2 Corinthians 11:1-15
“If I Were the Devil”
I. Intro.
In human warfare, one of the most effective strategies is infiltration. While we can defend against external threats with countermeasures, how can we fight an enemy who poses as one of us? This same tactic is often seen in the spiritual battle within the Church. You can drive through any city in America and see multiple churches, leading one to think we are a “Christian Nation,” but does the number of buildings truly reflect the spiritual health of the Church?
In 1964, Paul Harvey published an article titled “If I Were the Devil,” where he outlined a hypothetical plan for how Satan might infiltrate and corrupt the United States. Here is an excerpt from his original text:
“If I were the devil, if I were the prince of darkness, I would want to engulf the whole earth in darkness. I’d have a third of its real estate and four-fifths of its population, but I would not be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree. So I should set about however necessary to take over the United States. I would begin with a campaign of whispers. With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve, ‘Do as you please.’ To the young, I would whisper, ‘The Bible is a myth.’ I would convince them that ‘man created God’ instead of the other way around. I would confide that ‘what is bad is good and what is good is square.’ In the ears of the young married, I would whisper that work is debasing, that cocktail parties are good for you. I would caution them not to be ‘extreme’ in religion, in patriotism, in moral conduct. And to the old, I would teach to pray – to say after me – ‘Our father which art in Washington.’”
“Then I’d get organized. I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting so that anything else would appear dull, uninteresting. I’d threaten TV with dirtier movies, or vice versa. I’d infiltrate unions and urge more loafing, less work. Idle hands usually work for me. I’d peddle narcotics to whom I could, I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction, I’d tranquilize the rest with pills. If I were the devil, I would encourage the schools to refine young intellects but to neglect to discipline emotions; let those run wild. I’d designate an atheist to front for me before the highest courts and I’d get preachers to say, ‘She’s right.’ With flattery and promise of power, I would get the courts to vote against God and in favor of pornography. Thus I would evict God from the courthouse, then from the schoolhouse, then from the House of Congress. Then in his own churches, I’d substitute psychology for religion and deify science. If I were Satan, I’d make the symbol of Easter an egg and the symbol of Christmas a bottle. If I were the devil, I’d take from those who have and give to those who wanted until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious. Then my police state would force everybody back to work. Then I would separate families, putting children in uniform, women in coal mines, and objectors in slave-labor camps. If I were Satan, I’d just keep doing what I’m doing, and the whole world would go to hell as sure as the Devil.”
Reading Paul Harvey’s article 48 years later is eye-opening, as it seems Satan has indeed infiltrated many aspects of society by adopting the method, “If you can’t beat them, join them!” The satanic process of infiltration is gradual and elusive, slowly deviating from the gospel. In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul addresses a similar tactic used by false teachers in the Corinthian church.
II. Vs. 1-3 Jealous FOR You
Vs. 1-3: Paul introduces an interesting concept in this passage—“jealousy”—as a tactic against satanic infiltration into God’s Church. However, it’s essential to define the term in its proper context, distinguishing it from the worldly understanding of jealousy.
- Worldly Jealousy: This type of jealousy is selfish, possessive, and destructive. It seeks to control and dominate others, often leading to cruel and tyrannical behavior.
- Godly Jealousy: In contrast, godly jealousy arises from a deep passion for the welfare of others. It is not about control but about protection, born out of a desire to keep others from harm. Paul uses the analogy of a father preparing his daughter for marriage, ensuring that she remains pure for her husband. Spiritually, Paul saw it as his responsibility to ensure that the Corinthian believers remained untainted by the false teachers who were leading them away from the simplicity found in Christ.
Paul feared that, just as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, the Corinthians’ minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Religion often complicates faith, adding unnecessary rules and rituals that divert believers from a pure relationship with Jesus. Thomas ‘a Kempis once said, “By two wings man is lifted from the things of earth—simplicity and purity.” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones also noted, “The fact is, that as we get further away from God, life becomes more complicated and involved.”
Paul’s jealousy for the Corinthians was a desire to protect their simple, pure relationship with Christ. He was not willing to stand by and allow false teachers to steal that simplicity. Karl Barth, the great theologian, was once asked, “What is the greatest theological thought that has ever crossed your mind?” His answer was: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” In Corinth, the believers were being exposed to teachers who were leading them away from this simple, profound truth.
III. Vs. 4-15 A True Pastor’s Heart
Vs. 4-6: Paul uses a bit of sarcasm in addressing the Corinthians, pointing out that they were willing to accept false teachings without question, so why not also listen to him, who had taught them the truth? He acknowledges that he wasn’t a trained, professional speaker, but his focus was not on style; it was on substance. In contrast, too many today are captivated by the performance of a preacher rather than the transformative power of the message.
Despite his lack of eloquence, Paul’s writings have endured for over two thousand years, standing up to scrutiny and bringing transformation to countless lives. Unlike many today who shy away from the tough questions of life, Paul tackled them head-on with the truth of the gospel.
Vs. 7-12: Paul then addresses the charge that he didn’t love the Corinthians enough to allow them to support him financially. Despite teaching them that those who preach the gospel have the right to live by it, Paul chose not to accept financial support from the Corinthians. Instead, he supported himself through tent-making and relied on the help of the poorer Macedonian churches. The false teachers used this against him, claiming it showed he was not anointed or qualified. But Paul explains that he refused their support to demonstrate that “the Gospel of God is free of charge.”
Vs. 13-15: Paul exposes these false teachers, calling them phonies and impostors masquerading as apostles of Christ. They were not sent by Christ and were not teaching what Jesus taught. Paul compares them to their master, Satan, who also disguises himself as an angel of light. Satan doesn’t announce his intentions; he deceives subtly, presenting himself as a friend rather than an enemy. C.S. Lewis captures this idea well in his classic, “The Screwtape Letters,” where Screwtape advises Wormwood that “the safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”
Many people today have just enough of Christianity to ease their conscience but not enough to transform their lives. D.A. Carson writes: “We like to be told how special we are, how wise, how blessed…. We like to have our Christianity shaped less by the cross than by triumphalism or rules or charismatic leaders or subjective experiences.” Paul’s warning is clear: we must guard against such infiltration and remain steadfast in the simplicity and purity of our faith in Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:16-22
“Basket Cases for Christ”
I. Intro.
Paul reluctantly discusses his ministry’s accomplishments, referring to it as “boasting” five times in this section. He even emphasizes six times that such boasting is “foolishness.” Paul begins by detailing his ancestry and upbringing in verse 22, moves to God’s work in his life, and concludes in verses 30-33 by boasting in his weaknesses and failures. Remarkably, Paul boasts not about the extraordinary things God did through him, but about the work God did in him. He considered even this boasting to be foolish because, in his view, it was better to talk about the Lord rather than himself.
Sadly, many Corinthian believers had been swept away by men claiming to be apostles of Christ, boasting about their tremendous accomplishments. As a result, these believers were in danger of following false teachings instead of listening to the apostle who had won them to Christ, faithfully taught them, prayed for them, and loved them. Paul finally resorts to boasting, not because he wanted to, but because it was the only way to win them back to the simplicity of the gospel.
II. Vs. 16-21 The Silence of Self
Vs. 16-18: In verse 17, Paul says, “What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were, foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.” He acknowledges that boasting is not the right thing for a Christian to do. Christians should not brag about who they are, what they have done, where they have been, who they know, or what their accomplishments are. Unfortunately, some Corinthians had accepted the false teachers’ arrogance and insults without protest.
Vs. 19-21a: Any ministry that requires arrogance and bragging to get people’s attention is misguided. Such ministries may subtly mix glorifying God with worshiping the ministry or the style in which God has worked. Paul’s boasting focused on the things that had caused him to be broken and unworthy, not outward marks of success and credibility like the false teachers were using.
III. Vs. 22 No Human “Coat Tails”
Vs. 21b-29: As we read through 2 Corinthians, Paul is in Ephesus, meaning he is only in the 19th chapter of the book of Acts. The events recorded in the rest of Acts had not yet occurred. However, even by this point, Paul had experienced 23 different accounts of suffering, many of which are not mentioned in Acts. This list reveals the intense suffering Paul endured, yet he never spoke of these hardships until now. Such suffering ought to remind us of the desperate need to carry the world’s anguish through the channels of our hearts.
Here, Paul takes up three things the false teachers were boasting about: ancestry, activity, and anxiety.
- Vs. 22 Ancestry: “Are they Hebrews?” The first thing these false teachers were boasting about was their ancestry. It’s amazing how much importance people place on the family they were born into, as if they had a choice. Some believe that tracing their lineage to famous people somehow genetically passes down “blessed genes.” Paul admits that boasting about ancestry is foolish. He points out that if these teachers think such things are important—being Hebrews, related to the chosen nation, speaking the native tongue—so is he. But Paul no longer believes these things matter. Jesus said in Matthew 3:9, “Do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.” Paul understood that spiritual ancestry—what school one attended, what church they went to, or what pastor they sat under—has no value before the throne of God. There are no human “coat tails” in the kingdom of God. When an individual boasts about such things, it reveals nothing but arrogance.
Application
Before concluding, here are two points of application:
- To servants, pastors, and anyone actively involved: It’s an ongoing temptation to use one’s position and gifts to create a circle of admirers. However, these gifts were not given for our own ego trip or to prop up our need to be needed. They were given so we might lay down our lives to reach souls—lost, hurting, and needy souls both inside and outside the Church. The greatest qualities a servant must have are brokenness and humility, lest what they endeavor to do for God becomes more about their fame. Remember, the most efficient pitcher for the distribution of “Living Water” is not the famous, fancy, or fantastic pitcher, but the “empty pitcher.” Let us pray to be empty of self and full of Him so that He may pour us out upon whom He wishes!
- Generally to all of us: When we consider the 23 things listed here of Paul’s sufferings, we must ask ourselves a critical question: “What would cause a person to suffer so much for something from which he didn’t personally benefit?” Paul’s suffering speaks to three important truths:
- The value of a soul: Either the value of the lost soul is far greater than we realize, or Paul was insane. Paul valued lost souls more than anything in this life, even more than his own life.
- The power of the gospel: Paul understood that the message he proclaimed was not just “A” message but “THE” message. Apart from the gospel, mankind has no hope, and the individual person has no hope. Paul knew there was no plan “B,” no shortcut; the Word of the gospel is the only Word that can change a soul now and for eternity.
- The victory of love: In 2 Corinthians 5:14a, Paul wrote, “The love of Christ constrains me.” He understood the absolute certainty that the love of Christ will have an eternal impact on each and every soul that turns to and trusts in Jesus.
2 Corinthians 11:23-33
“Giving Up on Gifting”
I. Intro.
Allen Redpath titled his commentary on 2 Corinthians “Blessings out of Buffetings,” based on this very section of the letter. However, Paul’s experiences of suffering should not have been a surprise to him, considering the Lord’s words to Ananias in Acts 9:16: “I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Reflecting on Paul’s life, we might conclude that failure and suffering are often necessary prerequisites for being useful in God’s work. Last week, we discussed the first of three things the false teachers wrongly boasted about, “Ancestry.” Today, we will address the next two along with the secret of being a successful servant.
II. Vs. 23-27 Activity
Vs. 23-27: “Are they ministers of Christ?” The next thing these false teachers were boasting about was their activity. Paul explains what he had in mind by “labors” in verse 23. In Paul’s day, “labors” didn’t always result in larger churches or more “decisions for Christ.” Instead, they often led to more stripes, more time behind bars, and more difficult situations to endure. The false teachers might boast about how many people filled their churches or responded to their invitations, but Paul’s experiences included:
- Vs. 24 Five times I received 40 stripes minus 1: This was a Jewish form of punishment. The Law of Moses prescribed forty lashes for certain offenses, but to prevent accidental over-punishment, the number was reduced to thirty-nine. Paul received this punishment five times, meaning he bore 195 stripes on his back. Yet, aside from this statement, these beatings are never mentioned elsewhere.
- Vs. 25a Three times I was beaten with rods: This was a Roman punishment, even though it was against Roman law to beat a citizen. Paul endured this three times, and yet only one of these beatings (in Acts 16:22 at Philippi) is recorded. The other two are unknown.
- Vs. 25b Once I was stoned: This refers to the stoning recorded in Acts 14:19-20 outside the city of Lystra. It was the most severe punishment in Jewish law and was meant to be a death sentence. Paul was a “dead man walking” after this stoning.
- Vs. 25c Three times I was shipwrecked: Paul mentions three shipwrecks here, but the famous shipwreck recorded in Acts 27 happened several years later, meaning the three he mentions here occurred before that event. Remarkably, Paul never mentioned these incidents elsewhere, even though one of them caused him to spend a night and a day in the deep.
- Vs. 26-27 In journeys, perils, and toils: Reading through this list makes us ask ourselves, “What do I know of hardship?” What do I know of heartache and suffering in my activity for the gospel? Reflecting on this personally, I wonder how I’d respond if I were required by the Lord to endure such things for the blessed privilege of proclaiming the gospel. Would I willingly go through such hardships to share Jesus’ love with a dying and desperate world? Would I be able to endure such trials and still remain focused on proclaiming God’s goodness and greatness instead of my own?
III. Vs. 28-29 Anxiety
Vs. 28-29: “My deep concern for all the churches”: I have had the blessing of pastoring for just shy of 24 years, and I have borne some of the burdens, sorrows, pain, heartache, and tears of many of those I’ve been called to serve. I confess that I have not always done so well and have stumbled under the weight of human suffering at times. This makes me even more amazed at Paul, who bore the burdens of dozens of churches that he founded. He wept with those who wept and rejoiced with those who rejoiced. He heard their needs and prayed for them daily. What a tremendous ministry of mercy Paul had! What empathy he showed, and what care he demonstrated!
The point of Paul bringing this out is not to remind the Corinthians of his works but to remind them of his love. Paul did all of this out of love for Jesus and for them.
IV. Vs. 30-33 Taken to the Curb
Vs. 30-33: Now, Paul turns to the things that a Christian can truly boast about. We are not to boast about what we have accomplished or even how much we have had to bear for Christ’s sake, but there are some things we can boast of. Paul looks back over 20 years and says, “If I must boast, this is the kind of thing I am going to boast of—the things that show my weakness.” He then says in verse 31 that what he is about to share is the solemn truth.
So, what was Paul’s biggest blunder, the biggest mistake that God used to turn his life around? It was the incident in Acts 9:23-25 when he was let down over the wall in Damascus in a basket to escape. This moment was not one of glory but of defeat. He had been a believer for about four years, had studied at the Arabian Desert University, and was now able to prove that Jesus is Lord. Paul had a new zeal and believed that his qualifications made him a perfect fit to go to the Jews and reveal Jesus as Messiah to them. But instead, he fell on his face.
This night in Damascus was when Paul became a “basket case.” In today’s terms, this was the night that all he thought about himself and his gifting was “flushed down the toilet” or “taken to the curb.” Amazingly, Paul looks back and says that his greatest moment in life after becoming a follower of Jesus was the day that all his plans and dreams of glory for Christ went down the toilet!
It wasn’t his natural gifts and talents, his experience and education that qualified him as a servant of Christ. Oh, that Christians everywhere today would understand this! We often elevate natural abilities, strong personalities, and speaking talents, but Paul says these belong in the toilet. News flash, Christian: God doesn’t need your talents and gifts, even though He blessed you with them in the first place. He needs you broken and humble, out of the way so He can work!
Listen to Paul in Philippians 3:7-10, “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death…”
In Matthew 10:39, Jesus said to His disciples, “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” That is what Paul is talking about here—the things that caused him to “lose his life” were the things that caused him to “find what life was really all about.” Next week, in chapter 12, Paul will speak of the things that will continually cause you to lose your life. Paul is giving us the secret of being useful for the kingdom of God, and it is not surprising to find out that it is the very thing Jesus taught His disciples: John 15:5, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”