2 CORINTHIANS 11: 11-15 [GAINING PERSPECTIVE Series]
THE MASQUERADERS
[Matthew 24: 1-5 / 1 John 4:1-3]
A attack on the purity of Paul's motives was a disguise for the false preachers actions. They acted like they were concerned for what was right so that they could divide the unity of the church and destroy the church's trust in Paul and his teachings.
Isn’t this misdirect so much like Satan? He comes like he is concerned for what is right and true while what be is doing is destroying what is right and true. He comes in to sow seeds of distrust and promote discord and strife all under the guise of helping (he even likes helping us uphold our legalism).
The devil and his workers will not appear as satan and deceivers. They will appear to be on your side and on God’s side. But they will take your attention off God, off Jesus Christ, off sharing His Gospel and place attention on man and his frailties. Check the motives of all who are suppose to be servants of God and see if they are centered in love for Jesus Christ, His Gospel and His people or centered on the frailty of people.
I. SELF-SACRIFICING LOVE, 11-12.
II. SATAN DISGUISED, 13-15.
Was Paul’s refusal to accept financial support from the church because he did not love them? He answers that charge in verse 11. “Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!”
“Why” was Paul willing to sacrifice himself to such a great extent in order to minister to the Corinthians [and in His ministry for the Corinthians]? Because of his love for them. They may have been told to doubt his love because he refused to take money from them to sustain himself in ministry but he tells them God knows the truth. He saw himself as a father that stores up for his children not one who takes from his children.
After defending the fact that he supported himself while he was at Corinth (vv. 7–11), Paul points out the gullibility of some of the Corinthians in verse 12. “But what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting.”
Paul' s rivals at Corinth want the congregation to look down on Paul because he would not take remuneration. His critics must have argued that if Paul’s apostleship were valid he would not demean himself by continuing to work as a common craftsman, since he knows that apostles are entitled to support by their churches (v. 7; 1 Cor. 9:4-12a, 13-14). In response, Paul urges the Corinthians to regard his conduct as demonstrating a genuine concern not to burden them with his own needs (vv. 8-11). He will continue to deprive them of the opportunity to say that all he wanted was their money by continuing to refuse to accept any kind of payment for his ministry. They cannot say that he merchandised the gospel.
There are always some hunting for any reason to start something against godly preachers. They complain that you get paid or like here they will accuse you if you refuse to get paid. False critics looked for any pretext to critic. But Paul was determined that since he had no choice but to preach the Gospel because of the demand of his calling he would at least preach it for free. Thus he would also avoid any charge that he preached the Gospel for any earthy gain, though it was certainly within his right to receive remuneration.
This issue of paid ministers is misunderstood with some folk. For that reason a visit from a paid pastor may not be as impacting as a visit from a church member. The person may perceive the pastor as just doing the job he is paid to do. But you as a church member, if you labor because of love in the power of the Holy Spirit you will cut off the accusation of the enemy that you are after their money instead of exhibiting care about their soul and their eternal well-being.
II. SATAN DISGUISED (13-15).
In verse 13 Paul lays his cards on the table and says what he really thinks of his detractors. “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, deceitful workers disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.”
The moment has come for Paul to drop the veil of irony and speak in the plainest terms concerning these would-be apostles (Phil 3:2). He coins a new word and calls them “false apostles” [pseuda-apostoloi] which is to say they are shams with a false claim of authority. They were imposters whose aim was to usurp apostolic authority. They performed their destructive work with deceit, treachery and cunning by the power of evil spirits (1 Jn.4:1-3). Basically satan is an imitator. He copies what God does and tries to convince us that his offer is better than God's. How does he do this? Here he offers counterfeit apostles, workers who think they serve God, but who are really servants of Satan. They believe they are something they are not and in so doing they deceive themselves and others.
The word “disguising” here could be interpreted masquerading as the Greek means to change outward form [Gk. meta-schēgmatizō, change-forms or schemes, methods]. Satan's workers don’t appear in their true character for they wear a disguise and hide behind a mask to act out their part. Whether they are Buddhist, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Unitarians, Muslims, new agers or a host of others, they hide behind a mask of goodness. They have changed in some outward ways but there is no inward transformation by God's Holy Spirit.
In every age the church must of urgent necessity study the full council of God that it might hold fast against all the deception that comes into the church, to get us to look to legalism or to major on minors, instead of focusing on Christ, His saving grace and serving Him. Be wary of those that offer church members a Christian life that is superior to that described in the NT.
Verse 14 indicates Satan’s favorite disguise. “No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
Would you know the devil if you met him on the street? "Sure, I would," you reply, "He is a well-formed, healthy male, with a red suit, horns, tail, and a pitchfork in his hand. I would know him anywhere!"
This caricature, of course, does not come from Scripture. The Bible draws no portrait of Satan. It comes rather from a combination of Greek mythology and medieval superstition. But I'm sure it must please Satan immensely that he is envisioned like this description. Actually, he is the opposite. Satan is beautiful and alluring beyond anything we can imagine.
This deceptive beauty is indicated here also where the apostle Paul wrote, "Satan himself is disguised as an angel of light." The word translated angel is the Greek word aggelos which means "messenger." He is constantly transforming himself into a messenger, a preacher of “the right way” or the superior way. The Bible is saying that Satan is an imposter.
There is a basic truth here. Evil doesn’t comes to us as wickedness; it camouflages itself as good. It is the habit of evil to clothe itself in the colors of enjoyment, superiority, or truer wisdom. Temptation always appears in the guise of something desirable; otherwise it would not be a temptation. And Satan always comes to us in masquerade, otherwise, we would not listen to him or follow him. For instance, with regard to alcohol, he appears not as a drunken bum vomiting his guts up, but as a "man of distinction and culture," or some one who knows how to get along and make friends. With regard to sex, he assumes the role not of a shameless prostitute, but of a beautiful, popular social butterfly. In the Bible when Satan appears before God, he always appears as Satan. He cannot fool God, for God knows him for who and what he is. But when he appears to man, he doesn’t appear as Satan. He always assumes some other role, so that he can apply his craftiness or deceitfulness.
[Some find it difficult to understand why people give in to certain temptations. From our vantage point, their problem should be easy to handle.
We may even wonder how Adam and Eve could have been so foolish as to have thrown aside an that God had given them in the morning of their existence. We would not have fallen so easily--or would we?
Part of the problem is that the tempter wears a disguise when he slithers into our lives. As Mephistopheles says in the drama Faust, "People do not know the devil is there even when he has them by the throat.”
The Bible tells us that the serpent was "More cunning than any beast of the field" (Gen. 3:1). No ominous hissing or rattling warned of danger. He didn't ask, "Pardon me, may I have 20 minutes to destroy your life?”
Public Enemy No. 1 uses the same tactics today as he did back then. God's Word warns us that Satan comes as an angel of light, and his cohorts appear as ministers of righteousness. We must be vigilant to prevent such a crafty deceiver from sneaking into our lives,
Are you loving the things of the world? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to live in close fellowship with Christ (1 Jn. 2:28). Don't be fooled by Satan's disguises. (We need to know God's truth to expose Satan's lies).]
[The PORTIA SPIDER is a master predator whose chief weapon is deception. To begin with, says Robert R. Jackson in National Geographic, “the spider looks like a piece of dried leaf or foliage blown into the web. When it attacks other species of spiders, it uses a variety of methods to lure the host spider into striking range.
Sometimes it crawls onto the web and taps the silken threads in a manner that mimics the vibrations of a mosquito caught in the web. The host spider marches up for dinner and instead becomes a meal itself.”
The Portia spider can actually tailor its deception for its prey. With a type of spider that maintains its home inside a rolled up leaf, the Portia dances on the outside of the leaf, imitating a mating ritual.
Jackson writes, "Portia can find a signal for just about any spider by trial and error. It makes different signals until the victim spider finally responds appropriately-then keeps making the signal that works." Like the Portia spider, Satan's weapon of choice is deception.]
Bible teacher William Evans wrote, "It is popular in some circles today to spell the word devil with the letter d left off. This reduces the idea of an actual being called the devil to a MERE INFLUENCE called evil.”
"If the devil can't mislead people that way," Evans continued, “he would have them think of him as that horrible, monstrous looking creature with a forked liked tail, dressed in a fiery red suit and with horns protruding from his head. If the devil can get folks to think of him like that, then when he comes as an angel 1ight he will not be recognized, and so find it easier to beguile his unsuspecting victims."
When we trust Christ as Savior, we have peace with God, but at the same time we come into conflict with the devil. Our "adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Pet 5:8). That's why the Bible says, "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (Eph. 6:11).
We who know Christ can overcome the devil and the evil he spawns by learning and obeying God's Word. Remember that greater is He who is within you than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). The Devil may be out of vogue, but his business is booming.
[Imagine a FIRE INSPECTOR -who is also a firebug! He arrives at the scene in time to enjoy the blaze. See his warped satisfactions mount with the smoke and flames. When the investigation is conducted he knows where to look for the evidence and he disguises it No one suspects his repeated presence at the fires, a fire inspector belongs there. With all clues removed, how long would it take to discover such a firebug? A long time? Indeed. His disguise is perfect. Who'd suspect a fire inspector -as a FIREBUG?
Satan needs obscurity for his work. He depends on the cloak of personal darkness. One of his greatest weapons has been his ability to convince people he doesn't exist. Because of this, he can do his work without any fear of being observed by God's people.
How can Christians refuse to consider someone whose access to them is similar to that of the Holy Spirit? How can they ignore someone whose knowledge of human weakness and godlike power to exploit it allows Christians to be taken captive by his will?" Easy, dear friend. He has a perfect disguise. He is like the fire inspector who is also a firebug. No one would suspect Satan was behind this disguise.
Satan deceived Adam and Eve in the beginning, promising life if one would but disobey God and believe him (Gen. 3:4). He was both a liar and a murder. He has not changed.]
Verse 15 parallels Satan’s tricks with that of his servants. “Therefore, it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deed.”
Satan has many tools. One of his favorites is religious leaders. He delights to come to us through a preacher of law with the intent leading us away from the Lord. This should come as no surprise to us. Jesus Himself said, "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying I am the Christ; and shall deceive many" Matt. 24:4-5). It is the consistent witness of Scripture that the last days will be characterized, more than anything else, by an increase in false prophets and counterfeit religions. Satan's primary tactic is not to build a church and call it "The First Church of Satan." He is far too clever for that. He invades the Sunday School, the seminary classroom and the pulpit, and he disguises himself as a man of God, a preacher of righteousness by works of law.
Prior to his conversion Paul was a zealous advocate of righteousness. But it was a man achieved or merited righteousness. After Paul's conversion he preached the saving power of God's amazing grace.
Likewise these servants may have seemed righteous but like white washed tombs on the inside they were only death & decay (Mt. 23:27-280. [Also see our Lord’s discussion with the Pharisees in John 8]. Since their deeds lead away from Christ & His saving Gospel their end is to be “in accordance with their perverseness.” False teachers who follow Satan’s lead will face the same just end that Satan faces, namely, destruction.
In CLOSING
It serves Satan’s purposes to set up good works against the atonement of Christ, and salvation by faith and grace. All our works though are as filthy rags before God until we are surrendered to the Lordship of Christ and become motivated by His love to live our life in the power of the Holy Spirit. [Many other spirits are in the world & they love to dress up in the lies of religion.]
With so may varied religious groups, cults, near cults & heresies today, we can't know them all. How, then, can we discern the true from the false? Billy Graham told that his wife, Ruth, sat at a banquet one evening with the head of Scotland Yard's counterfeit investigation division. As they talked, she asked him if he did not spend a great deal of time studying counterfeit bills. The inspector replied, "Quite to the contrary. I spend my time studying the real." That way, when he saw a phony, a counterfeit bill, he could spot it immediately. The best advice against deception I can give is: I urge you to spend your time getting to know Christ & His Word. When you know the real, you can more easily spot the counterfeit!
