Our lesson this morning is in
2 Corinthians 11. While you're finding your place
there, I'll talk to you a little bit about what this chapter is
about. False teachers and men claiming
to be apostles of Christ. I don't think these men went
around and said, I'm an apostle. They merely went around and tried
to take the authority and position and office of an apostle over
these little churches. And somehow they'd gotten a foothold
in the Corinthian church and they were doing all kinds of
damage. I know some churches have seen them in the past and
have experienced where the pastor had died or something had happened
and the pastor had left, and they went out and compromised
and got men that were, I suppose, in the community, men of good
standing. They were reputable men. But
they didn't know the gospel. They weren't called of God to
be pastors. And when they got in that church,
they began to do damage. They always do damage. They don't
intend to, some of them, but they do. And that's the way it
was here in the church of Corinth. Under the guise of being servants
of God and pretending to be promoters of righteousness, they began
to do what their father the devil had led them to do. to destroy
the reputation of God's true servant and lead his congregation
into a false refuge. Satan uses men. They don't always
know that they're being used, but he uses men. And they don't know that. They
believe they're being used of God. They're convinced of it. And so the apostle's reputation
and the dignity of his office being questioned, Paul must now
do what no preacher wants to do. He must himself, he must
set himself above his enemies and justify his calling of God. Matthew Henry said this, one
of the men I was reading as I prepared this lesson, He said this about
what Paul was forced to do. He said, as much against the
grain as it is for a proud man to acknowledge his infirmities,
so much is it against the grain of a humble man to speak to his
own praise. Same thing. It really goes against
the grain. And there's three reasons why
this goes against the grain of God's true servant. First of
all, because he knows what he is by nature. He knows his imperfections. He knows his disabilities. He knows that he is what he is
by the grace of God. And then secondly, because this
self-defense, which he must now engage in, is the tenor of false
preachers and self-righteous men the world over. This is what
they do. My soul, he didn't want to do
it. If you read and remember our studies in the chapter before,
it says, not him that commendeth himself is approved, but whom
God commendeth. Our Lord said to the Pharisees,
he said, you are they which justify yourselves among men, but God
knows your heart. For that which is highly esteemed
among men is an abomination in the sight of God. And then thirdly,
this goes against the grain of a true God-called minister because
he knows that everything God has done, is doing, and yet shall
do is for his glory and not yours. And now this man, this true servant
of God, must stand up and to some degree glorify himself to
show that he is the true minister of God. Sometimes we just don't have
a choice. And Paul's love for his hearers,
his goals, his ministry, and his message had all been brought
in to doubt. Oh, somebody put a question mark
on it. They always do. And now he must
establish himself as God's messenger again and expose his adversaries
for what they are. And he didn't do this because
somebody stepped on his pride. but because he loved this church
and he was willing to do whatever it took to restore them to what
they once were and to have that rest in Christ which he had preached
to them. Now with these things in mind,
let's read the first two verses of 2 Corinthians chapter 11. Would to God you could bear with
me a little in my folly. And indeed, bear with me, for
I'm jealous over you with a godly jealousy, for I have espoused
you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin
to Christ." Paul was quick to point out that this was an act
of folly. Folly. It ought to be beneath
this ambassador of God. It shouldn't ever have to be
done. It was an act of folly. And folly,
according to the dictionary, means an occasion of foolishness. And this occasion of foolishness
was not something Paul was accustomed to, but was forced to do out
of his love for this church. He had a godly interest in these
people. He had a godly interest in them
and a godly affection for them and therefore was jealous over
them with a godly jealousy. He was jealous over them because
through him and through his ministry they had been a spouse to one
other. God had appointed him and led
him there in his providence to establish this church. He had
a personal interest. And if you will, they were on
the verge of committing spiritual adultery. That's what it is. That's what it is. When you leave,
his intention was to espouse them to Christ, to espouse them
to one man, to present them in this accomplished redemption
of Christ as a chaste virgin unto him. And now here they are
being drawn away from him to another husband. being drawn
away in some form or fashion back to the law, back under this. And it could have been one of
many things, but they were on the verge of committing spiritual
adultery. And his desire was that he might
present them by way of Christ's redemption as chaste virgins.
All right? Verse 3. lest by any means, as the serpent
beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should not be corrupted
from the simplicity that is in Christ." Now, Paul uses the strongest
terms here to describe the work of these men. Beguile. Beguile. That means to deceive
by treacherous cunning. And the word actually implies,
actually implies an act of sorcery. I've looked at that word many
times and I never saw that before. This word implies an actual act
of sorcery. It has within its work, one writer
said, parts of the black art. talking about sorcery, witchcraft. And so Paul substitutes another
word for it in Galatians. He said, oh foolish Galatians,
he didn't say, who hath beguiled you? He said, who hath bewitched
you? Who hath bewitched you? Who hath put you under their
spell? And then he said, I fear that
as the serpent beguiled he through his subtlety, so your mind should
be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. The word simplicity
here means singleness. That's what it means, singleness.
This is that, he said, I have espoused you to one man. This
is that one man. This is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, turn with me to Colossians chapter 2. I want you to see
this. as they're stated in the scriptures. In Colossians 2,
Paul's expressing his heart's desire and goal for this church
at Colossae. And in Colossians 2, verse 2,
he said that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together
in love and unto all riches, of the full assurance of understanding
to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God and of the Father
and of Christ, the whole work of the triune God in salvation
as it's manifested in Christ. In whom, verse 3, are hid all
the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And this I tell you, this I say
to you, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent in the
flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding
your order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As you
have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in
Him, rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith
as you've been taught. abounding therein with thanksgiving. And beware, lest any man foal
you through philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of
men." That is, what is the tradition of men? That's the history of
men's rebellion. That's what it is. All you have
to do to understand man's rebellion is to read a history book. Or
go in the Bible, if you want to know the true facts of it,
go all the way back to Adam. Man has never displayed anything
if left to himself except rebellion toward God. Don't let them spoil
you through philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of
men, after their historic rebellion and rejection of Christ, and
after the rudiments of this world. Now, one version uses the phrase
basic principles. That's true. That's what he's
talking about here, the basic fundamental principles of this
world. And another version uses this
phrase, crude notions of the world. That's true also. And yet another version says
the world's understanding of deliverance, a false gospel.
That's true too. But whichever you prefer, Paul
adds, and not after Christ. Something other than Christ.
For in Him, now listen to this, verse 9, we're talking about
the singleness of Christ. In Him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead body. Everything that you could possibly
learn about God is manifested in this man. Would you know God
the Father? That's what they said. Show us
the Father. We'd be satisfied. He said, have
you been so long time with me? Have you not known the Father? Either seen me, seen the Father. In Him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily, now watch this, and ye are complete in
Him, which is the head of all principality and power. And then turn with me over to
1 Corinthians chapter 1. Let me show you this. We're talking
about the simplicity or the singleness of Christ in the faith of God's
elect. It's not Christ plus, it's Christ
alone. 1 Corinthians 1, verse 30. But of Him, talking about God,
are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption. Now this God did, that according
as it is written, he that gloweth, let him glow in the Lord. This new man, which Paul urges
us to put on by faith, is one that renewed He's one that renewed, replaces
the old ideas, renewed in knowledge, this new man. Renewed in knowledge
after the image of him that created him, that is the creator of this
new creature, this new man. Colossians 3 verse 11, where
there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision,
barbarian, Scythian, bond or free. Now watch this. But Christ
is all and in all. Now go back to our text in 2
Corinthians 11. Satan's one goal is to corrupt
the minds of any hearer. Any hearer of the gospel, he's
here, his ministry is geared to corrupt the minds of any hearer
of the gospel from the sufficiency, singleness, and simplicity of
Christ. And he don't care how he does
it. Now, this is what you need to
understand because this world does not understand what I'm
telling you this morning. It may be law. It may be the
law. I've seen churches going over
Mississippi. I've gone over there to minister
to them, and I've seen churches. I saw one had a big scroll on
a sign. The sign looked just like a scroll.
It said the Ten Commandments is enough for us. I told Brian, I said, it's too
much for me. He don't care. You love the law. Is that what appeals to you?
Somehow you think you can keep the law? You can honor God through
your keeping of the law? David don't care. Maybe it's
morality. Maybe that's what your heart
looks to, morality. Might be religious tradition
or ceremony. It could be any number of things.
He don't care. He don't care if the thing's
good or the thing's bad. He don't care. There's a multitude
of things in the world that are in themselves very commendable.
Hospitals, orphanages, feeding the hungry, visiting the sick,
education. But the minute I try to mix these
things, the minute I try to mix these things, to incorporate
these things into the salvation of my soul, which is accomplished
by Christ alone, Whatever this thing is that's commendable of
itself becomes an abomination in the sight of God. Paul said the hope of glory,
the hope of heaven itself, the hope of glory is Christ in you. All Christ. All Christ. And Paul said to the Galatians,
he said, I prevail in birth again, ministering to you until Christ
be formed in you, until he becomes all and in all. Faith comes to
men as they are shut up to Christ. That's how it comes. as they're
shut up to Christ. He's the foundation of the faith
of God's elect. Other foundation, Paul said to
these Corinthians way back in his first letter, he said, other
foundation can no man lay than that which is laid Christ the
Lord. There's no other foundation.
You can't build on what seems to be right unto you. There's
a way that seems right unto men. The end thereof is destruction.
You can't go on what this world says. John said, we know that
we are God in the whole world, life and wickedness. There's
only one foundation, and that foundation was manifested in
the person and work of Jesus Christ. He's the one name given
under heaven whereby we must be saved. You go to John chapter
10 and look, and you'll find this verse of Scripture. It said,
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
But how are you going to call on Him in whom you have not believed? And how are you going to believe
in Him of whom you have not heard? And how are you going to hear
without a preacher? This world don't know Jesus Christ. They
don't know who He is, why He came, what He did, or where He
is. And this was said in the light
of a nation. If you go back and read Romans
chapter 10, it was said in the light of a religious nation of
men who professed to be the children of God, but were going about
in utter ignorance, trying to establish their own righteousness,
and therefore rejected the righteousness of God in Christ. For Christ
is the end of the law for righteousness, to everyone that believes. Christ
is the bread that came down from heaven. Except you eat of my
flesh, drink of my blood, you've got no life in you. Christ is
the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father
but by him. He's the reason why God's elect
shall never be condemned. It's Christ that died. That's
what Paul said. Who is he that condemneth? It's
Christ that died. He didn't say, who is he that
condemneth? Look at these men, how good they
walk. He didn't say that. He said,
Christ died. Now, who's going to condemn?
Why, God's elect shall never be condemned. It's Christ that
died. Now, listen, yea, rather, is
risen again who's even at the right hand of God. And Christ
is our justification. Paul said we're justified freely
by his grace through the redemption that's in Christ Jesus the Lord. And Christ is our federal head
and representative. He is the head of the body, the
church. Listen to this. Listen to this
statement. This is over in the book of 1
John. He said, herein is love, is our love made perfect. that
we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is,
so are we in this world. Christ is our representative.
Is he accepted? Then I am in this world. Is he alive from the dead? quicken me together with him,
and I have life in him. Has he laid hold of our inheritance? Then I have my inheritance in
him in this world. As he is justified, glorified,
loved, and blessed, so are we in this world. As he is, you
just let your imagination Go as far as He is in glory, so
are we in this world, because we stand in Him. I tell you,
you get a hold of that, you can rejoice no matter what comes
down the road, if you can get a hold of that. As He is, so
are we in this world. The saving mind is not called
the mind of good works. or the mind of morality or the
mind of the law or the mind of theology. It's called the mind
of Christ. Let this mind be in you which
was also in Christ Jesus our Lord. Oh, how sin pollutes all that
I am, defeats all my purposes, brings to naught my good intentions,
prevents or hinders my prayers, my preaching, until one might
say with Paul, that's the reasoning he used in Romans chapter 7.
And finally, when he gets down to the end of the chapter, he
said, oh, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the
body of this death? I thank God through the Lord
Jesus Christ. That's how. That's how. So he said, with the mind of
Christ and his accomplished redemption, I serve the law. I keep the law. How do I keep it? Through the
blood and righteousness of Christ. That's the only way you can keep
it. I serve the law. I can honor it. I can keep it. I can exalt it in Him. In Him. And for the man with this mind,
there's no condemnation, Paul said. Not now. and not in the
future. For, are you listening? For. For the law of the spirit of
life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death. The very foundation of what historians
call the Great Reformation was summed up in these three statements.
The scriptures alone. Grace alone, Christ alone. That's the foundation of it.
And this is the simplicity that every God-called preacher sits
before his hearers and insists on in the faith of chosen sinners. This is what is confessed in
their baptism, and this is what's celebrated in their communion
at the table. All right, we'll look at verse
4 and go down a few more verses next week. This is what Paul
preached. This is what justified his calling. This is what men need to look
at when a speaker gets up, not at what he is and how many diplomas
he has on the wall or which church recommended him. They need to
listen to what he says. That's what Paul told this church. I've suffered persecution for
you. I've went through pain for you.
I've been in prison for you. Other churches, he said, I wouldn't.
We'll get into it next week. He said, I didn't take a penny
from you, and nobody here is going to give me one. But you
might not say that we did this. And when you come to an understanding
of it, he said, then you can support the ministry. Until then,
I ain't taking a nickel from you.