Jump Start # 3809
2 Corinthians 11:4 “For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.”
Without careful eyes, it seems that Paul is praising the Corinthians. He is not. He is using sarcasm. Another Jesus is not good. A different spirit is not good. A different Gospel is not good. Those things will not save you.
ESV: you put up with it readily enough
CEB: you put up with it so easily
This seems to carry more than the idea of patience and tolerance. It sounds like they enjoyed it and even embraced it. What a contrast to the false brethren in Galatians. There Paul said, “We did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour…”
In the age we live in today, what the Corinthians were doing is a real concern for God’s people. People say, “I just see that verse differently than you do.” Or, “We worship a little different than you.” And, it’s that “different” that has allowed so many to be introduced to things that are wrong. And, it’s that last word that so many simply cannot say today, “Wrong.” I couldn’t say it’s wrong, it’s just different. I wouldn’t do it, but I can’t say that it’s wrong. And, why can’t we say things are wrong? Even among our brethren there are things that are wrong. Not different, wrong.
Rather than drawing lines in the sand where God has, we just go along with things that are different. A different Jesus. A different spirit. A different Gospel. Paul wasn’t happy that the Corinthians were putting up with these things.
Here are some lessons for us:
First, we have drunk the poisonous Kool-Aid of Satan for so long, that wrong doesn’t seem so wrong. The silence of declaring things out of bounds, unbiblical and wrong has allowed ideas, practices and behaviors to be accepted by the people of God. Preachers that speak out against things that are wrong are accused of being unloving and hard. Audiences don’t want to hear sermons like that. Those that preach that way are often looking for another place to preach because the congregation doesn’t want to hear about things that are wrong.
And, once we have closed our ears to warnings about wrongs, we soon find ourselves tolerating wrong and then actually doing what is wrong.
Second, one does not have to be obnoxious, mean or ugly in standing for the truth. With love and passion in his heart, the man of God needs to sound forth the trumpet of warnings. To say nothing is to be negligent in your responsibilities. It’s that way in the church and it’s that way at home. Parents have to be the bad guys. When you try to be your child’s best friend and buddy, you’ll find yourself excusing wrongs. Buddies don’t tell each other about things that are wrong. Parents do.
Kindness and gentleness are many times found around the words of correction. There is a tone and a way to do things properly.
Third, the very nature of truth is narrow and exclusive. It is not inclusive. A five dollar bill is worth five dollars. Go to the store and try to convince someone that five means twenty and you’ll not purchase your items. You can declare that you see things differently. You can say five could mean twenty but it won’t work. And, it’s that nature of truth that bothers some. It is narrow. It is exclusive. Many want it to be inclusive. I want a Jesus that lets me do what I want to do. I want a Bible that is short on doctrine and emphasizes my happiness. I want. I want. I want. Truth doesn’t work that way.
So, if the topic is the operation, purpose of a congregation, the nature of worship, the means of salvation, our behavior, marriage and divorce, gender identity, God has stated and God has declared. I may want a different Jesus. I may be drawn to a different Gospel. But the nature of truth will not allow the borders of what God has said to be extended.
Some things are just wrong. They are not wrong because I don’t like them. They are wrong because they make me uncomfortable. They are wrong because of what the Bible says. They are wrong because they are out of bounds with God. They are wrong because the Scriptures do not support them.
This is not being negative. It is standing with the Lord. It is hating what God hates. It is loving what God loves. It is allowing the Lord to draw the line in the sand and standing with the Lord. It’s having a spiritual backbone to say, “No more. I stand with the Lord.” Let’s speak as the oracles of God and be content with the ways God has said things. Different may work in a chili cookoff, but it sure doesn’t work with the Gospel of Christ.
Bearing beautifully is not a compliment when it comes to a different Jesus. There is a battle waging onward. Helmets on, boots strapped, shield and sword in hand, and off to defend the truth of God’s word.
Soldiers of Christ arise…
Roger