Faithful
2 Corinthians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 2 views2CR29 2 Corinthians 11:1–4 Jealous Much 20240121
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2 Corinthians 11:1-4
Many in the world complain about the jealousy of God, the claim him arrogant, prideful like we would of any man. We call it a vice. But there is a righteous jealousy. If someone is flirting with your husband/wife, your jealousy is warranted. Because you are one flesh with your spouse and no one should interfere with that. The same comes with our worship. Eugene Merrill said,
The “jealousy” (or “zeal”) of God speaks not of a petty, selfish envy but of his right to sole recognition and worship by virtue of his sovereignty over and election of his people in covenant.
Eugene H. Merrill
Paul is gonna explore that Godly Jealousy in a person, and see how important truth is in the body of Christ. We left off with 2 Corinthians 10:17–18 “But “he who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” 18For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.”
Which is funny, because Paul first says, in light of this bear with me a bit, as he launches into what amounts to a commendation for his ministry. It almost seems like Paul is making fun of himself. But he is very, very serious. Eternity is riding on this.
1 Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly—and indeed you do bear with me. 2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!
Engaged or Betrothed to Christ 1-2, Engaged or Betrothed to the Devil 3-4
Engaged to Christ 1-2
Engaged to Christ 1-2
1 Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly—and indeed you do bear with me.
with the seriousness of what Paul is about to address even in these few verses, his turn of phrase here is that he is going to share something that sounds dumb, aphrosyne, foolish, silly. But that they need to grin an bear it, like they do everything with him lol.
I get this. There are times where I can see that you guys are enduring what I’m putting out, but God gave to me to serve, so serve I must. And though my metaphors may sound odd, but I mean well :)
Paul had told them before 1 Corinthians 3:1–3 “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?”
later in this chapter he will say, 2 Corinthians 11:16 “I say again, let no one think me a fool. If otherwise, at least receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little.” If i am so simple, let me keep going.
What sounds like folly can be God wisdom because we often in our sin and rebellion cant grasp it. Paul said back in 1 Corinthians 1:21 “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”
so now, he has to teach them something that they already surely knew, but had forgotten or ben tempted away from.
2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
one of the reasons they should listen, is Paul has a godly jealousy. We talked about that. There is a righteous jealousy. And since we understand normal jealousy, we can get kinda what Paul is getting at. They are giving sway to these false teachers, instructing them to ignore the moral teachings, spiritualizing everything and ignoring the plain teaching of scripture. He is like their dad, bringing them to their relationship with Christ.
Paul uses this metaphor because #1 its biblical, #2 to get people to hear and understand what he is is telling them. Reminding them of their relationship and how much they love each other, per example turn to Galatians 4:12–20 “Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I became like you. You have not injured me at all. 13You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. 14And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. 15What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me. 16Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth? 17They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them. 18But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you. 19My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, 20I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.” The danger is always there for each of us. Satan seeks to take what we have been given, destroy our testimony and have us walk far from Him.
Betrothed - hermosamen - promised in marriage; his metaphor is that he is presenting you to one husband (Jesus) as a pure untouched bride. As I said, this is an old and new testament thought that we might understand whats happening here. God said Hosea 2:19–23 ““I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me In righteousness and justice, In lovingkindness and mercy; 20I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, And you shall know the Lord. 21“It shall come to pass in that day That I will answer,” says the Lord; “I will answer the heavens, And they shall answer the earth. 22The earth shall answer With grain, With new wine, And with oil; They shall answer Jezreel. 23Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth, And I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; Then I will say to those who were not My people, ‘You are My people!’ And they shall say, ‘You are my God!’ ”” beautiful picture of how we are permanently attached via this marriage.
this betrothal, this promise Paul assures us, is for all who are in Christ, not according to the law. Ephesians 5:31–32 ““For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”
As a chaste virgin. A pure bride. We need to be faithful to him, commited even as we are already his in our betrothal. Purity, chaste, hagnos, it speaks of innocence. We cannot be in the world and in Him. If your fiancé was hanging on other guys/gals, being involved with them, kissing, etc, you’d call it off. Commitment is commitment.
Colossians 1:28 “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” guys we cannot freely live in sin and think we are “chaste” or “perfect”. James says plainly, James 4:4 “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
He is coming for His bride, be assured, Psalm 98:9 “For He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, And the peoples with equity.” and be assured, the enemy is after you.
Betrothed to the Devil 3-4
Betrothed to the Devil 3-4
3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
The serpent of course is satan. And this is a nod at the first fall back in Eden Gen 3.
Simplicity - haplotetos - The word means “sincerity, singleness of devotion, singleminded.” Christ does it all. Our salvation is in Him. Since we are dead to sin, we can live in Him. We often want to “do something” to earn our salvation or feel like when we fail we just need to abandon (become full on adulterers see james above) and think, well I guess I couldnt hack it. Thats the precisely wrong attitude.
Everyone can be tempted. And like Adam and Eve, the enemy has definite designs on us. Paul taught 1 Corinthians 15:47 “The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.” the serpent tricked eve. And we as the bride of the New Adam, have the same enemy. We see in Genesis Gen. 3:4, 13 the biggest lie was you will not die in sinning against God and Eve was deceived. As perfect as Eden was, sin entered in. As perfect as our church might be, sin can enter in.
The church (all of us) has been falling to temptation since we entered into this - Paul told the church in Thessalonica, 1 Thessalonians 3:5 “For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain.” Our hearts can be divided,
A divided heart leads to a defiled life and a destroyed relationship. And when we have decided to “cheat”, any excuse suffices. We begin first by making expectations of ourselves, adding laws or ignoring morals, then we change our expectations of God. We should be focused on walking in the Spirit. Why would we add anything to our salvation other than, Repent, Believe, Receive? ABC?
4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!
Now the church in Galatia encountered this, a Jesus Paul didn’t preach and was really rejecting the plain teaching of the Gospel - in Galatians 1:6-8 Paul even told them that anyone that teaches a different Gospel is accursed, doomed. How much more someone that accepts such a false Gospel?
Bad doctrine is dangerous. Many complain that we focus too much on the bible, that we are modern day pharisees when we don’t just roll with it and I am sorry folks, I cannot play with the truth so loosely. We really do need to judge what we submit ourselves to.
Even John (the Apostle of Love) said, 1 John 4:1 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
This wasn't a new teaching, there is always the temptation to be drawn away. But even when we do, Jesus call us to come to Him. Jeremiah 3:1 ““They say, ‘If a man divorces his wife, And she goes from him And becomes another man’s, May he return to her again?’ Would not that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the harlot with many lovers; Yet return to Me,” says the Lord.” We need to stop flirting with the world and commit fully to the lover of our souls.
Notice, there is a deception here and it seems that we could entertain these false spirits and do! Do I think that someone could “lose” their salvation? Well Jesus said no one can take us from Him, but…
also, we have to see that false teaching isn’t just bad teaching what he’s pointing out is how desperate and how wicked these guys truly are, Wiersbe said, “Satan, of course, is crafty. He knows that believers will not immediately accept a lie, so the enemy has to “bait the hook” and make it easy for us to accept what he has to offer. Basically, Satan is an imitator: he copies what God does and then tries to convince us that his offer is better than God’s. How does he do this? By using counterfeit ministers who pretend to serve God, but who are really the servants of Satan.
Satan has a counterfeit gospel (Gal. 1:6–12) that involves a different savior and a different spirit. Unfortunately, the Corinthians had “welcomed” this “new gospel,” which was a mixture of Law and grace and not a true gospel at all. There is only one Gospel and, therefore, there can be only one Saviour (1 Cor. 15:1ff). When you trust the Saviour, you receive the Holy Spirit of God within, and there is only one Holy Spirit.” Paul says without a doubt, turn and read: 2 Corinthians 11:13–15 “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” and like satan, they are beguiling the mind of those that know Him through a corrupt imitation of. They don’t become Angels or Real ministers. They are false in every way.
The accusation and immorality is undeniable 2 Corinthians 6:14–16 “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God.” We walk in truth because we literally worship the truth.
What are we willing to put up with? What is it that we’re willing to tolerate to excuse to have in our homes? We often like the Corinthians did will put up with a lot just to be able to enjoy the things of the world to be able to enjoy the things of the cultures that we’re in you and I need to remember that we are pilgrims we’re not citizens of this world where citizens of another one. You just have to make a decision as to which one you want to be a citizen of. As you ponder that let me say…
In Closing
Isaiah 61:10 “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” Isaiah 62:5 For as a young man marries a virgin, So shall your sons marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you.
Your God rejoices over you. Over me. How he truly loves us. would you receive the promise now? Eternal life? Would you Repent? Believe? Receive?