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2 Corinthians 11 | The Upward Way | Bible Study with A. Z. Adams — Transcript

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0:00Second Corinthians chapter 11 verse 1. I
0:03wish that you would bear with me in a
0:05little foolishness,
0:07but indeed you are bearing with me.
0:10For I am jealous for you with a godly
0:14jealousy.
0:16For I betrothed you to one husband,
0:19so that
0:20to Christ I might present you
0:23>> [music]
0:23>> as a pure virgin.
0:26But I am afraid that as the serpent
0:29deceived [music]
0:30Eve by his craftiness,
0:33your minds will be led astray from the
0:37simplicity and purity of devotion to
0:41Christ.
0:43For if one comes and preaches another
0:46Jesus,
0:47whom we have not preached, or you
0:50receive a different spirit, which you
0:52have not received, or a different
0:55gospel, which you have not accepted,
0:58you bear this beautifully.
1:02For I consider myself not in the least
1:06inferior to the most eminent apostles.
1:09But even if I am unskilled in speech,
1:13yet I am not so in knowledge.
1:15In fact, in every way we have made this
1:18evident to you all in all things.
1:22Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself
1:26so that you might be exalted?
1:29Because I preached the gospel of God to
1:31you without charge.
1:34What is Paul saying?
1:37He's saying, "I want you guys to bear
1:39with me, and I'm going to speak so plain
1:43that it's going to be embarrassing to
1:44me, and it's going to sound foolish. I'm
1:46going to sound like this guy who's
1:48trying to protect his turf.
1:51But I'm just going to be plain because
1:53you're so carnally minded you can't
1:55understand anything else." So he starts
1:57speaking in a manner that he calls
1:58foolish.
2:01And he tells them, "Here's the Here's
2:03the truth. I am jealous over you with a
2:05godly jealousy.
2:07I am afraid that
2:10as the serpent deceived Eve by his
2:14craftiness, your minds will be led
2:17astray from the simplicity and purity of
2:21devotion to Jesus."
2:24Now, he is afraid that counterfeit
2:27apostolic ministry is going to take root
2:30in the Corinthian church. That is what
2:32he's fighting.
2:34And he calls that the mechanism of the
2:37serpent.
2:38Now, how did the serpent deceive Eve?
2:41The very first sin the serpent enticed
2:46Eve to commit was suspicion.
2:50To get her to question whether she could
2:52trust Adam and whether she could trust
2:55God. So, the pseudo apostles, the
2:59counterfeit ministry
3:01that works like the serpent, it sows
3:04doubt. Did God really say what Adam told
3:08you he said, that you could not eat of
3:10these trees?
3:12And then let's exaggerate what God said.
3:14Let's make it sound oppressive. Let's
3:17reframe fruitful ministry and say, "Did
3:21God really say you could not eat from
3:23any tree in the garden?"
3:26Do you see how the serpent works to
3:29undermine authority that was sent for
3:32our good?
3:34We don't know how long Adam and Eve had
3:37been in the garden. We tend to think it
3:39was a couple afternoons, and it could
3:41have been a couple hundred years.
3:43We don't really know.
3:44We just know that on a particular day
3:48the serpent began to ask a certain kind
3:50of question that absolutely made her
3:53doubt Adam and then made her doubt God.
3:56And he was there to insinuate his own
4:00oppressive authority in place
4:03of the healthy authority
4:05that God had given.
4:10And then he says
4:11that this he's worried that they're
4:13going to come preaching another Jesus
4:16whom we have not preached
4:19and preaching a different gospel
4:22that we have not given.
4:25And he says, "And they do this and you
4:27accept it beautifully."
4:30And I want to ask you, Connie, is that a
4:32compliment to the Corinthian church that
4:35they accept it beautifully?
4:37That they are so incapable of smelling
4:41the difference
4:43between the snake and the voice of the
4:45Lord between the reasoning of the snake
4:48and the teaching of God
4:51that they accept it beautifully. Oh,
4:53wow, this is a real beautiful insight.
4:57I don't know why we didn't see this
4:58sooner.
5:01Is he complimenting them that you accept
5:03it beautifully?
5:06And then he says, "For I consider myself
5:08not in the least inferior to the most
5:11eminent apostles."
5:14The most eminent apostles are the ones
5:16who are probably deceiving them, these
5:18charlatans.
5:21And then he acknowledges, "I may not be
5:23as good as them in my speech.
5:25I might not be able to teach as well.
5:28But in knowledge
5:30I've proven that I have the wisdom of
5:33God
5:34just as much as anybody else. Now, let's
5:37just say right here there's probably a
5:39high likelihood
5:42that the Apostle Paul was not the most
5:44powerful preacher.
5:47There's probably a high likelihood that
5:50he didn't have the most leading
5:53personality.
5:55But his apostleship did not attach to
5:58those specific leadership qualities.
6:02It attached to a gift of wisdom and
6:06knowledge and precision.
6:08In fact, his apostleship is being
6:11undermined, questioned, and challenged
6:14because he doesn't have those kind of
6:17charismatic gifts
6:19in the same level that some may have.
6:21Now, I'm not saying he doesn't have
6:23charismatic gifts. I'm saying those
6:25specific kind of charismatic gifts,
6:27powerful preaching,
6:29powerful presence.
6:32Instead, he's a small man. He probably
6:35has a quiet personality,
6:38but he's got a precision
6:40that the Lord Jesus used to lay the
6:43blueprint for the whole church of the
6:45future. He [snorts] had an apostolic
6:48wisdom for the church that nobody else
6:51had. Not Peter, not James, not John,
6:53nobody else gave us the Pauline wisdom
6:57for the ecclesia of God.
7:01But if I am unskilled in speech, yet I
7:03am not so in knowledge.
7:06In fact, in every way we have made this
7:08evident to you all in everything.
7:12Or did I commit a sin
7:14in humbling myself so that you might be
7:17exalted?
7:19Paul went out of his way to be
7:21deferential, to give people space,
7:25to let them do what they needed to do,
7:27to let them be honored.
7:29He let the local ministry team take the
7:32lead.
7:33He humbled himself
7:36so that they would be exalted. And now
7:38he's wondering, did I sin by doing that?
7:42Did I sin by letting you have more
7:45liberty and freedom?
7:47He's afraid that he did because they've
7:49become lifted up in their pride.
7:53I robbed other churches by taking wages
7:56from them to serve you. He's saying,
8:00"I worked on another church's salary
8:02when I visited you.
8:04They were paying me to come serve in
8:06your church. Your church is rich.
8:10And I should have made you support the
8:11ministry more.
8:13But I'm afraid I committed a sin by
8:15trying to exalt you, by trying to give
8:17you space.
8:19And when I was present with you and was
8:22in need, I was not a burden to anyone.
8:26For when the brethren came from
8:28Macedonia, they fully supplied my need
8:31and in everything I kept myself from
8:33being a burden to you and will continue
8:36to do so.
8:38Paul, when he was ministering in
8:39Corinth, he didn't want to stay in their
8:41houses, he didn't want to take their
8:43money, he didn't want to take their
8:44food.
8:45He served with no burden to them because
8:49he didn't trust them.
8:52And
8:54members from another church from
8:55Macedonia who were poor,
8:58who were going through twice the
8:59tribulation, they came along and gave
9:02Paul what he needed so that he could
9:04serve Corinth and not be any burden
9:06because he knew they were
9:07hyper-sensitive.
9:10And they were going to jump on his
9:12needs like a duck on a June bug. "Oh,
9:15he's taking our money.
9:16Oh, he's taking our authority." He knew
9:19the utter immaturity and carnality that
9:23guided their whole outlook.
9:26As the truth of Christ is in me, this
9:29boasting of mine will not be stopped in
9:31the regions of Achaia. Why? Because I do
9:34not love you? God knows I do.
9:38But what I am doing, I will continue to
9:40do so that I may cut off opportunity
9:43from those who desire an opportunity to
9:45be regarded just as we are in the matter
9:49about which they are boasting.
9:50I am going to cut off the opportunity
9:52for others to say that they have done
9:54what we've done. I'm going to cut off an
9:56opportunity for them to compare
9:58themselves to us.
9:59I won't do it.
10:02For such men are false apostles.
10:05And this is the serpent that's deceiving
10:08the Eve church.
10:10Such men are false apostles, deceitful
10:13workers,
10:15disguising themselves as apostles of
10:17Christ.
10:19So they have a manner and an appearance
10:23that looks better than Paul.
10:27But they have a heart and a fruit
10:29that should point in the other
10:31direction.
10:33No wonder, for even Satan disguises
10:37himself as an angel of light.
10:41He says they're just as clever as the
10:43devil.
10:45He's able to show up as an angel of
10:47light.
10:49Therefore, it is not surprising if his
10:51servants also disguise themselves as
10:54servants of righteousness,
10:56whose end will be according to their
10:58deeds.
11:01Again, I say,
11:03let no one think me foolish, but if you
11:05do, receive me even as foolish, so that
11:09I also may boast a little.
11:12What I am saying, I am not saying as the
11:15Lord would, but as in foolishness,
11:18in this confidence of boasting.
11:21Since many boast according to the flesh,
11:23I will boast also.
11:25He's saying, "I don't like talking like
11:27this, but if we're going to start
11:28tallying up all the great things that
11:30are happening, okay, I can do the same
11:32thing.
11:34Jesus wouldn't do this. I don't feel
11:36like this is how I want to normally
11:37talk. But if you want to start doing
11:39this, let's let's go ahead and do it.
11:42And then if you're going to receive
11:43those who come to you doing this and you
11:45buy into their appearances, okay, here
11:48here's my appearances, too.
11:51Since many boast according to the flesh,
11:53I will also boast.
11:55For you, being so wise, tolerate the
11:58foolish gladly.
12:02For you tolerate it if anyone enslaves
12:05you, if anyone devours you, anyone takes
12:08advantage of you, anyone exalts himself,
12:11anyone hits you in the face.
12:16He thinks that's what these false
12:18apostles are actually doing and he
12:21thinks the Corinthians are stupid for
12:23accepting it.
12:25He thinks that they're being enslaved,
12:27devoured, taken advantage of.
12:33And hit in the face. To my shame, I must
12:36say that we have been weak by
12:38comparison. So, he's being sarcastic
12:41here. It's like, "Oh, boy, I am so
12:43embarrassed. We never did that to you."
12:47But in whatever respect anyone else is
12:50bold, I speak in foolishness, I am just
12:53as bold myself.
12:56Are they Hebrews?
12:59So am I.
13:01Are they Israelites? So am I.
13:05Are they descendants of Abraham? So am
13:09I.
13:10Are they servants of Christ?
13:12I speak as if insane,
13:15I more so.
13:18In far more labors, in far more
13:21imprisonments,
13:22beaten times without number, often in
13:25danger of death.
13:27Paul's embarrassed that he's even
13:28talking like this, but he's like, "Are
13:30you this Are you really thinking on this
13:32level? Can you not see the bigger
13:34picture?
13:37Are you not able to hear according to
13:39the knowledge of the Lord? Can you only
13:41hear and judge by appearances?"
13:44He's embarrassed.
13:46Five times I received from the Jews 39
13:49lashes.
13:51Five times he was beaten with the the
13:54legal limit, which was
13:5639 lashes.
13:58Three times I was beaten with rods. Once
14:01I was stoned.
14:03Three times I was shipwrecked.
14:06A night and day I have spent in the
14:08deep.
14:10I have been on frequent journeys, in
14:13dangers from rivers, dangers from
14:15robbers, dangers from my countrymen,
14:18dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in
14:20the city, dangers in the wilderness,
14:23dangers on the sea, dangers among false
14:26brethren.
14:29I have been in labor and hardship
14:32through many sleepless nights, in hunger
14:35and thirst, often without food, in cold
14:39and exposure.
14:40Apart from such external things, there
14:43is the daily pressure on me of concern
14:47for all the churches.
14:50He says, "Here's all the physical
14:51things, but apart from all this, I live
14:53under a constant pressure every day
14:57for all the churches."
15:00Who is weak
15:02without my being weak?
15:04He says, "The the pressure I feel for
15:06the churches is that when you start to
15:08grow weak,
15:10I am struggling. I'm trying to get the
15:12mind of God to know how to help you. I'm
15:15writing you a letter. I'm praying at
15:16night for you. I'm sending someone to
15:18help you. Your weakness is felt by me.
15:22I'm not ambivalent. I'm not distant. Who
15:25is weak among these churches
15:28without my becoming weak?
15:30Who is led into sin without my intense
15:33concern?
15:36If I have to boast, I will boast of what
15:39pertains to my [music] weakness.
15:43The God and Father of our Lord Jesus
15:46who is blessed forever [music]
15:48knows that I am not lying.
15:51In Damascus,
15:52the ethnarch under Aretas
15:55>> [music]
15:55>> the king was guarding the city of the
15:57Damascenes in order to seize me, and I
16:00was let down in a basket [clears throat]
16:02through a window in the wall and so
16:04escaped his hands. [music]
16:07What is Paul saying?
16:09He's saying, "You are such children,
16:11Corinthians.
16:13You're being led astray.
16:15And you're being led astray by people
16:18who are coming with big appearances, and
16:20you're not able to judge by anything but
16:22appearances. And they've got great talk,
16:25but they don't have great fruit.
16:27They haven't borne the fruit in other
16:29churches that they're trying to
16:31experiment on you.
16:33And yet you're gulping it down. You're
16:34receiving them gladly. You're accepting
16:37it beautifully."
16:39He says, "If If this is what you accept
16:41these false apostles on the basis of,
16:43okay. I'll show you I've got all that
16:45and more."
16:46But he's embarrassed even talk like this
16:48cuz this isn't how we [music] should be
16:50judging each other.
16:53We shouldn't be judging each other. We
16:54should be judging [music] by the spirit.
16:56We should be judging by the love of
16:59fatherhood and sonship.
17:01We shouldn't have this whole approach,
17:03and he's saying, "If you're going to go
17:04down this trail, I can go there just as
17:07much." [music]
17:08But this starts to give us an insight of
17:10how shallow things had become. [music]
17:13It starts to give us an insight of the
17:15charlatans and pretenders that had risen
17:17up in the Corinthian church
17:20and that were
17:21taking the role of the serpent and
17:23trying [music] to deceive the Eve church
17:25in this instance.
17:28>> [music]
17:39[music]

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