2 CORINTHIANS: DEFENDING GOD'S SERVANT TO HIS CRITICS

Part XVII: Heeding Practical Signs Of Good And Bad Ministers

(2 Corinthians 11:1-15)

I. Introduction

A. 2 Corinthians was written "to defend the authenticity of" Paul's "apostleship and his message" to a church of believers who were susceptible to heeding false teachers who critiqued him, Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 552.

B. The false teachers were not only carnal, but they were actually ministers of Satan who falsely transformed themselves before people into ministers of righteousness when they were actually servants of the Evil One.

C. 2 Corinthians 11:1-15 contrasts Paul with these false ministers, and we study it for our insight and edification:

II. Heeding Practical Signs Of Good And Bad Ministers, 2 Corinthians 11:1-15.

A. Paul claimed that the false apostles who sought to undermine his credibility before the weak Corinthian believers were actually servants of Satan who disguised themselves as servants of righteousness much like their master Satan who disguises himself as an angel of light, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15.

B. Thus, the weak, immature Corinthian believers needed PRACTICAL insight on discerning such bad ministers from the good ones, what is supplied for them [and us] in the context at 2 Corinthians 11:1-12:

1. The false apostles boasted in their human prowess where Paul thought it foolish to do so, 2 Cor. 11:1:

a. Paul wrote that he wished his readers would put up with a little foolishness from him (2 Cor. 11:1a), what is explained in his resuming this thought in 2 Corinthians 11:16, 22-12:4 as boasting in his human prowess or achievements. He did not want to boast about such things, but the carnality of his readers and their exposure to the false apostles influenced by Satan left him no alternative but to stoop to boasting.

b. In contrast, the false apostles gloried in their human prowess, in externalism. (cf. also 2 Cor. 10:12)

2. The false apostles corrupted believers' minds away from sincere, pure devotion to Christ where Paul held firmly to directing his readers to a sincere, pure devotion to the Lord, 2 Corinthians 11:2-3, 4 ESV:

a. Paul stated that he had led his readers to be devoted only to the Lord Jesus uncorrupted with false beliefs leading in other directions (2 Cor. 11:2), but he feared that his readers had been misled away from Christ like Eve had been misled away from God by Satan's deception, 2 Cor. 11:3. This is seen in the tendency of his readers to follow another Jesus or Holy Spirit or Gospel than what He had preached, 2 Cor. 11:4.

b. In contrast, the false apostles readily directed their followers into other major, false doctrines, going beyond the original truth taught to them into apostate error (as in the case in 2 John 9-10 ESV, NIV).

3. The false apostles likely "associated themselves and their mission with the original apostles," called here the "super-apostles" (v. 5 NIV) where Paul relied on the effects of his spiritual gift for credibility, v. 5-6:

a. Paul never considered himself inferior to the apostles who had been with Christ in His earthly ministry, and he did not seek to be identified with them to gain a hearing with anyone, but rather to rely on the effects of his spiritual gift and the knowledge Christ had given him for his credibility unto others, v. 5-6.

b. In contrast, the false apostles tried to identify themselves and their ministries with the disciples who had been with Christ in His earthly ministry as "super-apostles" (v. 5 NIV) for credibility, for they lacked real spiritual gifting for ministry that itself would certify their calling as being from the Lord.

4. The false apostles critiqued Paul as not being an apostle since he did not receive income from his hearers where Paul avoided receiving such income specifically to avoid charges of greed, 2 Corinthians 11:7-12:

a. Paul was aware that false teachers were typically greedy for gain (cf. 1 Timothy 6:3-5), so with the weak and carnal Corinthian believers, he had avoided receiving income from them for his ministry specifically to avoid charges by his critics of being a false apostle who was greedy for gain, 2 Corinthians 11:7-12.

b. In contrast, the false apostles, greedy for gain, directed money go their way from the Corinthians and sought to conceal their greed by slanderously critiquing Paul of not daring to receive money from them because of the false charge that Paul knew he was not really a true apostle after all! (Implied)

Lesson: Paul revealed that spiritually good ministers can be discerned from the bad ones several ways: (1) the good try to avoid boasting in human prowess where the bad advertise their human prowess; (2) the good keep believers focused on pure devotion to Christ where the bad direct believers to other devotions; (3) the good rely on their effectual use of God's spiritual gift to give them credibility before others where the bad seek identification with famous believers to ride their coattails for credibility and (4) the good avoid greed where the bad indulge in it.

Application: May we in PRACTICAL terms DISCERN good from bad ministers for our insight and edification.