Epistles of Paul 63

Chapters 10 through 13 of 2 Corinthians, in these chapters Paul addresses those that are still being influenced by false teachers.

And as I deal with brethren in other languages, I find a lot of people approaching me with really strange ideas.

So it's still true today. People are there with many false ideas, many false teachings.

Now, in 2 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 2, we see that they were accusing Paul of behaving carnally or with incarnality. You see, you see, yeah, this is, but I beg you that when I am present, I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intended to be bold against some who think of us that we walked according to the flesh.

So they were accusing him of walking according to the flesh.

In reality, Paul, and by extension us, we need to keep in mind that we are not fighting with other people.

Yes, other people are, in a sense, sometimes raising problems and fighting with us and saying things in the wrong town or whatever.

But we need to keep in mind that we are in a spiritual warfare. We are, in a sense, really fighting influences from Satan and his world, and which is this world, which is this society, in addition to our own nature.

And so we are really in a spiritual warfare.

And then in verse 4 of 2 Corinthians chapter 10, Paul says that in this war that we're engaged in, our weapons, as it says in verse 4, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God, for pulling down and for the sake of the world.

And in verse 5, Paul says that we are fighting with our strong holds. Now, what are these strong holds that we are fighting?

And in verse 5, it basically describes these strong holds, which is costing down arguments and every I think that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. So, different people's arguments and positions and arguments about words, it really is what we are encountering.

Paul, in his instruction to Timothy, in his letters to Timothy, and we went through that, the last study. So, I'm just, as a matter of review, quickly, I liked a few very quickly. One turn to them, but I just mentioned them.

In 1 Timothy chapter 1 verse 4 and 5, talks about fables and endless genealogies.

Still, in 1 Timothy but now in chapter 4 verses 1 and 2, talks about giving heed to deceiving doctrines of demons and people having their conscience seared.

In 1 Timothy chapter 6 verse 4 and 5, talks about people being obsessed with disputes and arguments about words which cause envy, strife and slander or reviling.

Then in 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 14 says, do not strive about words to no profit.

Still, in the same chapter verse 16 talks about idle babblings, in a words, empty chatter, talking absolutely nonsense.

And then in verse 17 says, be careful because this spreads like cancer.

Then in verse 23, still of the same chapter, 2 Timothy chapter 2, says to avoid foolish and ignorant disputes because they generate strife.

In chapter 3 of 2 Timothy verse 13 says, they will get worse and worse deceiving and being deceived.

And then in chapter 4, verse 3 and 4 says, they have itching ears about, for instance, things that we see in the Internet and basically says turning away from the truth and going towards fables.

And so we can see continuously this warning by Paul, in this case to Timothy, who he was a minister that he was instructing, to be careful about these, what we read here in 2 Timothy chapter 10 verse 4, strongholds.

In other words, arguments, arguments of words and everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.

And then he gives a very, very good objective for us as true followers of Jesus Christ in verse at the end of verse 5, which says, we've got to bring every thought into the captivity to the obedience of Christ.

In other words, we've got to rule over our emotions, not allow them, our emotions, to rule over us, because those are the fortresses that we've got to be overcoming with this warfare, which is spiritual.

And so we went through those, the armor of God. We went through that in the lost study. But really, when we summarize the really issue is that we focus on the physical, we focus on people, and we've got to be careful that we've got to really focus that we are in the spiritual war in our mind. And we've got to learn to manage and control it. In 2nd Corinthians chapter 10, verse 7, at the beginning of verse 7, says, We do not look at things according to the outward appearance. You see, we look at things outside at the flesh instead of focusing on the matters of the heart and of the mind and looking and fighting these fortresses, these arguments and things that come at us. In verse 12 of 2nd Corinthians chapter 10 says, We dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who command themselves. Again, when we start comparing ourselves with other people, that's not wise, because we, again, we are looking at the physical. We need to compare ourselves to God in true humility. We need to compare ourselves to Christ. And so, that's from whom? From God whom we're going to receive praise. And as Paul concludes this chapter 10 of 2nd Corinthians in verse 17 and 18, we need to look and compare ourselves to God, towards God, so that we get the praise, from God, because it's the praise from God. It's his commendation that matters, the commendation, the praise from God and from Christ. Now, after saying that, now Paul in 2nd Corinthians chapter 11, in verse 1, he says, Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly, and indeed you do bear with me. And so, he's going to engage in a little folly, as he calls it. This is a folly of boasting, of him boasting against these false teachers, because he's talking about we are in a spiritual warfare, and he is addressing these false teachers that are bringing in arguments about words and things that that we have to, and he was encountering, and we have encountered. And so, he now engages into a little folly, as he calls it, of boasting against these false teachers.

But it's not just that, it's also, as let's read in verse 2, for I am jealous for you with godly jealousy.

The word jealousy, with godly jealousy, this word, the Greek word, is a word that can be also translated as zeal, as zealous.

And so, the folly that he's talking about is of being zealous, or jealous, like god is, with that zeal for god. And so, in first and foremost, is a folly of boasting against these false teachers, but he's also, he is going to be zealous, he's going to burn with zeal in the pursuit of good, with godly zeal in a godly way.

Like a husband, he's zealous for his wife, but he's also jealous for his wife. So this word, zelaou, or zelas, in this verse 2, can be translated with both meanings, zeal or jealousy, depending on the context.

So, he is being jealous in a correct way, like a husband is jealous for his wife, but with a zeal as well. And then he says here, in the middle of verse 2, For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste, chaste version, to Christ. The word betrothed, armazo, it's a word that is usually used, for instance, in carpentry, when you have two pieces of wood and you cut them very exactly so that you get these joints that fit, tightly fit. And to join. So that is the basic meaning of that word. But it's betrothed, in other words, engaged. So, for instance, think about the example of Mary that was betrothed to Joseph before they got married. So it's a period of time before marrying. And it's just like the period of time you and I are going through now to be presented to Christ as a chaste version before the marriage of the resurrected church with Christ at his coming. And a version is one that does not get a self involved with somebody else.

Likewise, in a spiritual context, we should not become involved with others. In other words, our allegiance is to Christ, not to another or another way to God's way of life. And these false teachers were bringing something different. And therefore, Paul was very concerned that the work which he had done for God, or in other words, the work which God had done through Paul, that that work was being impacted or affected in the brethren's minds and hearts. And so that work was in danger of being frustrated so that the inheritance through that future marriage would potentially go astray or get lost. So he didn't want that to happen. That's why he says that I present you as a chaste version to Christ. And so he wanted the brethren to be single-minded, focused on the true Christ and not in a false Christ, in a false religion.

Now verse 3, But our fear lest somehow as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness. So the serpent deceived Eve. The James Fawcett and Brown commentary writes it this way, where Eve first gave way, was in mentally harboring for a moment the possibility insinuated by the serpent, in other words, Satan, of God not having her truest interests at heart and that this, quote, other professing friend being more concerned for her than God. And so that's what James Fawcett and Brown commentary says, in other words, But our fear lest somehow as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness.

Kind of implying that Satan had a more or greater care for Eve than God had. And so, and then he continues, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. The simplicity, yeah, is, can be seen as a pure and simple doctrine of the gospel, but can also be seen as being just one.

One, not another. Simplicity, in other words, the the simplicity that is a simple doctrine, but not a false doctrine, a false Christ and neither Christ. Look at now, verse 4, For if he who comes preaches another Jesus, you see, so we got to stick to just Christ, to the teaching we have, and be careful not to be reading things that that are confusing, that will sooner or later start corrupting our minds.

So we got to be careful. So for he who comes, if he who comes, you know, was these false teachers, come and preach 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. In other words, you may accept it. You may be swayed by it. You may tolerate it. You see, the problem, brethren, we know the truth.

We've been given the truth. The faith has been delivered unto the saints. But sometimes we are willing to listen to somebody else, and then maybe it's through things online, or things we read, or little ideas on Facebook, or on social media. And that, quite often, mixes people up, confuses them. And people start teaching different things, and people could be deceived and start accepting that. And so once we prove the truth, and you've proved it, and you know, and you know that you know it, we need to stick with it, not allow a so-called new truth to come in and deceive us.

And that's a problem, as we know, that happened many years ago, in the middle 90s. That's what happened. And a lot of people hadn't really proved the truth and allowed themselves, and they put up with it, and they accepted it. So we've got to be careful with that. Right. Let's go on now reading verse five. For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles. Now, this is a very interesting word. Most eminent. Most as the Greek five to two eight, hupar, over or o, a very I, and eminent is Leon, Greek three zero two nine, exceeding beyond measure.

It's like saying these super duper apostles, that extra super special apostles. Well, he was being cynical because he was talking about these false teachers. You see, James Foster then Brown again says those over much apostles, those surpasses of the apostles in their own esteem. The sense is proved, says James Foster then Brown, by the fact that the context contains no comparison between him, Paul, and the apostles, but only between him, Paul, and the false teachers. As we can see in verse six and in verse 13.

So we'll get to those in a moment. And as we see in chapter 12, 2 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 11, which we'll see in the next study. So Paul here in verse five is saying, for I consider that I'm not at all inferior to these so-called super duper apostles, which are basically false teachers. I am not at all inferior to them. Verse six, verse six, let me read, even though I am untrained in speech, yet I'm not in knowledge, but we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things. So Paul was not maybe the greatest orator.

He was not trained as a professional speaker like maybe some of these were, and they could use words again, these arguments of words, these fortresses, arguments about words. So they were very clever in twisting words. And that's what you and I find as we encounter people from other religions, boy oh boy, do they know how to twist words? And it really is quite a challenge. So continue now in reading verse seven. Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?

Did I do anything wrong? Then I did not take tithes from you, brethren, in Corinth, you know, so that, I mean, he didn't do that, so he could not be accused of preaching for money. You see, they tithed, but not to Paul. So Paul did not take their tithes for his work. Let's now read in verse eight. I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you.

In other words, he accepted the money not from the Corinthians, but from other churches, as we know where the church is in Philippi. Let's just go on reading. To minister to you, verse nine. And when I was present with you and in need, when I needed money, I was a burden to no one. It means in Corinth.

For what I lacked, the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything, I kept myself from being burdensome to you, Corinthians. And so I did. I will keep myself. In other words, when I was in need, Paul says, he would, as we know, he either built tents so that he wouldn't accuse him or he got extra money from Philippi, from Philippians.

If you quickly look at Philippians chapter 4 verse 15 and 16, Philippians chapter 4 verse 15 and 16, it says, Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the Gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving, but you only. For even in Thessalonica, you sent aid once and again for my necessities. So at least the churches in Philippi, there may have been others as well, from Macedonia, that they helped Paul.

Now let's go on reading verse 10. As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia. In other words, he is now boasting to this region of Achaia, which is, let's call it southern Greece, which is where Corinth was. So as the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia. In other words, I'm going to boast that you, Corinthians, did not help me financially. My financial help came from Macedonia, more specifically from Philippi, and maybe other areas besides the Philippines, but from Macedonia, but not from the Corinthians area.

And so it goes on. In verse 11. Why? Because I do not love you? No, that's not it. That's not. But I don't want to be accused by some of you in Corinth that I was using your money to do the work. So that's basically what Paul was saying. Similarly, I can say when I go to Brazil, and I can tell the brethren in Brazil that I am not being funded by the Brazilian times, because sometimes Brazilians, a few have said, well, you know, where does the money go? What is the money being used?

What is not being used to pay me at all? It's helping a little bit of the work in Brazil. But in reality, 99 or maybe 95 to 99 percent of the work in Brazil is funded by the church in the United States. So the Brazilians have no queries to ask that. And it's likewise, when I go to Angola, I don't use their times at all. And we also print the Portuguese edition of Beyond Today in Angola with money from the states. So we are helping them out from the states. And when there are certain needs and people with difficulties, financial needs and they need assistance, we help also them from the states.

So we are very grateful, or I am very grateful for the help of the brethren in the states in helping other church areas. But again, it's not just the Portuguese area. A lot of help and subsidy goes to other countries like Italy, like the Spanish work and other areas of the world and other areas like in Africa. Many other countries get very healthy subsidies from the church in the states for which we are very, very grateful.

But anyway, continue now in 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. And so we'll continue. I will continue, Paul is saying, is in verse 12, I will continue doing so that those false teachers that are boasting how great they are, they will not able to boast as far as what I, Paul, am doing.

Because this is what he's saying. He's boasting now. He was acting a little folly, like he mentioned in verse 1. So, and this is now, as he mentioned in verse 1, is bear with me in a little folly. Why? Because he is trying to show that he is truly an apostle. And then he goes on in verse 13. And now in verse 13 and verse 14, he does not beat around the bush.

He exposes them very clearly. And he says, For such are false apostles. He exposes these false teachers as false apostles. He does not mince his words. They were not apostles of Christ, nor were they made apostles by Christ or by God. He says, For these, for such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.

It was they made themselves apostles of Christ. Not they were not given that responsibility or position by Christ. Continue in verse 14. No wonder, for Satan himself transforms himself as an angel of light. Satan does not come like a dragon with a peach fork and horns. And now he comes like an angel of light, very sweet. And you would not suspect that he is who he is. Now, when I go to some areas, I do encounter people with really wrong spirits.

And some of these people tell me, Oh, I had the Holy Spirit, but now the Holy Spirit left me. And these people are most miserable and depressed. And I always think, maybe I'm right, maybe I'm wrong, but I always think Satan and his demons come across like an angel of light. These people think they are of great joy following God, but then it turns bitter because the true of that false spirit, because they don't have God's Holy Spirit.

For one, they don't obey God's laws, and God gives his spirit to those that obey him. Acts 5 verse 32. So they don't obey God's laws. So they have a different spirit. But initially, when they have that different spirit, they are very happy. Oh, we've got this great spirit. I've got great contact with God. But this false God is like an angel of light that you wouldn't suspect that he is who he is. And I come across sometimes with people that say they've had visions, they've seen things, and they're now struggling. And I say, you've got to rebuke.

June 9, you know, June 9, you've got to rebuke. Christ rebuke. You know the story about the body of Moses. He says, the Lord rebuke you. And I've had situations where that was very difficult. I'll just say very difficult and very unpleasant. But God is faithful. And then I found out that there were later on, we found out there was some serious sin.

And that's why those problems existed. But anyway, let's move on. Verse 15. Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers, Satan has ministers, and he says his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. They appear to do what's right. They have very clever words, but you've got to be careful. Don't be deceived. Don't be deceived. Verse 16. I say again, let no one think me a fool.

Don't think of me that I'm a fool. If otherwise, at least receive me as a fool, that I may also boast a little. You know, Proverbs 26 verse 5. Let's just go there quickly. Proverbs 26 verse 5. Proverbs 26 verse 5, it says, In fact, verse 4 and 5, do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him, but answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise, he knows his own eyes. So Paul is now applying, yeah, he's applying, answer a fool according to his folly.

So he's now exercising a bit of folly to answer these false apostles. And so let's continue reading then in verse 16. But I say again, let no one think of me as a fool. If otherwise, at least receive me as a fool, that I may also boast a little. So he's answering a fool according to his folly. There is a time to do that. And so now he speaks foolishly, foolishly, foolishly. Verse 17, when I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, as it were, but as it were, foolishly in this coferness of boasting.

You see, he is now using that, answering a fool according to his folly, and so that he's doing that, defending himself, and therefore he has to defend his authority. And look at how he goes on. Verse 18, seeing that many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast. For you put up with fools gladly, since you yourselves are wise. Well, that's pretty cynical. You are so wise. He's actually saying, you're putting up with fools.

So you're not really wise, but he's now showing by having a little folly trying to defend his authority. And in verse 20, for you put up with it. You put up with it. If one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes in the face, you know, as you take it up, you accept that.

You know, was you accept being enslaved by these people? You accept being preyed upon by them, by false teachers, maybe with demands for financial support? You accept being taken advantage of by these people? You accept by these people that exalt themselves? They are presumptions. They put on ears. They act arrogantly. They lord over people. In other words, they exalt themselves. And it says, if one strikes you on the face, in other words, they show great disrespect or contempt in some of the things they do. And so he continues in verse 21, To your shame I say that we were too weak for that, but in whatever anyone is bold, I speak foolishly, I am bold also.

He was being sarcastic, saying, oh, he was too weak to do that. In other words, Paul is saying, we do not show our power by doing that. They displayed their power in a way which was oppressive. But we are not really weak, Paul is saying. I'm bold too, and I can claim the same distinctions.

I speak foolishly. So now he is going to boast about some of the things that he said to suffer, in a sense, to show his authority and position. Verse 22, and now he says, are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they of the seed of Abraham? So am I. And so it appears that there was a Jewish element there teaching salvation by works, by the ceremonial law. You see, I am also a Hebrew. I'm also a Israelite. I'm also the seed of Abraham.

And then that's what he was saying, Paul. Verse 23, are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool. I am more. And now he explains, or he lists, a lot of sufferings that he went through, which I'm just going to read through quickly. I beg your pardon. For they are ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool. I am more. In labors, more abundant. In stripes, above measure.

In prisons, more frequently. In deaths, often. From the Jews, five times I received 40 stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. A night and a day I've been in the deep. In journeys, often. In perils of water. In perils of robbers. In perils of my own countrymen. In perils of the Gentiles. In perils in the city. In perils in the wilderness. In perils in the sea. In perils among false brethren. In weariness and toil.

In sleeplessness, often. In hunger and thirst. In fastings, often. In cold and nakedness. Besides other things. You see, so Paul went through a list of sufferings that he went through, which the others could not compare by any means. But besides that, besides other things, verse 28, he says, what comes upon me daily is my deep concern for all the churches.

Besides all those sufferings that he went through, his daily, that comes to him daily, the stop of his mind, is his deep love for all the different congregations. Verse 29, who is weak and I am not weak, who is made to stumble and I do not burn with indignation? Paul had a very strong love and care and feeling for the brethren. And he was concerned for them. He had a deep concern for them.

And now, verse 30, it's like a climax to what proceeds. In other words, he's not focusing or boasting on achievements, but he's boasting on sufferings of what he endured. And basically, it means it's not of strength, but of weakness, weaknesses that he had. So he suffered. So he's not boasting of, I did this, I achieved that, I did that, but he's boasting of his sufferings of what he endured, not because of his strength, but he endured because he was weak.

And so, through this, God used Paul's weaknesses to do great works. And it's true for us when we go through trials, could it be health trials, could it be difficulties? We actually become stronger spiritually. And so, let's read verse 30.

If I boast, I'll boast in these things which concern my infirmity. He was boasting on his weaknesses, on the things concerning his infirmity. And then in verse 31 through 33, let's see, it says, He lay down in a basket through a window in a wall and escaped from his hands. So he escaped. And yeah, we get to an interesting thing. So he boasted about his weaknesses. But now he describes a possible situation which possibly, possibly could have become a source of accusations against him. What do you mean? Because they were accusing him, maybe, of being a coward, because he ran away.

And maybe they were ridiculing him for escaping that way. And maybe saying, well, he doesn't trust God or whatever it is, because he ran away like a coward. And so then in chapter 12, he now describes another possible source of accusation in chapter 12. And that we'll see in the next study, because that may have been misconstructed, and that through that, it may have been ridiculed.

And could have been accused of being a person with an unsound mind. You see, according to Expositor's Bible commentary, giving an introduction here to chapter 12, says, it was easy to call them mere illusions, because he's talking about here in verse 1. Let me just read chapter 12 verse 1. It is doubtless and not profitable for me to boast, and I'll come to visions and revelations of the Lord. Or they could have now used this and misconstrued that to say, huh, he was a person with an unsound mind.

As I was saying, Expositor's Bible commentary states, quote, it was easy to call them mere illusions, signs of a disordered brain, or it was not too much for malice to hint that his call to apostleship rested on nothing better than one of these ecstatic hallucinations.

End of quote. You see, so Paul was defending himself against attacks from false teachers, and he said, as we saw, that he stood faithful through many infirmities. But then he mentioned that he ran away when there was this situation in Damascus, and then he talks about visions that he had. And maybe these are some of the accusations they had against Paul, and maybe besides some of these physical thorns in the flesh, maybe these people could have also been a thorn in the flesh for him. So, but more of that in the next study.