Tag: false apostle
Angel of light
Scripture reading for September 6th: 2nd Corinthians 11, Psalm 28, Proverbs 23
2nd Corinthians 11: 12-15 “And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. For such men are false apostle, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.”
Like sparkling wine, that looks good and goes down smoothly, so are those who are false apostles and deceitful workmen in the Church of Jesus Christ. These false workers disguise themselves as ‘apostles of Christ’ and boast of their great knowledge and love for God. In reality, they are serving the master of disguise: Satan the ‘angel of light!’ Their false teaching is not the true Gospel and the ‘Jesus’ they claim to serve is not Jesus Christ, Son of God. They also claim to have the ‘spirit’, but that ‘spirit’ is not the Holy Spirit but the very spirit of the devil. God will expose them and reward them for their evil deeds! Beware of that which is counterfeit!
Psalm 28:3-4 “Do not drag me off with the wicked, with the workers of evil, who speak peace with their neighbors while evil is in their hearts. Give to them according to their work and according to the evil of their deeds; give to them according to the work of their hands; render them their due reward.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for the true Gospel of salvation by repentance and faith through Your grace in giving Your Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins. Open the eyes of those who are in a state of deception, claiming to be apostles of Jesus but really lost. Give us discernment and Truth to stand firm and rest in Your grace. Use me to proclaim the truth and warn Your people of deception.
Proverbs 23:31-33 “Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. Your eyes will see strange things and your heart will utter perverse things.”
Satan’s deception in the church!
Scripture reading for September 9th: 2nd Corinthians 11:1-15
The church at Corinth had been infiltrated by false teachers claiming to be ‘apostles of Jesus Christ’. (2nd Corinthians 11:13) These teachers had maligned Paul and promoted themselves and their ‘ministry’. Their disguise was a direct counterfeit to the true apostles. They were deceiving the church and dividing off the members.
“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 one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” (2nd Corinthians 11:2-4)
Satan was using these false teachers to lead the church members astray. They preached another gospel that had no power to save! They used the name of Jesus Christ, but their Jesus was also a counterfeit. He was not the Son of God, crucified for the sins of the world and raised from the dead! They also had a spirit working with them but it was not the Holy Spirit of God, sent to mark the heirs of salvation.
An effective counterfeit has to resemble the truth. These false apostles tried to imitate Paul in their language, terminology, and effects. They were good talkers, but were out for gain. (2nd Corinthians 11:5-7) Paul had come preaching the true Gospel but was not an eloquent speaker. The false apostles made fun of him because he did not charge great fees, but sought to work with his hands to provide for himself. But Paul would continue in his ways and trust God to expose these counterfeits. (2nd Corinthians 11:12)
Satan loves deception because he can only lie! (John 8:44) He still uses ‘false apostles’, ‘false prophets’, and ‘false teachers’. Many appear as ‘angels of light’ and deceive many from the ways of truth. Be sure and check out those who you are following and allowing to feed you . Use the Bible and ask the Holy Spirit for discernment. (2nd Peter 3:17) This kind of deception is increasing in the last days before Jesus returns.