Scripture: 2 Corinthians 11:1–4
“I hope you will put up with me in a little foolishness. Yes, please put up with me! I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.”
Observation:
Paul is speaking to the Church in Corinth. In this chapter, Paul discusses the False Apostles. This chapter is not about the Jews and the law; rather, it is about heretics who have infiltrated the church to boast about their ministry. The heretics were impressive in speech and appearance. Those who listen to some of these heretics are easily led astray, just as Eve was in the garden. The Corinthians were seeking proof that Christ is really speaking through someone like Paul.
Some heretics today take Bible verses out of context or even claim the Bible does not mention things like abortion, marriage, or how to get to heaven. Being in our scriptures daily helps us recognize when someone is not preaching or speaking about the Jesus found in our Holy scriptures. How do we know the scriptures are about Jesus? In John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
Application:
All of us love our pastor, whom we support at our home church. Some of us listen to other pastors throughout the week. The first thing to keep us grounded in Christ is determining whether the people we listen to are preaching or teaching from the word of God. Is the message pointing to Christ? Is the pastor using scripture in his message? Is the church in prayer? In order to identify any pastor or church that is not following the Word, we need to know what the Bible says. Reading, praying and listening to the Holy Spirit can help us know when something is not of God.
In Revelation 2:1-7 the Chruch of Ephesus is giving a report card. They are being told what went well, what went poorly, and how to correct themselves:
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. "Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."
Are we boasting of our ministry? Pastors are not the only ones with ministries. All of us who are believers have ministries. We need to have the Spirit check us. We need others to check us. We should be aligned with our home church's ministries so we are not working against each other or pursuing different agendas. Paul wrote in Galatians 6:14 "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."
Prayer:
Jesus your Word is Holy. Let me hear what the Spirit says in these letters and in your whole Word. Forgive me when I miss my daily bread. May I boast only about you Jesus. In Jesus name, Amen
- Robert Oberg
