2 Corinthians 11

Tuesday, 8 December 2015

Seeing that many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast. 2 Corinthians 11:18

Paul is showing the irony of the situation. In verse 12, he noted the boasting of the false apostles. Those at Corinth had been swayed by them in this boasting; a boasting of the flesh. Now Paul says that if the flesh is what impresses them, he too has the ability to impress based on the flesh, and so he will boast in it.

Before he does, he will give a few more notes of irony concerning their relationship with the false apostles, and he will show how he is contrasted to them. After that, he will provide a detailed and hearty list of his qualifications and his efforts on behalf of the gospel. If boasting in the flesh is what impresses them, then he would give them what they desired.

Paul’s boasting in the flesh provides us with an exacting description of who he is and the things he had done. From this list we have a record to refer to in order to know him on a much more intimate level. His coming words have become a most important aspect of Christian theology and doctrine. From this mere “boasting” of Paul we can find out how to conduct our own lives and where to turn in our own distresses.

What seems uninspired on the surface is actually a most important part of learning to deal with life and our relationship with the Lord. The hand of God’s inspiration is all over it.

Life application: The Lord reveals things to us in the most marvelous of ways. As you read the Bible and come to some passage which is seemingly irrelevant, stop and reconsider it. In the end, if it is from God, it must be of great importance. The Bible is a book about the same size as many others, and yet it took centuries to write as God methodically choose real moments in time and in human experience to reveal His heart to us.

Heavenly Father, as we contemplate Your word, help us to remember that it is something that You spent many centuries compiling for us. You used real circumstances, in the lives of real people, to slowly reveal to us Your very heart. Every single passage must then have the highest importance for us to consider and apply to our lives and to our doctrine. Help us to consider this precious gift for what it is – a letter of love from You to us. Thank You for your precious and superior word! Amen.

Monday, 7 December 2015

What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were, foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
2 Corinthians 11:17

This verse is one which calls out for a deep analysis of it concerning the inspiration of Scripture. The Bible is believed to be the full and complete revelation of God to humanity. It is of Divine origin, and yet it is also of human origin. Man, under inspiration of God, penned what he was led to pen. However, at the same time, man’s thoughts, his style, his heart – all of this is included in the books of the Bible.

In this verse, Paul says, “What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord.” And so the question is, “Are these words inspired by God or not?” Albert Barnes gives two options concerning the matter –

“The phrase here may mean either, I do not speak this by inspiration or claiming to be inspired by the Lord; or more probably it may mean, I do not speak this imitating the example of the Lord Jesus or strictly as becomes his follower.”

To say that the first is true means that this portion of the Bible is not inspired. From this springboard, men could begin to slice and dice; to pick and choose; and to disregard and neglect any portion of the Bible that they personally felt lacked inspiration. Such happens all the time among liberal scholars and it turns the Bible into a book of personal theology rather than God-directed theology.

Rather, Paul’s writings are inspired, even verses such as this one. The Lord allowed him to speak his heart and show that his words were not according to an imitation of the Lord, and yet his words are a necessary part of the interaction between him and the Corinthians for us to properly understand God-directed theology. Instead of emulating how the Lord would handle this matter, being the perfect God, Paul says that he speaks “not according to the Lord, but as it were, foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.”

Being fallen beings and filled with imperfections, we necessarily handle God-directed matters within those limitations. Paul was doing just that. Unlike Jesus who had no such limitations, he did. And so, in order to make an example for those at Corinth to understand, he used his limitations (this confidence of boasting), to show them where they were wrong in their thinking.

His admission that his example was not in accordance with a perfect emulation of the Lord was carefully chosen and built upon to inform the Corinthians (and thus us!) that their own boasting was a much larger diversion from proper emulation of the Lord. In other words, Paul is saying, “I am giving you an example of myself by diverting from what the Lord would do in order to show you that what you are doing is the same, but on a much larger scale.”

This is Paul’s way of correcting their deficiency. At the same time, it is a Spirit-led example. God is using Paul’s deficiency, just as He used those of all of his prophets and apostles in the writing of His book. Moses’ failings are carefully recorded, from his time at the burning bush in Exodus 3 even unto his striking the Rock at Meribah in Numbers 20. As one reads the Bible, such deficiencies are seen permeating its pages. Think of Jonah! The Pulpit Commentary beautifully describes Paul’s human frailty which is still used in the inspired word of God –

“‘Boasting,’ or what might be stigmatized as such, may become a sort of painful necessity, necessitated by human baseness; but in itself it cannot be ‘after the Lord.’ There is nothing Christ-like in it. It is human, not Divine; an earthly necessity, not a heavenly example; a sword of the giant Philistine, which yet David may be forced to use.”

Life application: The human frailties of the authors of the Bible in no way diminish the inspiration of it. In fact, they are necessary elements of inspiration in order for us to understand how far we actually depart from God. Don’t let any liberal teaching mislead you away from the truth that all Scripture is divinely inspired. It is. Cling to this truth as you see your own failings represented in the failings of its human authors. And then understand that God can and will use you just as you are as you pursue Him.

Heavenly Father, it is amazing to see the human failings of the authors of the Bible on prominent display. And yet, You used those shortcomings to show us how to better respond to the world around us and to show us of our own need to rely on You in order to become like You. Thank You that Your Divine word includes our human frailties. Because of them, we can know that You can use us as well, fallen and broken. And in the process, You are able to correct us and mold us more and more into Your glorious image. O God, how great Thou art! Amen.

Sunday, 6 December 2015

I say again, let no one think me a fool. If otherwise, at least receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little. 2 Corinthians 11:16

Paul has already diverted into a need for boasting on several occasions. He did so in 2 Corinthians 10:8, and he again did so in verse 1 of this chapter, of which this statement is a general repeat of that thought, hence the words “I say again.” In verse 1, he said –

“Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly—and indeed you do bear with me.”

The words, “I say again, let no one think me a fool” are given concerning his boasting. Even if he commends himself, it should not be thought of as a fool’s boasting, but as a necessary part of his defense against the false apostles. Continuing on, his words add in sarcasm. He says, “If otherwise, at least receive me as a fool.” In other words, “If boasting makes me a fool, then receive me as a fool, so “that I also may boast a little.”

The words “a little” show that he is asking for their tolerance in his minimal boasting, and in things that are true about himself. This is to be taken as sarcastically contrasting a great and untruthful boasting of the false apostles. In essence, “You have put up with a lot of foolish and false boasting by those ‘extra-super apostles,’ and so please put up with just a dab of truthful boasting from me.”

He is not claiming that he is a fool for boasting, but if that is how he is perceived in order to defend his apostleship, then so be it.

Life application: Paul goes to great lengths to defend the truth of the gospel. It is a good lesson for us to follow through with as well. And yet, there is a time when we have to step back, shake the dust off our feet, and move on. Be patient, be kind, and be firm. Speak the truth in season and out.

Lord God, help us in our faith. Help us to be firm and unyielding in the truths which are taught in Your word and to never give in to the forces of immorality, perversion, and wickedness all around us. If our leaders, both in government and in the apostate church, want to use a diving board to jump into hell, as it seems they intend to do, it is certain that they will attempt to weaken our faith as well. May it not be so! Keep us on the straight and narrow path to You. Help us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and our actions in line with Your word. Amen.

Saturday, 5 December 2015

Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. 2 Corinthians 11:15

The train of thought thus far is that the false apostles Paul has been speaking of are actually deceitful workers who transform themselves into apostles of Christ. And this is actually unsurprising because Satan himself has to transform himself into an angel of light to hide his true nature. Because their father, the devil, does this “it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness.”

In other words, just as Satan’s true nature is hidden behind a false show of light, so it is with these false apostles in that their true nature is hidden behind a false display of righteousness. In fact, they certainly claim a greater righteousness than Christ because they insert works of the law and other external displays of righteousness to their theology. In doing this, they say that what Christ did, and the righteousness He imputes to His followers, is insufficient for their salvation.

It is a subtle but direct attack against the work of Christ. The gospel says that the Lord is our righteousness. We are saved by faith in His work. In turn for having our sin nailed to the cross, He bestows upon us His righteousness. Therefore, anyone who says that we must add to salvation by grace through faith alone is claiming a greater righteousness than that of Christ. As this is impossible, it is a self-condemning act. For this, their “end will be according to their works.”

What this means is that because their works are false, because their works pervert the gospel, and because their works are what they stand on, then they will be judged by their works and not by the imputed righteousness of Christ.

Imagine the horror they will feel when they see how filthy their supposed righteousness truly is when they stand before pure and undefiled righteousness!

Life application: In what do you trust for your salvation? If you say anything other than, “The shed blood of Christ” you have missed the mark. Nothing can wash away the defilement of man except His cross. And nothing can grant us the righteousness we need to stand before God except His work, imputed to us.

Lord God, the Bible says that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and that no man may come to You apart from Him. It then says that we are saved by grace through faith and not works of any kind. And so, if someone tells us that we need to do something more than simply believe and receive, they are saying that they have a greater righteousness than Christ. I think not. Instead, I will stand on the merits of Christ my Lord. No Plan-B here. Hallelujah for Jesus! Amen and amen.

Friday, 4 December 2015

And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14

In the previous verse, Paul spoke of the “false apostles” as those who would transform themselves into apostles of Christ. Now he says, “And no wonder!” This then shows why they do this. It is because they are just like their leader, Satan, who “transforms himself into an angel of light.” The verb is in the present tense and so this is not speaking of any specific incident found in Scripture. Rather, it is speaking of his customary way of working at all times.

He is an enemy of all that is good, and the titles used to describe him in the New Testament show that his very nature is evil. And yet, he presents himself as a shining example of what is proper and correct. The term “angel of light” indicates purity and holiness. However, if he supposedly “transforms himself” into this, then it is a false representation of who he is. It is not his true nature, but a cunning disguise which is intended to lure the unsuspecting away from the truth.

This then is the explanation of the false apostles’ conduct of the preceding verse. They follow in form and style with their leader, Satan. This transformation is found in the message that is presented, in the twisting of the truth, in the perversion of Scripture, in attributing the works of wickedness to that which is of God, etc.

It is incumbent on all people to study the word in order to show themselves approved when a false teacher, or even the devil himself, comes with a false message. But how impossible that is without knowing the word! And so the world is filled with cults, heresies, and those who follow after anyone with a crazy vision or a supposed “word from the Lord” which is no word at all. Satan uses all of these avenues, and ten thousand more, to lure away precious souls from the grace of Christ the Lord to another gospel, which is no gospel at all.

Paul carefully warns us of such deception in Galatians 1 –

“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, ⁷ which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. ⁸ But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. ⁹ As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:6-9

Life application: To avoid being deceived by the devil, know your Bible.

Lord God, Your word tells us that Satan is real and that he transforms himself into an angel of light to deceive us from the truth. And so how can we know if we are being duped by this bad dude? We have to know Your word! If this is a battle between good and evil and Your word gives us the framework for the conflict, then we would be as dull as ditchwater to not want to know and apply Your word to our lives. Help us to not be as dull as ditchwater. Amen.