Christ life & ministry manifests itself to others - part 2
2 Corinthians 11:9-15 · Bob Eckel · Oct 29, 2017
2 Corinthians (2017), No. 41
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/49266834638

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

chapters 10 through 13 scenario of Paul kind of defending his face if you will and this is titled Christ's life and ministry manifests itself to others part 2 and you got me again next week with part 3 so that worked out well actually part 1, 2 and 3 and Roger didn't plan this initially did he? no alright so Randy read for us would you 9 to 15 When I was present with you and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked, the brethren who came from Estonia supplied, and in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself. As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

Why? Because I do not love you? God knows. But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. Okay, thank you.

You know, I really like this section. I mean, it's one that I think gets dismissed often when we're looking at sound doctrine and theology, but this is putting on a real life that each of us exists within. And the way you look at this section of scripture, you could interpret it one of two ways. Either Paul's really experiencing the emotional stress of being in the human existence and having to deal with this. Ultimately, you can look at a life in Christ that is overly confident in his position and how his conditions influence by his position. Pick your choice, because I think you can look at it either way, but I tend to look at it from above rather than from below.

Okay, first verse. And when I was present with you and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you and so I will keep myself. Doesn't that sound like a pity woe? I will keep to myself. I'm just going to separate myself. That's not the way we interpret this I don't think.

When I was present with you, laboring actually on their behalf. I mean his presence with them was in fact his effort to in fact meet the needs of the church at Corinth. And this is just exemplary of that. And we labor, working with our own hands, being reviled, we bless, being persecuted, we endure. And I think that's really what Paul is reflecting here. He's working on behalf of the Corinthian church. And so when I was present with you, I'm present with you spiritually, present with you physically and beyond. What kind of need was this? Do you think this is only a financial need that he's talking about here? And in need, I was a burden to no one. Fellowship with others?

Perhaps. But it also could be his sustenance. I mean, they provided him with maybe shelter. They could provide us with food as well as fellowships. whatever his needs were. I mean you go somewhere you take a suitcase full of clothing and stuff. Yeah and I don't know that we need to read that into here because it does say you know for what I lack the brethren that came from Macedonia supplied perhaps his own needs but that of the church of Corinth and that's been mentioned and remember Philippi and Thessalonica we looked at last week but evidence from Philippians indicates that that's where a lot of the gifts were coming from. So I said they were meeting Paul's needs personally, but also he was laboring on behalf of the Church of Christ. But there could be needs more than that. I mean, he's in the flesh, he's a human. He has needs of the things that are very practical like each and every one of us.

In the Greek, by the way, supplied implies more than the usual. Presumably these churches in Macedonia were in fact not only providing some needs but actually going beyond the expected amount. You have to look at the Greek there. It is a word that really has more to say than just meeting a need. It is going beyond the need.

Well, actually, the American Standard has fully supplied. Yeah, they had no word there. Good. I use stairs to drill down on this here. What did Roger just say? Well, actually, the American Standard, they they render it fully supplied. Oh, fully supplied. OK. Yeah. It's not too close. You could even argue to say the Greek is even more than fully supplied.

So the idea that this is not a casual enterprise. So what does Paul mean by not being burdensome do you think? In everything I kept myself from being burdensome financially? You know, to be burned such as be a detriment or torpid. I mean, the idea that maybe Paul's getting on their nerves in some way. I mean, he's not meaning to be that way. He's really trying, I think, in the spirit to meet their financial and other needs.

And I will keep to myself self-pity here. I don't think that it says keep to myself. I think it's more So I will keep myself as what it is in the New King James. Actually, I have, I will keep from being a burden to you. It actually repeats that idea again. It says I will keep myself from being a burden to you. And the inner linear is to keep myself exactly as it is in the New King James.

But if you drill down to Thayer again, it could mean to observe or actually to keep to yourself, or it could mean to attend to carefully. And I think that's probably the best translation, I think. I'm going to attend to your needs more carefully because it's clear that if I am burdensome, I don't want to be burdensome. I think that's the best translation.

Actually, if you look at Thayer, he covers every use of this verb term. And by the way, to keep. I will keep myself is one word in the Greek. If you look at Thayer, he covers every verse in the Bible that concludes this except 2 Corinthians 11 verse 9.

How interesting. I'm not sure he was quite certain how to interpret this, but I think to attend to carefully is probably the best here. Other thoughts? Alright, let's go to verse 10 then. As the truth of Christ is in me, important, No one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia. So how's this for a response? I don't care what you say. I'm going to keep boasting here.

It seems like he's almost on the edge of identification here. He's basically saying, he's alluding to the fact that I have the indwelling Christ in me, which is something I may not have understood at that point in time. And who's he writing to, Roger? Well, people that need some instruction. He's writing to the body, right?

Like he were here and he's challenging us to stand up In the new man we are in Christ Jesus, and that boasting is really of him. Notice it says, and as the truth of Christ is in me. So it qualifies this boasting, doesn't it? So Paul equates the truth of Christ in him as a reason to boast in Achaia.

Romans 9.1, I tell the truth in Christ I'm not lying. My conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit. Boy, how's that for? It's not even us. It's not boastful of us when we tell a person the truth from scripture. That's not being boastful at all.

In fact, some people will say when we visit the Amish country, the Amish people basically, their religion, they would say basically it's presumptuous of you to have a personal relationship with God. So they feel that's presumptuous. So the idea of having a personal salvation is kind of, I don't want to go there, it's too presumptuous. Well, that's right, and I kind of grew up in a mainline church where I'm not saying that I heard that often, but Sharon, my first wife's mother, took that position. My faith is to myself. This personal relationship is something I can't really talk about, but that's my own business kind of thing.

Yeah, I think that's a good point. All right, 1 Corinthians 9, 16, for if I preach the gospel, we've been over this before, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me, yea, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. So, in other words, this is who he is. That's who each one of us are in our new creation in Christ Jesus. Isn't the truth of Christ everything? I mean, it really is.

You know, I came to the Lord because of the truth of what I believe the gospel is telling me. And I ignored it for decades and decades. And when I saw the truth and how ultimately scripture wasn't used to contradict itself, but was used to build upon itself, it's really what brought me to the Lord. And the more we have the privilege of teaching Randy and Roger and I, the more you realize how special it is to be a believer. And thank you for allowing me to share this experience with you.

And he's in each and every one of us. The truth of Christ. Boy, you know, the skeptics of the world system, you know, again, back to the issue, do you believe in the resurrection of the Christ, the resurrection of the dead? They don't. You're in a lost land. All right.

Achaia was the Roman province embracing all of Greece. But Thessaly and Corinth was the capital. So this is really a broad geographic experience where Paul, in fact, is preaching the gospel around Asia Minor. So 2 Corinthians 11, 11. I like short verses. Never mind why. OK. So Paul says, why? Because I don't love you? God knows why. Well, why? What does this relate to?

I followed that by saying, remember, perception is everything. So the person who is experiencing whoever you are and whatever you are doing, their perception of what you are saying or doing is everything. You know, I was this morning, Margaret and I had on SportsCenter a bit during breakfast and apparently the Texas owner said, should the prisoners be telling the inmates are running the asylum? And of course, the response by the NFL Football Players Association was, you know, this is terrible. I'm sure he was not equating the NFL players with prisoners, but it's a metaphor, right? To say, you know, I run the business, and you're my employees, and this is what the employer says. It's kind of like this, perception. The perception is he was saying something pejorative, but when in fact it's a metaphor, he was just using that as an example. Margot, what did you say, the baby? Yeah, we throw the baby out. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. So what? I'm going to be accused of wanting to kill your baby? Child abuse because I said that? Anyway, there's an example.

Perception is everything. So the perception is what he was saying was pejorative, right? And so they're going to respond to that in a way. Well, maybe it was a poor choice of words, but we all kind of slip up with our language at times. But the perception of the the Corinthian church was he's boasting. They're being taught by false prophets and they really are trying to put this into perspective. So how many times have you responded in this way? Somebody perceives you incorrectly, what's the fleshly response? Become defensive, isn't it? And is there any of this here? Well, we don't think so now looking back.

There's not, but maybe the perception was exactly that. So that's maybe why he's saying why. And love is agape here. So this isn't kind of the love that we have in any other form, but the love that stems from Christ. And God knows, he ido, it's interesting, this isn't gnosis or epinosis. This is factual. The example is at Yale and Holly, there's a traffic light. In fact, we can all go down there and observe this.

Paul is saying, I love you. And God knows that that love is a true and sincere, unequivocal love for the Corinthian church. And God's his witness. This woman on the news last night she had three masked men walk into her home and she convinced them that they didn't need to be there and they actually left without stealing anything and she gave Jesus the credit for this. God knows. She's claiming this is an act of God. We'll let the experience speak. Maybe in fact he did in fact change these gentlemen's quote-unquote mindset but apparently she had video cameras all over her home that were recording this event so presumably the police are going to find these guys I don't know but anyway God's the witness right and she gave him credit last night for having her home preserved despite unlawful entrance into her house by the way her front door was unlocked and she advised all of us to lock our doors.

Acts 15.8, so God who knows the heart acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us. So, anyway, God's about his business working in our lives. And Paul's taking a position not so defensive, he's just declaring the truth of his love for them and the fact that God's in control here of the circumstances.

Alright, verse 12, but what I do, I will also continue to do that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. So let's read that again. But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. Paul is talking about the false prophets here, right?

So he's going to continue doing what he's doing as long as they're going to continue doing what they're doing. So, this isn't being defensive, this is standing in the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ and what he represents in Paul. But what I do, I will also continue to do, this is present active indicative, factual, Paul's doing it, and it's future active indicative, he's going to continue to do it, and this is something we can count on, or Paul's saying in the scripture that this is something that's certain to follow. And why? Why? Well, I like scripture to comment on scripture when we can do that.

1 Corinthians 9.18. What is my reward then?

That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge? That I may not abuse my authority in the gospel? No. I mean, he's in fact defending the gospel. So that's why he's been called to preach and thus he's going to boast and continue to boast in the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ and his message.

Notice is what the false deceivers seek is an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. Think of the world system around you. Talk about putting us on the defensive in terms of being believers. They're very boastful of their position. Our boastfulness needs to be not emotional and defensive. Our boasting needs to be a life that's witnessed to begin with.

And the truth befollows, the Spirit opens doors. And Paul will respond. 2 Corinthians 11.18, we're going to get to that next week.

But seeing that many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast. Notice he contrasts this boasting in the flesh But Paul's giving you confidence that his boasting is Spirit led. And that's something that I think, if we're questioning how we're boasting, then we're probably responding to fleshly demands to some extent. But when we're boasting and feel confident about that, not that we're again trying to be injurious with our boasting, but ultimately standing on the truth of the Lord, then God gets the glory. And that's what we're all about anyway. Verse 13, for such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. Wow, strong verse. A major issue then and today.

Just referred to that in my comments about the world system. This is the only use in the Bible of pseudo-apostolos, or false apostles in the New Testament. So it's not in the Old Testament. This is the only use of this term, false apostles. Interesting that we're hearing about false teachers time and time again. And we're heard about the world system and its deception in terms of their perceived truth.

But false apostles, that's Do you make anything special about when false apostles is the only use? Apostles, why do we think of it as apostles? Is this the broader definition of just teachers? Or in fact are these special people who have been appointed by God for the believing church?

What do you think, Brian? Based on seconds of Greek research. Literally seconds. It looks like he's talking about people who are going out and being workmen out in the world, going out like Paul was on a missionary journey, but with falsehood. And so that's the pseudo-apostle.

He's using it very uniquely here because the church in Corinth favors specific apostles instead of the gospel. They favor specific people who've come through town rather than the work of Christ. And remember Corinth is a fairly well-to-do city here. It's a capital and the gifts remember coming from Macedonia from churches were less mature and less capable financially. And Paul's laboring on the behalf of Corinth. in churches that have more need.

So I mean, this is really sacrificial, what Paul's doing. And now he's coming up with this idea of false apostles, who are about, I think Randy's right, about preaching and carrying out that message, not only locally, but perhaps abroad. So that's a little bit of over-spiritualization here.

We're not quite sure. Would these people also be saying that they knew Christ and were taught from Christ like the apostles? Would that imply that? No, they're deceitful. No, no, I understand they're deceitful, but is that what you're claiming? They're claiming apostleship. So they are preaching in some way about Christ, falsely.

Yep, we'll come back to that, because it's partial truth. And there's nothing more dangerous than partial truth. Because partial truth misleads based on the partiality of the truth, because if that partiality gets people confused, then ultimately have them be resistant to the truth of the word of God. Just like Satan in verse 14, this is kind of the way he operates, and we're going to get to that in verse 14, the next verse.

And the motive? What's the motive? Well, and that because of false brethren, now I'm using false brethren rather than false apostles, unawares brought in who come in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus that they might bring us onto bondage. So the concept here is their message is apparently attractive in some way and their desire is to bring you into a if you were potentially a cultish type of relationship.

There was a guy on the news the other night who had been tied up in Christian science for decades. He was raised by a Christian scientist's mother and he was in it for decades and finally woke up to the fact that this is a bunch of garbage. And it was funny because the news reporter asked him, do you have a newfound faith? He said, no, I've kind of given everything up. So here's a guy who was led by false brethren or false apostles to believe something he ultimately rejected. And he thought it was just a money-making organization.

And of course, the church, if you will, of Christian science, responded defensively to his accusations and were wondering why the media would even ask him about his experience. But nevertheless, unfortunately, he's not come to the Lord. But maybe this is a step in that direction that he might ultimately be saved by the truth, not partial truth, but the truth.

Anyway, so the desire of this preaching or these pseudo-apostles is to bring people unto themselves. And if you think of some of the cults that exist, it really does kind of relate to the individual, doesn't it? Now we relate to an individual, but we relate to a risen Savior. It's a whole different ballgame. The Lord Jesus Christ is everything that's truth that we believe in. And such were promised.

Mark 13.22, these false promises. So in Mark, for false Christ and false prophets shall rise. and they shall show signs and wonders to deduce, if it were possible, even the elect." How is that prophetic in terms of what Paul is speaking about here in 2 Corinthians 11? What makes people so susceptible to such deceit?

Question. Randy. things with deception. I'm trying to figure out a word. This is the right way. I should not raise my hand. With deception, and people falling into deceit, it's often that they don't know what is true clearly. They just have a hazy idea of what it is. And then secondly, whatever is presented, that half-truth that you talked about, or not complete truth, incomplete thoughts, comes in masquerading close enough. And if you're hazy and they're close enough, then that's equivalent or safe. Right. And think of the Jim Jones experience, right? I mean, that's one of many examples of how deceitful this can be. It deals with what I just mentioned before.

Isn't it partial truths? And you know what, when you're exposed to partial truths and there's some sense of emotional needs being met, you get drawn into the rest of the message which is false. So something we, as believers, remember he's writing to the church at Corinth now, he's not writing to a bunch of people hanging out in the field who know nothing about the gospel. And truth is not partial. Biblical truth is totally surrounded in the purse of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's true from Genesis 1 to the end of Revelation. Everything is directly or indirectly related to the truth we have in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Revelation 2.2. I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience. and how thou canst not bear them which are evil, and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars." That's what we're all about here.

I forget, Revelation 2, to which church is that? Is that Ephesus? So somebody look that up. I didn't pay attention to which church he's writing to. Anybody got that? It is Ephesus, yes. Remember, Ephesus was one of the highly regarded churches in the Book of Revelation.

And they must be noted and stopped, Titus 1, 10, 11, for there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, especially they of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not for filthy looters' sake. In other words, financial gain.

And by the way, if anybody read The Hungry Heart this morning, there was this contrast between ritualism and rationalism. And that, I mean, remember, Miles is directing his comments to the church. So what's ritualism in the church? Same thing every Sunday. Well, it's man-made. Things that man thinks up. Think of examples of ritualism. Well, the Catholic Church for sure. Everything they do. Even mainline Protestant Church.

What are the things that relate to ritualism? We're going to do a certain pattern and it will satisfy God or it will satisfy man. How about congregational prayer? How about the doxology? These are things intrinsically not bad under themselves, but there's the ritual. The more Catholic like the Lutheran Church, the Episcopal Church are examples of a lot of ritualism that's put in.

Ritualism in itself is not wrong, but ritualism becomes a religion unto itself. What's rationalism then? You should read today's Hungry Garden. The only reason I mention that is it just came to mind when I was looking at this verse. Rationalism, I think, is dodging the truth of the word of God to rationalize things that are basically self-serving. It's really just partial truth being applied to each individual kind of subjectively.

Okay, on to verse 14 then, and no marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light, as predicted. And notice, we're going to get to this next week in terms of a little bit more about this, as predicted, and notice what is said about Satan.

No marvel. Now, should we be surprised? So compare this to a true marvel. Here's a true marvel scriptural in John chapter 9 verse 30. The man answered and said unto them, this is the man who now has vision. Why herein is a marvelous thing that you know not from whence he is and yet he hath opened thine eyes. That's marvel. So that's something we ought to marvel and the Lord Jesus Christ is everything about marvelous. And this is a earthly example of a marvelous act by the Lord Jesus Christ.

A person who is blind from birth now sees. So should we look at Satan's work as marvel? There's no surprise. This is who he is. That's what he's all about. And what does this transformation look like? Remember, Satan himself has transformed into an angel of light. What's that look like? Well, what it looks like is something we covered last week.

2 Corinthians 11.3. And this is just one example. But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Notice simplicity versus subtlety. We touched on this some last week, didn't we? Christ is simple. The Gospel truth is simple. Satan is about being subtle. So when we think about Satan, what do we think about? What are his three ways?

I didn't cite the text, but one of them is right here. He's subtle, he acts as a roaring lion, or as an angel of light. So the subtlety and the angel of light are both within this section of scripture, and the roaring lion I think was First Peter, is it? Or is that James? I think it's maybe James. He talked to him about a roaring lion.

So Satan's got multiple pathways by which he exists. And I think in context here, an angel of light being subtle kind of relate very nicely one to the other, don't they? So often the roaring lion manifestation is not so clear, but I think it can be seen certainly in many examples by which Satan works today. All right. Whatever, it's a fact. And what's a fact? The fact is that Satan is transforming himself into an angel of light. Again, partial truth.

Making those who are not well founded in scripture, in terms of the doctrine related to the Lord Jesus Christ, his crucifixion, his death and resurrection and the newness of life we have in him. it's fact that Satan will work to twist that truth and not make it apparent to each and every one of us. And this is a spiritual battle. And when we think of spiritual battles, we turn to Ephesians 6. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, and against powers, and against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Do you continue to think of Satan in high places? I thought he fell from heavenly places, did he? He still has a presence there, doesn't he? Classics puzzle. Is Satan still in heavenly places? Lucifer fell. from heavenly graces. Does he still exist in heaven?

He does have access to the throne room with the Job. I wish I could defend this but I think in the book of Revelation you see clearly that he has access to heavenly places. I should have looked that up if I'm going to ask the class a question. But his manifestations are here. But realize the manifestations of the Lord Jesus Christ are here.

I mean we're positioned above. We're not positioned in Satan above. We're positioned in him. And so that is conditionally applied so that our life may be reflecting that nature we carry. But Satan is omnipresent. He's everywhere too. But his power is limited in each and every one of us by the power of his being. He's not omnipresent. What? He's not omnipresent. Well, Satan's in control of this world system. Yeah, he is. That's his domain. It doesn't say he's omnipresent. Well, yeah, bad term. Correct. He certainly is alive and well. Now the question is how much is Satan working in each and every one of us versus the fleshly nature versus... The verse you want to turn to to sell yourself down is the Hebrews passage.

Hebrews 2.14. Speak up.

I love Hebrews 2.14. Somebody read this. Well, I can read it. Sure.

Since then, children share in flesh and blood. He himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless, and that's that word from Romans, render it operative, render powerless him who had the power of death, that is the devil. I think that's reflecting the fact that before the throne, Satan's crucified already, right? In terms of us as well. But his existence certainly is influencing us in some way that we don't need to give him credit for. We have the flesh already.

But Satan works for the power of the flesh ultimately to bring us out of fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Anyway, there's enough said about Satan in the epistles to think that he is alive and well in this world system. and how much credit we give him and how much we give the sin nature or the world system itself in terms of the things that allow us to fall short in fellowship, we can only debate without a clear conclusion.

Galatians 1.8, but though we, or an angel from heaven, preach another gospel. Notice this, an angel from heaven. These are fallen angels. preach another gospel unto you, then that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. So in a sense, again, that's the subtlety of Satan, and that is his appearance as an angel of light, wrong gospel or incomplete gospel, partial truth. Thoughts about that manifestation?

Does that fit? Well, it's interesting that it compares the same word, transforming themselves or disguising themselves, is used both of the false apostles and of Satan, the same word is used, which is kind of a little bit You know that. So in the in the original there he's comparing the false apostles are transforming themselves. And so it's safe. So it's it's interesting that that comparison. So it says it's pretty significant that that those false apostles were able to do that. Able to be strong language. It hit me that while the comparison is with Satan. I would hate to be compared with Satan. Well, the only way you can put Satan in perspective is to be saved, right? Exactly, right.

And study the word of God in terms of his influence. Randy, you had your hand up. Yeah, I think what's funny is that every time Satan lies, and this comes back to the half-truth or the false, partial truth is that he comes in and he quotes scripture. When Christ is out in the desert and Satan's tempting him, he quotes scripture and Jesus quotes scripture back. That's a good point.

If we don't know the scriptures and someone else comes at us quoting like Satan, let's be honest, there are false teachers in the church who quote like Satan. I think we can think of any number of televangelists who twist the word by misstating what the scripture says We as believers, we don't want to present the idea of legalism, that if you don't memorize much of the Bible, you're failing as a Christian. We as believers need to have discernment and know how to study God's word, so that when it comes in a deceptive way, we can say, yes, but that's not what it says. and call it out for what it is. You know, if you think about the temptation of the Lord Jesus Christ by Satan, I often look at that experience, again, this is pre-church age for sure.

This is to prove Christ for who he really was. And I think if we think about that temptation that Christ went through in the wilderness by Satan, we can look at that as testing to prove Christ is who he really was. So as believers, we walk by faith and our life should reflect a testing to prove who we really are in our new creation. I think we get into circumstances where we're tempted to sin and ultimately stand on that ground and that we've proven who we are in Christ Jesus. We don't consider acting upon that, but in fact we stand in the truth of who we are. It doesn't mean we're not tempted, but we're tested. I think it's a better way to think about it, how that applies to our lives.

So Christ proved who he really was, and our life by faith should prove who we really are. And by the way, we fall short, don't we? We fall short. The Lord Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man. And we're fully God positionally, but our condition sometimes gets in the way of that position being shown for what it really is.

All right, last verse for this morning. Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed, meaning Satan's ministers, right? also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness." Look at this, as ministers of righteousness. Randy, just exactly what you just said. Whose end shall be according to their works. I just was reminded it's Halloween, isn't it? Dressing up. Are you a ghost? Are you Cinderella? Whatever, but that's not who you really are. So what costume is he putting on tomorrow or even this afternoon? Sorry about that.

For the false prophets and all unbelievers, the end is according to their works, not those that are of the believer or the Lord Jesus Christ. Is this not only here and or degrees, is this not only for here or is it also related to the degrees of eternal punishment? What do you think? Whose end should be according to their works? What end? You think it relates to eternal punishment?

Well if they're not a believer, they're going to hell anyway. But does that mean their hell is worse? I don't know. Well, there's some reference to the extent of hell in terms of earthly works, right? I mean, there's some hint of that in the scripture. I didn't go back and pull those verses. Maybe their fire is hotter. I don't know.

And Margaret, why do you think it would not necessarily relate to their end here in terms of their false message as false apostles? What's the end of that? I don't know, but in my mind I don't think it means their end here. So the end is going to be according to their works. And what are their works? They're partial truths that are scripturally... They're lies. Lies.

Well, the end of that could be, in fact, put to the benefit of their teaching, right? If they're, in fact, are in control of their message, they're going to be people who are led by it. The end is unfortunately... eternal death for all of the above. But the idea of gradations of hell in terms of punishment is I think brought up in scripture and I think that may be partially gospel again I apologize for not drilling down on that. All right, could be immediate or could be delayed, whatever.

Philippians 3.19, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. So in a sense, that relates to the false apostles, but it presumably relates to those who are being taught and accepting these partial truths, too, who are being deceived. Keep in mind, Paul's writing to believers, the church at Corinth. if the end according to their works is really destruction, it's not just permanent destruction for the believer, because he or she is going to be with the Lord Jesus Christ. But in terms then of the earthly consequences of that, if you're being led by false teaching, unfortunately at the end there is destruction. Noting that we could translate Telos, the word for end, to be your goal, like your end goal is according to works rather than... So that would be more direct application.

Yeah, so their goal is works, which of course Paul is saying, we've got to shun that. I think that's a better interpretation in terms of immediate or kind of more earthly consequences of this behavior or this teaching. I just raised that as a question to see what other people thought. But I think it's probably more related to actually the consequences here and now to this teaching. But whatever, this is indicative tense, so it's a fact that this end in terms of being according to their works really is going to reap a bad outcome. So those are, I think, the thoughts I have on this week's lesson.

Anybody want to comment or add some additional insights there? I think it's worth looking at our own walk when we deal with deceivers. Like yesterday, I happened to see a group of Jehovah's Witnesses piling out of a van to go take on a neighborhood. And every time I think about the Jehovah's Witnesses or the Mormons, those are the most common groups we see coming door to door, they come in and they often say things like, oh, we're Christians too.

But then they don't define Jesus the way the Bible defines Jesus. They redefine the personhood of God. But because they use the same language and we don't ask for those definitions, we get a lot of people fooled. Even believers that grew up in the church but they weren't taught properly.

In some sense, deceptive. So back to a question I asked a few minutes ago. Why? Why are we so subject to be deceived or misled? It's something we don't imitate. It's something that happens to us because we are in Christ. Well, and false teaching always defeats itself.

You know we have a lot of choices of churches we go to, right? And we're here, I think, at Holly Hills because we think the teaching is very biblical here. But if we go elsewhere, it may be pretty biblical. I mean, so in other words, there's lots of churches with plenty of good saved people of good doctrine.

But I think everyone is subject to some deception if in fact put in the right circumstances. So what allows us to be deceived as believers? The fallen nature. And the fallen nature responds to what? Just tell me what to do and I'll do it. Illegalism. That's the biggest deception is law. Because the human nature just wants a list. And just tell me if I can do all these things then I'm going to be a better person. I'm going to be better for God. That's good Marvin. I think Paul addressed that with another gospel. Remember as Paul wrote to the church at Galatia was the other gospel which is a legal gospel that is deception there.

And he said they should be accursed. Now whether those people were just on the wrong track of teaching the law. I think that's what Paul was trying to do. That teaching is a curse. Those people are a curse if they continue to teach that, but they may be saved. They're just misleading you. So that could be within the body itself by, say, people who are misrepresenting the truth. And they may not be doing it purposefully, right?

I mean, this is just, I think, inadequate doctrinal knowledge. We're saved by grace and sustained by grace. Randy, another thought? Well, we're on a rabbit trail. But the thing with deception, I've studied philosophy and I've studied various things over the years. And what often happens is somebody will not know the truth. They will not have a definition. So sometimes when we teach, you'll notice that we call out a definition. And why do we call it simple?

You probably think, oh goodness, there's grace, right? He's going to make us in the definition of grace. Or Bob will. Or Roger will. But the thing is that if I define grace every time and someone comes to you and they say, hey, grace is when God covers for our sins. What's your response to that? You go, uh-uh.

No, it's bigger than that. Otherwise, Peter's admonition to grow in the knowledge of grace means I should go sin some more. And I know that's not what he means. But when we know the truth and we know the definition and we understand the theology, then we can walk. Exactly. The other thing is kind of self-glory. Remember what John said about the three greatest sins? What are the three greatest sins?

Pride and lying. Lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. And that last one, people tend to deal with the lust, the lust of the eyes, things you want, things you don't have, things of the flesh, you know, all those things we can wrap up into the worldly experience. But the pride of life, what's the pride of life relate to? Doesn't it relate to kind of self-glory and self-righteousness and things like that? And that could be very deceptive. And in fact, I think maybe some of the false apostles, false brethren, were actually teaching kind of feeling good about yourself by, in fact, the ritualism or in fact works.

Anyway, we, you know, just finishing off today's lesson. All right, let's close in prayer. Randy, close us please. Heavenly Father, we come before you and we're grateful for the chance to study together and look at your work. We pray that your Holy Spirit would solidify these truths in our minds so that we can have discernment and know that we have a true doctrine that is based on your scriptures. one another and shore one another up as well that we can strengthen one another by the spirit for the growth of the body together. I just thank you in Jesus name. Amen.