June 5
“But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted – you may well put up with it!” 2 Corinthians 11:3-4.
The apostle Paul had come to the city of Corinth during his second missionary journey. Through his teaching and preaching, the Lord established a Christian congregation, and Paul labored in their midst for about a year and a half. Then he continued on his journey, and Apollos came shortly to minister to the young congregation.
In his First Epistle to the Corinthians, Paul wrote about his ministry and the ministry of Apollos. He wrote, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase,” 1 Corinthians 3:6-7. It was God the Holy Spirit who called sinners to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
When Christian pastors and people witness that the Lord Jesus is God’s Son and the only Savior from sin, death, and the devil, the Holy Spirit is always actively touching the hearts of the hearers. Through the proclamation of the Law, He urges people to see their sins; through the message of the Gospel, He invites sinners to see their one and only Savior. Through the words of the Law and Gospel spoken by people, who are God’s mouthpieces, a Christian congregation is established.
At Corinth, false religious teachers soon arrived on the scene who contradicted what Paul and Apollos had taught the people. In his Second Letter, Paul expressed the fear that some of the people in the congregation would accept the false teachings. He said, “I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” Just as Eve fell for the lie of the devil in the Garden of Eden, so Paul feared that some of the Corinthians would fall for the lies of the false teachers through whom the devil was working.
The false teachers were preaching about Jesus, but it was not the Jesus about whom Paul and Apollos preached. The false teachers did not preach about Jesus as the Son of God and the only Savior for sinners. They offered the Corinthians a new and different spirit when they talked about the way of salvation. They proclaimed a different Gospel, which offered people salvation by their works instead of salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Originally, the Corinthians accepted the Christian truths as taught by the apostles. However, some were too willing to listen to new and different doctrines. Instead of confronting and avoiding what the false teachers were presenting, some were tempted to listen to and accept the lies.
Let us heed the words of the Lord Jesus: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves,” Matthew 7:15. Outwardly, they have an appeal and are friendly, but their goal is to destroy a Christian’s faith! In his First Epistle, the apostle John wrote, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world,” 1 John 4:1. John wrote those words before the year 100 A.D. The number of false prophets has increased since that time. Search the Scriptures and prepare yourself to deal with the religious lies that are circulating throughout the world. Continue in the truth. God’s Word is truth!
“I love to tell the story Of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory, Of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story Because I know it’s true;
It satisfies my longings As nothing else would do.
I love to tell the story; ‘Twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story Of Jesus and His love.” Amen.