False apostles is just one word in the original. It's just pseudo with apostolate on the end. A false apostle who pretends to be an apostle of Christ. So Paul is assuming that these are truly false apostles. He says, I'm not in doubt.

They are. And so actually a good verse from Revelation where it talks about false teachers. This is from the letters of the churches. There are seven churches in Revelation. This is to the Ephesus. I know your deeds, your toil, your perseverance, and you put to test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false." So it wasn't just a problem in the Corinthian church, it was a problem in the church at Ephesus as well.

Okay, so let's go on. Next category, they're deceitful workers. Dalaios in the Greek. So the three ideas are present here. I was amazed. This is from Macaulay again, this depth of this word. Three aspects. Their aim is deceit. Their willingness to commit any treacherous act. And C, their intent to cover it all and thus be cunning.

So you think, boy, off the bat, you say, why can't we recognize these guys? Look at all those bad things they want to do. Why can't you recognize? Why can't we just say, hey, he walks in the door, and before he opens the door, hey, there's a false apostle walking in. Well, it's not quite that easy. And here's the reason it's not easy.

And the third aspect, they disguise themselves. And this is a word which I'm going to meta Anyway, I won't try to pronounce it. But the idea here, we have another word that talks about an interchange. This is totally an outward change, to transform, to change the outward form or appearance. So this is all about the exterior, all about the exterior of a person we're talking about here. Not the inward part.

And we're going to see this word in the next two verses, which will be next week. They want to disguise themselves, and it could be as apostles of Christ, or maybe better, into apostles of Christ. So I like what Macaulay said here. Your eye would see an apostle of Christ, not a false apostle. You wouldn't see a false apostle. You'd see an apostle. Okay, so my closing thoughts are this, up to that point. And this is from Chafer. Lewis Perry Chaffer. It is evident that the method of this deception is to imitate a real minister of Christ.

These false apostles cannot so appear, kind of hard to phrase theology, these false apostles cannot so appear unless they cover their lies with the most subtle hypocrisy. Evil will not appear on the outside. So you won't see the Deceitful you won't see the deceitful. You won't see the kindness on the outside But they will they but they will be announced as another gospel They will announce another gospel or he says or a greater understanding of a previously accepted truth Okay To be continued Okay, all right So lots to think about, you know, and actually I intentionally broke it here not because I want to have a cliffhanger, but it's actually kind of cool to have a cliffhanger sometimes. But the next part we get into, what's going on behind the scenes here? Who's calling the shots here? And we're not surprised when we'll see who it is. All right, so let's close.

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you so much, Lord, for your marvelous word. We thank you for the letters that Paul wrote to all the churches that he ministered in and one in Corinth is particularly interesting because it shows his Just his emotion and his care and concern and just things we would say we would say outlandish words never to be recorded never to be written down, but we've we have his words written down sometimes they're hard to understand and baffling but we thank you that it's there to show us that we have a real person and that knew you and loved you and got out your word. In Christ's name, Amen.