The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Corinthians 11:4,
"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."
This is a sobering observation. "Super-apostles", "false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.", verse 13, had come to Corinth and Paul had found the Corinthians accepting them in his absence! In the previous letter he called these Corinthian believers "still worldly-mere infants in Christ" 1 Corinthians 3:1. Yet, they were well endowed with gifting from the Holy Spirit, "Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.", 1 Corinthians 1:7.
In spite of the activity of the Holy Spirit within their lives, and in spite of their earlier commitment to the gospel Paul preached to them, they were guilty of embracing false teachers and false apostles within their midst. Paul points to his credentials as a genuine apostle for the Lord as key to their understanding of who was genuine and who was false, who would lead them in the right path and who would lead them astray. In a key verse Paul said, "We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening." 2 Corinthians 12:19b.
I find that verse to be a good direction for me. All we have to do is look around at all the differing "expressions" of Christianity to understand that many false leaders have led the church astray in many directions. I'll follow Paul as a true apostle of the Lord to help me stay on the right track.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"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."
This is a sobering observation. "Super-apostles", "false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.", verse 13, had come to Corinth and Paul had found the Corinthians accepting them in his absence! In the previous letter he called these Corinthian believers "still worldly-mere infants in Christ" 1 Corinthians 3:1. Yet, they were well endowed with gifting from the Holy Spirit, "Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.", 1 Corinthians 1:7.
In spite of the activity of the Holy Spirit within their lives, and in spite of their earlier commitment to the gospel Paul preached to them, they were guilty of embracing false teachers and false apostles within their midst. Paul points to his credentials as a genuine apostle for the Lord as key to their understanding of who was genuine and who was false, who would lead them in the right path and who would lead them astray. In a key verse Paul said, "We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening." 2 Corinthians 12:19b.
I find that verse to be a good direction for me. All we have to do is look around at all the differing "expressions" of Christianity to understand that many false leaders have led the church astray in many directions. I'll follow Paul as a true apostle of the Lord to help me stay on the right track.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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