Tag: false apostles
Satan in disguise!
Scripture reading for September 30th: Jeremiah 8-10, 2nd Corinthians 11
Key Scriptures: 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 apostles, 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.”
The spiritual warfare Paul warned the Corinthians about came in the form of counterfeit apostles, teachers and “Christian” workers. Satan loves to disguise himself as an ‘angel of light’ when he is really a dark fallen angel. Satan uses people he has taken captive to be his ‘deceitful workmen’ right in Christ’s church. To identify the counterfeit “Christians”, we must know the genuine Jesus and those who genuinely represent Him and His Word. If we fall for the counterfeit, we will suffer now and in eternity. The Holy Spirit will give us discernment if we are teachable.
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the Truth and the Spirit of Truth Who brings me discernment. Correct me and help me daily to stay true to You and listen only to Your Word taught by Your gifted people.
Jeremiah 10:23-24 “I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. Correct me, O Lord, but in justice; not in Your anger lest You bring me to nothing.”
Christians: Beware!
Scripture reading for August 12th: 2nd Corinthians 11, Psalm 10, Proverbs 6
Key Scriptures: 2nd Corinthians 11:13-15 “For such men are false apostles, 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.”
Paul exposed the false teachers that had come into the midst of the Corinthian church. These men were in disguise, masquerading as true ‘apostles of Christ’ and claiming to be servants of righteousness. They were leading the church astray with their lies and false doctrines and taking money from the church that should have been used to further the work of Christ in saving souls. Satan is a master of disguise, he comes only to steal, kill, and destroy–Christians beware!
Faith Confession: From God’s Word, I know that Satan is a master of disguise and God is Truth. Lord, open my eyes each day to Truth and guard me from deception, even from those claiming to be ‘apostles of Christ.’
Proverbs 6:16-19 “There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.”
The serpent’s cunning deception!
Scripture reading for August 12th: 2nd Corinthians 11
The church in Corinth had been attacked by false teachers that Paul referred to as ‘super apostles’. These teachers were charismatic and used terms familiar to the church that enabled them to pull off their deception. Paul was filled with a ‘godly jealousy’ and set out to expose the ‘serpent’s cunning’ that was operating through these men.
“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. But I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super apostles.”” (2nd Corinthians 11:3-5)
These teachers were preaching “Jesus”, but not the same Jesus Christ, Son of God and risen Lord that Paul preached. Their “Jesus” was a counterfeit! They had a spirit that was given through their ministry, but it was not the Holy Spirit, the gift of the Father. They also had a ‘gospel’, but it was not the true gospel of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, a gift of God’s grace! These false teachers used counterfeit in such a way to deceive those in the church and pull them away from true faith!
“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” (2nd Corinthians 11:13-15) Church beware!