Stand Strong in the Word
Stand Strong in the Word is a weekly bible study that teaches through the Bible verse by verse in chronological order. For more information, visit www.standstrongministries.org.
Stand Strong in the Word
#294 “Spotting Lies in Disguise: Unmasking False Apostles” Part 2 (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)
What are the telltale signs of a false apostle? In this episode, we’ll examine characteristics such as manipulation, a focus on self-promotion, and a lack of accountability, so you can recognize these traits of a false apostle.
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What are the dead giveaways of a false apostle? In this episode, we'll explore signs like manipulation, a focus on self-promotion and a lack of accountability, according to God's Word, so that you are able to spot these traits from a false apostle and no longer be deceived. So turn to 2 Corinthians, chapter 11, and let's stand strong in the word of God together. Well, hey there, my friends, welcome to Stand Strong in the Word podcast. Jason Heman is with you, as always. Blessed to be with you guys as we continue our study here in the book of 2 Corinthians and we're going to be looking at verses 13 through 15. And this is part two, and the title is Spotting Lies in Disguise.
Speaker 1:Now, oftentimes what happens is people say something seems off. I can't quite put my finger on it. I know there's some manipulation, I know there are signs of something being off right, or I don't see this person really, you know, having accountability. Now, to give you an example of this, I on my YouTube channel, Stand Strong with Jason Jimenez. I encourage you guys to check that out and subscribe. I appreciate your support. But I did a recent video about Steve Lawson and where you do see a man in the ministry who was not being held accountable the way that he should have, not to say that he would have gotten in that sin, but we clearly know, based on scriptures, what the Bible teaches. I mean, as I'm sitting here in studio sharing this with you guys right now, I'm accountable not just to people that God has placed in my life in ministry, but I also have my pastors and elders in my local church who shepherd and take care of me and my family, accountable to my wife, my kids. I have a men's group on a weekly basis where we come together in God's word and we share and we pray for each other. There are brothers in my life, whether they do what I do for a living or they're just godly men, who hold me accountable. And there's times where you have to confess your shortcomings or things you're struggling with. I had that a few weeks ago in one of my travels with a dear friend that I don't get to see much. That's very important, and false apostles don't have that. So, yes, that's one area they're going to be looking at today.
Speaker 1:But Paul specifically addresses what they do to disguise their deception, to disguise their false teaching, and sometimes it could be hard. And so one thing I do want to say to you guys up front we are to be like the brands You'll hear me say that oftentimes in Acts 17, verse 11, we are to search the scriptures. They did that to ensure what Paul was teaching was sound. Paul gives some criteria of how we can go about doing that in this passage in chapter 11. And so I encourage you if you missed out on any previous passages that we've covered different episodes, take a look at those things, take a listen If you have questions.
Speaker 1:Matter of fact, one of our listeners brought up an individual that I was actually looking to do and, as I'm writing a book on spiritual warfare, this individual is in the deliverance ministry category and I'm not entirely anti-deliverance ministry. But we got to be very careful because a lot of people have different connotations and different meanings of what that looks like and they kind of like add a little element that's stretching maybe a particular passage, or they misinterpret it, or they interpret this way and they feel like the Holy Spirit has directed them that way and then over time they start implementing a practice that we do not see is biblical. But I was so proud of this listener and, by the way, just let me say thank you guys for listening and your support for this ministry that we're doing on a weekly basis, and I wanna encourage you, just like this listener. If you have a question, if there is a concern, let us know. Info at stanstrawministriesorg. Always check out our website, stanstrawministriesorg. But I was so impressed because they were hitting on areas that I myself am concerned about.
Speaker 1:Now we have to be careful, though, when we're putting people in categories as a false teacher or false prophet or false apostle. There are commonalities and things that are interlocked, like manipulation and twisting scripture, but they're also unique in the way they go about in their office. So anybody who's using a prophet or an apostle I don't think we should. I think the Bible is very specific historically, theologically and bically, and the office and the giftedness of certain people that held that and that time has ceased. So, when you are getting engaged in conversation with someone in the charismatic movement that's holding to an apostle, I want you to apply some of the stuff that we're going to be learning today, whether it be the new apostolic reformation, and you can also go back and search on my YouTube channel, where a friend of mine, holly Pivick, and I discussed that on our challenging conversations podcast.
Speaker 1:So, with that being said, let me just dive right in and then jump back a little bit to kind of give us proper context. So, if you see, here it says for such men in 2 Corinthians 11, verse 13, are false apostles. So notice, he directly calls out these people. Now, who is he referring to? Well, if you go back and remember what he said in verse 12, and what am I 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.
Speaker 1:So, if you remember, paul, in this context was referring to these individuals, these false apostles, as super apostles, because everything they did was comparing it to Paul and saying they're better than Paul. But at the same time, they're also trying to associate with Paul. That's why he says that the same terms. But that's a lie. And one thing we have to understand and again, the terminology here is pseudo-apostolos. So these are bogus teachers. They are pretending to be members of the church. They are pretending to be sent out to proclaim the gospel. Remember, paul talked about this in 2 Corinthians 5, talking about how ambassadors were in a ministry of reconciliation. So these people are claiming to be redeemed by Jesus while acting in ways that contradict his teachings.
Speaker 1:Gil Brandt writes this in his commentary quote. This term does not appear in any other extant ancient Greek literature except for its one appearance here in 2 Corinthians 11, verse 13. Here false apostles are called servants of Satan. We'll see that in verse 15. Such a title demonstrates the serious nature of their false teaching. They apparently were of Jewish origin, according to verse 22.
Speaker 1:The exact nature of their error is not clear, but Paul openly condemned them for preaching another Jesus, a different spirit and a different gospel in verse 4. The result of their teaching was that the Corinthians were being led away from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ Verse 3. Though they appeared busy in the work of Christ, they were serving themselves Like the one they served, regardless of how pure and wonderful they may have appeared on the outside. They were busy, corrupt. End quote. So one thing that's fascinating to understand about these false apostles is that they were preaching another Jesus. So they're false through and through. They're not real apostles because one they weren't given that position and then, according to Paul remember they were teaching another Jesus. That was anything other than what Jesus is as the God-man and if we go back and we look at Greco-Roman times that you know, hellenism was growing and they had this view that Jesus was a wonder worker but he wasn't God in the flesh.
Speaker 1:The term different spirit that these apostles were coming in, these false apostles, the term different spirit that these apostles were coming in, these false apostles, you know, could capture all types of meaning. Whether it be demonic, it could be a spirit of pride, the spirit of the world, according to 1 Corinthians, 2, verse 12. It could be the spirit of slavery, bringing you into bondage, something that Paul talked about when it came to. You know, bondage leaders in the book of Galatians came to you know, bondage leaders in the book of Galatians. Clearly, we know some of these people that were teaching the Corinthians were bringing him to legalism. So this is why they're false apostles. So these are not what we would refer to as Christians, as biblical Christians today. So that's something for us to really understand. To diagnose what is a false apostle Now. To diagnose what is a false apostle Now.
Speaker 1:The other thing that we have to focus in on here is that they're leading you away from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. So oftentimes a false apostle who's being sent out and being evangelistic and presenting a different spirit, a different Jesus. What they're demonstrating is that it's about them. Even though they're like hallelujah, praise God, praise Jesus, they're just glamorizing this stuff. Guys, that is not normal. I love the worshipfulness, but that is not normal when everything that I say imagine if I did on the podcast everything I was saying hallelujah, amen, praise Jesus, praise, be to his glory You'd be like, yeah, I mean like I'm with you. But when Jesus said verily, verily or the translation, we normally would get just amen, and then he would say something and you know it's saying this is truth, because he is the God of truth.
Speaker 1:We, when we say that, oftentimes it's a manipulative tactic. It's getting the people listening psychologically, kind of almost brainwashed, to already be in agreement. When you're hearing terms like hallelujah, we should be worshipful, amen. Like it's not just saying right, am I right? It's like you agree with me what I'm saying. You're like amen, you're. And then, especially if you're in a context and you're looking around and people are out of their hands up and it's supposed to be like this intimate time you're like is it just me? Then is there something wrong with me.
Speaker 1:But ultimately, when people do this in a manipulative way and they're self-promoting themselves, as I I said in the opening, oftentimes is a sign of a false teacher. In this case, we're specifically talking about an apostle, because that's what Paul was dealing with at this time, and there are still false apostles today. They're going to lead people away from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ because in that different spirit that they're being led, that's demonic, it's led by Satan and just like Satan deceived Eve in his cunningness, he went after her mind and he went there by challenging what Jesus actually said. So this word deceitful is doulos in Greek it means trickery, deceit, false representation. So again, all those things can be at play here what he's saying from the standpoint of a false apostle, who are deceitful workmen. So false teachers will deliberately misrepresent and this is when I'm using the phrase false teachers. This applies to prophets, teachers and apostles they will deliberately misrepresent the scriptures, they will highlight aspects of Paul's ministry and they will seize control of it, just like they were doing in the Corinthians, where they were coming alongside after Paul and saying, oh well, we agree with Paul, but we are concerned about these things, and they start planting doubt or they want to cause division.
Speaker 1:I had this years ago in ministry where a guy took over after I needed some time to really be restored and my wife and I well, we were engaged at the time and I went back to school and I had to get out of ministry time. And I went back to school and I had to get out of ministry and I felt like the leadership was not healthy and where I was at and it was affecting me and I made some bad calls and I was very prideful and I wasn't being teachable. So not all the fault lies on the leadership, but when I look back now, god was so faithful. But meanwhile somebody stepped in and just started making lies about me and so when I finally came in to share one time I'll never forget this and my wife at this point where we were now married people are so cold People that I had baptized people that I had discipled people who invited me over I mean, I can go on and on they just blew me off and come to find out this individual was planting lies and it caused division and it ultimately damaged me and the reputation that God had in that church. And this person was found out eventually of a lot of different types of sin and was asked to leave, you know, because he didn't want to face church discipline.
Speaker 1:So when Paul's referring to these false apostles, he says they're deceitful. Notice workmen. This Greek term means to engage, to give maximum effort through exertion. So literally, guys, these false apostles worked tirelessly to deceive and bring about destruction. In fact, if you go back to Philippians 3, verse 2, paul referred those false teachers that he was dealing with as evil workers and then notice this next phrase here disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
Speaker 1:Now remember, the key word in part one and part two is spotting lies in disguise. And as we do that, then you can start unmasking who this person really is, because the more lies start adding up and you start realizing wait a second, you're twisting this. You start realizing, wait a second, you're twisting this. You said this and then, when we questioned it, in all due respect, you backpedaled or you twisted it, and then you say this, and then it's like a double lie and a triple lie, and on and on we go and you see this oftentimes, and that's now the makeup of a deceitful workman who is disguising to be like one of you. Now, this word disguising is meta, schematizo, and it comes from the word meta, to change place, or to change the condition or to exchange, and schematizo is to form, to shape, to fashion. So you put this big word together and it's to change the form or shape or fashion. So it's not just them disguising to be like one of the apostles, like Paul, but to use that position to bring in destruction.
Speaker 1:So when you take this combined word, what Paul's conveying to these Corinthians about these individuals who are deceitful in the work that they do tirelessly? They are pretending. They put a lot of time and energy. If you've been around somebody who has acted for a living, that's their profession. They're memorizing lines, they're studying the character, they're dressing, they're in that character. You know they're changing their voice. They're around individuals that reflect the person they're playing. They're pretending to be what they are not and sometimes, when I've talked to actor friends of mine, a character who's so far different than they are is the hardest one to perform. Well, these false teachers were working tirelessly to pretend to be like Paul. They don't care what he has to say.
Speaker 1:Oftentimes people say that they're saying Jason, how can this person be amongst us and hear the gospel time and time again, be in this worshipful setting, see the unity, see the connection, and yet it doesn't change them. It was because their heart is hard towards God, because their intent is not to learn and be submissive and to be convicted. Their intent is to take advantage of the people around in that context, in that culture, in that setting. So they pretend to be in the service of Christ and yet what Paul's revealing here is there are intruders. They are treacherous in their behavior, they bragged about themselves rather than the gospel and they exploited people along the way. So look at your setting, look at the culture, look at the environment of your church. What type of intruders do you have, my friends? Who's bragging about themselves too much, who's exploiting and taking advantage of people. Who's deceiving people, taking advantage of getting their money and using a sense of false belief of how people need to donate.
Speaker 1:I just saw an individual who is asking for a certain amount of money so people could be healed this coming Easter. That's a false teacher, because many of these people they want to continue to support their lavish lifestyles and use that as a sign that God's blessing them. So again, just like the false religious leaders, they are whitewashed tombs. On the outside they present themselves as godly, holier than thou. Look at the blessings and yet inwardly they're dead. So Paul argues that these false apostles, they weren't commissioned by Jesus, but rather they were sent by Satan.
Speaker 1:Now what he does here is he takes verses 14 and 15 and to reinforce what he had just said in verse 13 and to make it stand out even more, because he says and no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So what he's doing is he's putting them in context to Satan. They do what they do because Satan does it, and that is their leader, that is an influencer. This is which is why they are a false apostle. And it's interesting because when Paul is describing Satan as an angel of light, that he disguises himself. Now this is a different Greek term. It's similar to the word disguising themselves as apostles of Christ, but it's a different term. In the Greek it means masquerading, to alter or to change the outward appearance, the cultural background study Bible says, quote Jewish tradition highlighted Satan's role as a deceiver and often depicted him coming in disguises.
Speaker 1:Most interpreted the deceitful serpent in Genesis 3 as Satan and the lustful sons of God in Genesis, verse 2, as fallen angels. In one tradition, satan even came disguised as a good angel to deceive Eve. In fact, it's called the angel of light in Jewish tradition and it says this Then Satan was angry and transformed himself into the brightness of angels and went away to the Tigris River, to Eve and found her weeping, and the devil himself, as if to grieve with her, began to weep and said to her step out of the river and cry no more. Come out to the water and I will lead you to the place where your food has been prepared. Now, that's not scripture, that's just Jewish tradition, and so some commentators believe that this reference that Paul's making about Satan is not only coming from the book of Genesis, the teachings of Jesus. But obviously we know that Paul was very well read. Maybe he was also familiar and there's some truth to what some Jewish tradition had.
Speaker 1:Now we know that Satan often presents himself in his original form as Lucifer, but that's not who he is, because he is embodied with evil. He is corrupt, so he pretends. Notice the word disguise is he alters, he can change his outward appearance. That's an ability that Satan has, but he is not light. He may pretend to be light, but it's fake. He deceptively appears as a figure resembling an angel sent from God, speaking the truth to some extent. But remember his intention because he's embodied with evil is to deceive through his cunningness. So he acts like he's a messenger. He acts like he's a guide. He acts like he's going to assist people. He's going to help people. Hey, I overheard that conversation you had with God. Or hey, how's your prayer life doing? Or hey, are you struggling in the Bible, like I'm struggling in the Bible, whatever it may look like.
Speaker 1:And we have to remember what Paul said towards the end of his ministry in Acts, chapter 26, verse 18, luke records this. He says that liberation comes when we are freed from the grip of Satan, when we come to Christ. He said to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness. Remember this is what God Christ himself had spoken to Saul of Tarsus when he'd become Paul the apostle. He says that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me. That only comes from Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1:Now Satan again he appears, he pretends, he masquerades like he is still this innocent, mighty, magnificent, glorious angel, but he does it to deceive. So a lot of things. You guys in the Christian space and I'm just using that if you see me in the studio, like you know, with air quotes not everything that says it's Christian or has a nice book cover on it with a cross or with the face of Jesus or talking about the teachings of Paul, is biblical. My book Hijacking Jesus addresses this. These different false portrayals, all these progressive Christians pretend like they love Jesus and we're bringing out a new Jesus. We're stripping all the veneer, all of the baggage, if you will, of legalism in church history that we put on Jesus. We're stripping all that and we're bringing about who he really is and he's a liberator, he's a woke teacher. He's a woke teacher, he's all inclusive. That's false.
Speaker 1:When Paul vividly illustrates our human condition, he describes it in conjunction of how we're held captive by Satan, that we're spiritually dead in our transgressions. Remember in Ephesians, chapter two, verses one through three, where he explains that we were once lifeless in our sins, following the ways of the world and influenced by the power of the ruler of the air. Oftentimes people fall prey because they assume they think that what they're doing is innocent, like, for example, recently I had somebody say yeah, but is spirit guides or mediums? Is that just a way that God channels? They're like channelers. God's using these people. No, no, no, no, that's demonic, you guys. God does not use mediums, he does not use spirit guides. And that's what Satan does. He pretends to be something that he's not. And so in verse 15, we say so. It is no surprise if his servants also so. See, notice how he's reinforcing what he just said in verse 13.
Speaker 1:For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, because Satan does that. And then he says so. It is no surprise then that we're gonna have false apostles, false teachers, false prophets. Because if there is a true Satan and he masquerades, pretending to be of God but he's not, then we shouldn't be shocked when in your church, someone who's pretending to be a servant of righteousness is not. But Paul says their in will correspond to their deeds. And that strikes a lot of people, because sometimes you see these people get away with it and you see them on another channel, you see them at another church, or you see them come out with another book and you're like why is that I'm like, hey, I can't explain it either, but one day their deeds will catch up. They'll be judged.
Speaker 1:So when Paul refers to these false apostles as a servant of Satan, that's what you and I have to understand. That's how demonic a lot of the activity in teaching is. So we're not to take this lightly. Just as Satan pretended to be an angel of truth, and these teachers are acting like they're bringing the true message of Jesus Christ and him crucified, when in reality they're using half-truths and leading people astray, satan was cast out. When Lucifer tried to exalt himself above God, he was cast out. There were angels who fallen angels that that is, at some point along the way, I believe, associated to Genesis six or cast into the dungeon, and they will receive their final fate. And we know Satan, who's the defeated foe, will one day land in the lake of fire. But these false apostles today, they need to be called out Now. That doesn't mean that they're going to be completely and totally punished and lose their job and can no longer espouse false doctrine again, but if they're around you, you have to call them out. Their end will correspond to their deeds. One day the false teachers will face judgment, as will their master, satan, remember.
Speaker 1:Paul writes in Romans 2, 6, he, that is, god, will render to each one according to his works. And we see this vividly when John describes this account of the great white throne judgment. He says then I saw in Revelation 20, verses 11 through 15, a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence, earth and sky fled away and no place was found for them, and I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne and the books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then verse 14 says Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire, and these are people who were told, whose names were not written in the book of life.
Speaker 1:So these false apostles may pretend like they're in the book of life, pretend that they're a church member, pretend, by the way, even if they were a church member? From a denominational, local standpoint, who cares? We have to remember what Peter told the church in 2 Peter 2. Just as there will be false teachers among you who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the master who brought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction, so in some cases they will receive swift destruction. But the bottom line is we are called to discern, to know when someone's lying as the title says, guys, right, spotting lies in disguise that we can unmask these false apostles so they don't continue to espouse them, spread them and cause people to be led astray.
Speaker 1:So hopefully, my friends, today, as we talked about what a false apostle is and some insight that you can have now, to use discernment, to use what the word of God teaches us, but to look around in your environments, okay, lord, who are servants of Satan, who are really people that are pretending to be of God but they're not, and I pray that that will bless you guys and keep you guys from being led astray by a false apostle. So, as always, you guys, thank you for listening If you find this podcast to be something that really speaks to you and helps you grow in your faith with wise thinking and bold living. I encourage you guys to leave us a review. Spread the love to other people so we can continue to grow our audience of God-fearing, bible-loving Christians all around the world, and go to standstrongministriesorg to check out all the resources that we have to help you. Continue to stand strong in your faith Until next time. Keep standing strong in the Word of God.