Angels of Light – 2 Corinthians 11:1-15

One of my favorite preachers, someone whose messages always moved me to tears for the glory of the gospel, turned out to be an immoral, narcissistic man who was preying on women during his pastorate. He ended up being exposed after defending himself against the women who accused him, calling them liars. As one blogger has put it: The WCA [Willow Creek Association] must take the time to confess its’ complicity in idolizing and enabling B[ill] H[ybels]’s behavior. They need to say “we allowed a man who had clear entitlement characteristics to roam without accountability, and this resulted in numerous instances where he acted in a sexually inappropriate way. We failed to confront him and hold him accountable. We were more afraid of Bill than of God.”

The Corinthians were also “idolizing and enabling” leaders who were wrong, and failing to follow the Lord Jesus because of it.

I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.

Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God’s gospel to you free of charge? I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way. As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

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. (2 Corinthians 11:1-15 ESV)

Paul gets very explicit now, making it clear that he thinks the Corinthians have embraced teachers who teach another gospel, another Jesus, a different Holy Spirit than they received from him.  These teachers have dubbed themselves “super-apostles” and have belittled Paul’s apostleship.  But Paul assures his loved ones that he is not inferior to the “super-apostles” and knows the gospel in a way they don’t.

Yes, as they claim, he humbled himself by not receiving support from the Corinthians (as he explained in 1 Corinthians 9) and lived instead on the support from the churches of Macedonia (Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea).  He will continue to do this to show up these super-apostles as frauds and servants of Satan, who deceive and pretend to be light like Satan does and pretend to be righteous but are not.

It is important for God’s leaders to point out false teaching and false teachers when the gospel has been compromised.  There may be differences among teachers that do not compromise the gospel and so the charge of “false teacher” must not be levied against them.  But when the message held strays from salvation by faith alone apart from works by faith in the God/Man Jesus Christ whose sacrifice and resurrection purchases our salvation, then this must be made clear to those ensnared by Satan’s lies.

But we must also be careful that we are not easily taken in by such teachers. Thus usually happens because these teachers play up the values of the world in their preaching and we are too caught up in worldly values to be discerning. I am afraid I see this in our current political wrangling and endorsement of parties above Christian ethics, as well as our exaltation of “powerful” leaders rather than the true gospel.

Discussion Questions for Small Groups

1. Who is the most interesting, or admirable, or respect-worthy person you have met?
2. How should we measure greatness in a person?
3. Why might we mistake bragging for greatness in a person? Why might we mistake humility for lowliness in a person?
4. What form of humility did the Corinthians mistake for lowliness in the apostle Paul?
5. Do you see any evidence that the author’s assertions in the last paragraph are valid?
6. What must you do to become someone who can recognize and stand against falsehood?