Thursday, May 30, 2019

2019.05.30 Hopewell @Home ▫ 2 Corinthians 11:1-15

Questions for Littles: In what does the apostle urge them to bear with him in 2 Corinthians 11:1? What does he feel toward the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 11:2)? What kind of jealousy? To how many husbands had he betrothed them? What did this make them and to whom? Now what does the apostle feel in 2 Corinthians 11:3? What was a previous example of someone getting God’s people to over-complicate things? From what was the apostle concerned that their minds might be corrupted? What name were the false preachers preaching (2 Corinthians 11:4)? What did they claim to give the Corinthians to receive? What did they claim to offer the Corinthians to accept? What did they even claim to be (2 Corinthians 11:5)? What did Paul not do as well as the super-apostles (2 Corinthians 11:6a, cf. 2 Corinthians 4:2)? But in what was the apostle *not* untrained? And who had seen the proof of that? What had Paul not received from the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 11:7)? Who enabled him to minister there (2 Corinthians 11:8)? What did he refuse to be to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 11:9)? Though they thought being an unpaid preacher was a knock against him, how did the apostle think of it in 2 Corinthians 11:10? From 2 Corinthians 11:11, what do some of them even have appeared to say is the reason he took no salary from them? But of what is he cutting off the super-apostles (2 Corinthians 11:12)? What kind of apostles are they, really (2 Corinthians 11:13)? Who was the pattern for this kind of false transformation (2 Corinthians 11:14)? Instead of being according to their appearance, according to what will the false apostles’ end be (2 Corinthians 11:15)?
In this passage, we find out a little more about how some Corinthians were getting the idea that it was OK to just keep going in their sins and not repent. There were actually so-called “super apostles” claiming that Christ, by His Spirit, in His gospel permitted and encouraged this.

That’s the real problem when someone comes up with supposedly Christian formulations that tolerate or even promote going on in sin. Not merely because it gets Christians into bad stuff.

But because a Christ who leaves you in your sin or doesn’t mind it is a false christ.

And a Spirit who is not at war with your sin is a false spirit.

And a gospel that does not liberate you from your sin’s control, and engage you against your sin in combat, is a false gospel.

These are not just nitpicky theology arguments. This is the absolute heart of the gospel. The sin-tolerators often dress it up in gospel language. Christ. The Spirit. The Gospel. Grace (cf. Romans 6:1). But it is exactly the opposite. Satan. Deception. Corruption.

Marriage can be difficult, but it’s not that complicated. Your husband is the only one for you, and there is no excuse for unfaithfulness to him. Christianity is difficult, but it’s actually not that complicated. Christ is the only One for you, and there is no excuse for unfaithfulness to Him. Anything that offers an excuse for unfaithfulness just isn’t Christianity.
What sins do you have a tendency to tolerate? Whom has Jesus given to help you?
Suggested songs: ARP23B “The Lord’s My Shepherd” or TPH187 “I Belong to Jesus”

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