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April 18/19, 2015
Jason Meyer | 2 Corinthians 11:5-15
Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.
Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God's gospel to you free of charge? I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way. As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
And what I am 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. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.—2 Corinthians 11:5–15
Introduction
Last week I pointed out that all of 2 Corinthians 11:1–21 is an introduction to a speech which has often been called “the fool’s speech.” That speech stretches from 2 Corinthians 11:21 to 2 Corinthians 12:10. I also mentioned that verses 1–21 (the introduction to the speech) have one main point: Paul is going to speak like a fool, and he wants the Corinthians to receive it. We saw this point expressed in the command in verse one: “I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me!” (v. 1). Paul essentially repeats this same command in verse 16.
We also pointed out that Paul’s command in verse one has three supporting reasons connected to it. They should accept what he is about to say because he feels divine jealousy for them, because they put up with everyone else [so why not him], and because he is not inferior to these “super apostles” (v. 5), who are really servants of Satan (vv. 13–15). Today we are looking at his third reason that they should accept what he is about to say: he is not inferior to these super apostles (v. 5).
Paul proves his point in verses 6–15 by offering three points of comparison. He is going to break the spell that the “super apostles” have over the Corinthians by confronting them and verbally shaking them awake with three points of comparison between himself and the false apostles: speech (v. 6), support (vv. 7–11), and source (vv. 12–15). I will briefly sketch these three points of comparisons, state the main point of the sermon, and close by applying it.
Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.
Last week we talked about the difference between the outside of the pie (skill in speaking) and the inside of the pie (skill in knowledge). The Corinthians thought they were refined food critics and culinary experts, and yet they couldn’t even tell the difference between apple pie and possum pie.
This week let me try another word picture. It is natural for children to want to play with shiny wrapping paper and not understand the greater value of the contents of the package. It is cute for toddlers to do that, but it would be embarrassing if adults did that. Paul doesn’t just undercut the false apostles by saying that what they have to say is worthless—he also rebukes the foolish Corinthians for being immature children who accept the worthless content of the teaching because they are fooled by the fancy wrapping paper.
The value of what the Corinthians are receiving became a major source of contention as well as seen in the second point of comparison: monetary support.
Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God’s gospel to you free of charge? I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way. As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
The essential point of contrast here is free vs. fee. The false apostles charge a hefty fee while Paul preaches for free. People looking for a good deal would put a greater value on someone preaching for free, but people concerned about prestige and appearance would be offended by free preaching. They do not want to look cheap, so paying hefty prices actually becomes a source of pride. The Corinthians already think that they are a cut above others—wise and rich. They think that the price they pay for preachers should reflect their superior status. It’s like they are saying, “Because of who we are, we only bring in the best to teach us—people who appeal to our refined tastes and elevated wisdom.”
The Corinthians look at Paul sideways because manual labor was regarded as beneath those with education and skill. The fact that Paul took this path of servanthood left a seriously sour taste in their mouth. It did not help Paul in the rankings with his opponents, either, because teachers were ranked in part by the size of the fee they could charge.
You all know the power of perception and image here. Think of the difference between fine dining and the McDonalds Value Menu. If you were going to take someone out to lunch for a high-scale business venture, you would want to take them somewhere with high class and cost, not to somewhere with fast food.
Look again at how foolish the Corinthians are. They can have a feast of the best food (Paul’s teaching) for free, or they can have the poisoned food of the false teachers for a hefty price. It is like they are paying sky-high prices just to get food poisoning. How foolish! If they had any wisdom or discernment at all, it would not be a hard choice: “Hmm . . . the pure gospel for free or poisonous teaching for a high price . . .which should we pick?”
We will come back to why Paul chose to preach the gospel for free in a moment. For now, I just want to see the contrast clearly. Paul could charge the Corinthians and defuse this explosive situation. It would cease to be a point of contention and comparison. He could make it a non-issue. Why doesn’t he? He won’t do that for a very big reason: he wants the contrast to remain so that no one will confuse an apostle of Christ with a servant of Satan.
And what I am 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. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
Do you see the point Paul is making? He wants to make the money issue a point of contention and contrast so that it becomes a way to attack the opponents’ false claim to work on the same terms as Paul.
And what I am 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.—2 Corinthians 11:12
Paul would be pretending to be in the same boat as the false apostles. Paul wants the contrast to be clear so that the different sources of ministry will be clear: Paul is an apostle of Christ, but they are servants of Satan.
In other words, the Corinthians are in the midst of spiritual warfare, and they don’t even know it. Too many people think spiritual warfare is spooky. People speak in an otherworldly, guttural voice or do things that are obviously Satanic like practicing spells. But what would Satan gain by being so obvious? The game would be up.
The same confusion surrounds depictions of Satan. What does Satan look like? Most art depicts him as someone grotesque: red skin, pointy tail, horns on his head, and a pitchfork in his hand. Some will give him wings because they know that he is a fallen angel. The Bible does not give a physical description of Satan. Instead, it portrays him as a cunning serpent, a fierce dragon, or a roaring lion on the prowl. He is known more in the Bible for what he does: he is bent on destroying. Sometimes he uses physical suffering to scare us, but often times he uses lies and deceit to trick us.
Satan is a fallen angel. His realm is now called the dominion of darkness. But he wants to appear to everyone as the opposite of what he is: an angel of light who is part of the kingdom of light from the realm of glory. If he acts like his angelic counterparts, then it is no surprise that his servants would also act like their photo negative: the apostles of Christ. Satan’s servants work evil, not righteousness. They are doing Satan’s work, not God’s work. By definition they are workers of evil, not righteousness. Their end is as certain as Satan’s end. God will judge them for their works at the final judgment, and the Corinthians should pronounce the same thing today that God will pronounce on the final day.
Application
The main point in this sermon is that the goal of ministry is to help others see Jesus in all that we say and do.Specifically, our message and ministry must be gospel-shaped. We cannot achieve this goal unless our message and ministry match up. They must come together into a unified picture—they cannot contradict each other. In particular, people should hear about Jesus in our message and people should see Jesus reflected in our ministry. Our message is saturated with and shaped by the cross and resurrection of Christ. Let us look again at Paul’s decisions with respect to speech and support and see how it is cross-shaped. We must also ask why the Corinthians were so easily duped by the false apostles.
First, let's look at Paul's decisions regarding speech. Every age has its own peculiar polished style that it holds up as the mark of good public speaking. The temptation is to choose style over substance. Preaching in every generation has to decide which way it will go. One of the most renowned preachers of the 4th century, John Chrysostom (344–407 A.D.) complained that many had preferred a flashy style to faithfulness.
There are many preachers who make long sermons: if they are well applauded, they are as glad as if they had obtained a kingdom; if they bring the sermon to an end in silence, their despondency is worse, I may almost say, than hell. It is this that wins churches, that you do not seek to hear sermons that touch the heart, but sermons that will delight your ears with intonation and the structure of their phrases, just as if you were listening to singers and lute-players. And we preachers humor your fancies, instead of trying to crush them.—Hom. 30 on Act Apost. 3
Consider the story of Thomas Goodwin as a case in point. Thomas Goodwin was a renowned Puritan preacher in the 17th century. Before he was genuinely converted in 1620, he had set his heart on becoming a popular and successful preacher. He set out to study the art, rhetoric, and style of flashy preaching that would attract attention. He developed an ornate and embellished style designed to draw attention to himself.
After his conversion, he resolved that he would promote God’s glory in preaching and not pursue personal fame. He dropped the polished style he had before his conversion and adopted the Puritan plain style of preaching. It was earnest, clear, pastoral, and to the point without relying upon human embellishments.
Paul led the way for all preachers to follow in purposely setting aside the ornate, overly embellished style of Greek oratory. He said that Christ called him to preach the gospel “not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross be emptied of its power” (1 Corinthians 1:17). Paul adopted a plain style of preaching that focused on Christ and him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2).
Why? Because the cross is anything but flashy. You can’t draw attention to the cross and yourself at the same time. One goal will dominate and dictate your speaking. Paul’s preaching aimed to draw everyone’s attention to Christ. His opponents may preach Christ, but their aim was to draw attention to themselves. Paul spoke in order to say, “Look at what Christ has done,” not “Look at what I am doing.” What he spoke and how he spoke were gospel-shaped. The cross and resurrection were on display not only in what Paul said, but in the way he said it. Paul spoke without artificial human embellishment because he believed that resurrection power, not human ability in speaking, created faith. Conviction does not come from the human accomplishment of eloquence but from the divine power of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:4–5).
Do you see the danger of aiming at the accomplishment of eloquence? As a congregation becomes more and more refined in its appetite for a certain style, it slowly loses all ability to discern matters of truth and error. Error wrapped in the trappings of eloquence can easily get through without setting off the discernment alarms. Servants of Satan can use cunning just like he did to deceive and lead people into error and ruin.
Second, let's look at Paul's decisions regarding support. The Corinthians objected to the way that Paul had to do manual labor to support himself instead of accepting their support. Why? His passion was to preach the gospel free of charge.
What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.—1 Corinthians 9:18–19
No one could say that Paul was in it for the money. Preaching the gospel free of charge allowed the free grace of the gospel to shine without being encumbered by questions of money and remuneration. Paul’s motive was not to make money but to make disciples of Christ.
Let us be clear: It was free to the Corinthians because it was costly to Paul. He worked hard and slept little in order to preach the gospel this way. The fact that the Corinthians have so much trouble with this is itself troubling. If it was a sin for Paul to sacrifice and lower himself, then what about Jesus? The fact that Jesus chose the humble path of sacrifice and servanthood, dying a shameful death on the despised cross, is central to the gospel. If Paul’s life left a bad taste in their mouth, what did that say about their taste for the gospel of the crucified Christ?
What is the bottom-line reason that the Corinthians were so easily duped by the false apostles? The answer is both simple and scary. The false apostles scratched an itch that the Corinthians had, an itch called pride. Pride will keep you from the cross, or the cross will keep you from pride because the cross crushes pride. You can’t stare at Christ being crushed for your sins (which include pride) and be smug. The cross “pours contempt on all my pride.”
Conclusion
Let me close this way. Paul tells the Corinthians that love is driving his ministry decisions. Look at what he writes: “And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!” (v. 11). Love is what compelled Paul in ministry and in that he follows the pattern of our Lord Jesus. God did not save us because of anything we did. God does whatever he pleases. So why did he save us? Love! Free, unconstrained love. You can’t dig any deeper than that—it is the bedrock upon which all else is built.
In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.—1 John 4:10
The gospel of free grace in Christ is a shock to our system because we live in a world of law. We all have a judicial sentiment that gets reinforced every day. We feel deep down that good choices should be rewarded and bad choices should be punished. Parents send that message to children. Teachers send that message to students at school—how you do on your test determines your grade or score. You don’t give an A to someone who failed the test. Employers send that message to employees: work for a wage. The more hours you work, the more you get paid. The fewer hours you work, the less you get paid. Then you have performance bonuses and the like. The criminal justice system teaches the same thing. If you commit a big crime, you get a bigger punishment. If you commit a small crime, you get a smaller punishment. But you don’t give the death penalty to jaywalkers and you don’t give a five-dollar fine to child molesters. The law principle of cause and effect is as commonplace in our world as the law of gravity.
Most of the time we feel constrained by gravity. We have to exert a lot of effort to make any gains against the law of gravity, such as if we are going to do a high jump. The constant work of living under law makes us so weary. That is why floating in space stands out as such a unique experience. People say it is utterly effortless. You don’t do anything to float. You normally have to do something to keep from floating away.
In the same way, the law principle makes the gospel stand out so clearly. There is one place where the law principle cannot reign: God’s love. You don’t have to earn it—in fact, you can’t earn it. You can’t jump high enough to clear a moral high bar of God’s judgment. All have sinned and fallen short (Romans 3:23). The only reason God loves you and receives you into his family is the work of Christ—not your work.
The law principle was suspended in the gospel, and it was enacted on a substitute. The law principle is fulfilled and fully satisfied in the gospel. Jesus obeyed perfectly in our place. He was punished fully in our place. It is so profoundly humbling to accept the work of a substitute. We have to admit that what we have done deserves judgment, not acceptance. It deserves wrath, not love. We need his perfect obedience, and we receive it through the empty hand of faith. We need him to pay the penalty for our failing score, so his death becomes our death because we are bonded to him by the superglue of faith.
People experience this shock in many different ways. Some are shocked because they feel too good, and it is hard to believe that they need the same gospel as everyone else. To accept the gospel, we have to accept the fact that we are as bad as the Bible says we are. That is offensive. Many people don’t like the idea of moral equivalence. They can’t accept the conclusion that they stand on the same footing and stand under the same judgment as all other sinners. They may not wear it on their sleeves, but deep down they feel superior to others—at the very least, they feel that they are not as deserving of wrath as others.
This is a unique temptation for people raised in church. Very few people that have ever attended church would be hard-core legalists. We are not so out of touch that we think we have to earn salvation from God, but we don’t think we have been bad enough to earn hell. We have attended church enough. We have prayed enough. We have put money in the offering. We helped somebody at some time. Apart from Christ all your works are not good.
No one is righteous, no, not one.—Romans 3:10
No one does good, not even one.—Romans 3:12
It offends them to think that apart from Jesus’ death they are actually “by nature a child of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Ephesians 2:2). They are lumped in the same category as all other sinners—oh, what an offensive thought.
Hear me clearly: there is no category for “special sinners,” as if there are some who are cleaner and some who are dirtier.
We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like filthy rags.—Isaiah 64:6
All our efforts apart from faith in Christ, even religious ones like church attendance, are filthy rags. You can’t clean anything with a filthy rag. It doesn’t matter how much you try to clean a window with a filthy rag—it will not get clean.
The Bible says people apart from Christ are spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1–3). It is easy to fool yourself because well-behaved spiritual corpses don’t look as dead as ill-behaved spiritual corpses. But they are just as dead.
Others feel the shock the other way. They don’t feel they are too good to deserve wrath—they feel they are too guilty to receive grace. They don’t believe that they should have the same gospel as everyone else. They have a hard time believing that God loves them as much as he says he does. The gospel may be enough for God to receive them partially, but not fully.
They are like the younger prodigal son who believed he had wandered too far and that if he comes back he should be treated like less than a son—that he should be treated like a slave. It is shocking that he didn’t get to say the speech that he had rehearsed: “I have sinned against heaven and against you and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Please take me back and treat me like a hired servant.” The father was too busy running to him and embracing him with free, unrestrained love that did not depend a shred upon deserving. The father lavished love upon the prodigal son: the best robe, the best sandals, the best feast, the signet ring on his finger saying he was a full son.
Here the struggle is to believe that I believe not just that God loves us because of the work of Christ, but that God loves us as much as he says he does. Deep down we all struggle to accept love when we don’t feel like we deserve it. We also think that if he would receive us at all, it would be as less than a full son or daughter—just someone that perhaps he tolerates.
In other words, we struggle to believe that what Jesus did is enough. It is paid in full? Where does God look? He looks at you and declares that you are accepted because of Christ. Why would you look at yourself then? Look where God looks! Jesus’ work for you is full, complete, perfect and finished. That is why the Father’s love for you is full, complete, perfect, and unchanging. The love of God is free, and it becomes a fortress where we rest.
Some people have a hard time believing that God’s grace is really that free. They feel like they have to do something. They just can’t accept that Jesus paid it all. It is like the story I heard about the church youth group that did a free car wash. A man asked how much it would cost for them to wash his truck, which was really muddy. The person told him it was free, just like salvation.
After the youth group washed and tried the truck and he saw all the dirty towels, he asked how much he could give them. They told him, “Nothing. It’s free.” He got into an argument with them. “You don’t understand, he said, “I dirtied more towels than everyone else. You had to work harder on my truck—it was bigger and muddier than anyone else. Take ten dollars.”
They told him, “No, sir, you don’t understand. The car wash is free, just like salvation. If we took your money, we would be sending you the wrong message.” He tried arguing again, asking them if they would take just five dollars. They told him the same thing: the car wash was free, just like salvation. He was going to argue again, but he just drove off in frustration, and as he left, he rolled down the window and dropped a crumpled up five-dollar bill on the ground. Free grace cut against the grain of his judicial sentiment.
Jesus’ suffering is sufficient to secure God’s perfect, boundless, fatherly love and smile and affection and acceptance—a fierce, never-let-go, never-give-up kind of almighty love. This love is a fortress of rest. You don’t have to work to maintain the fortress. You can rest. A fortress is a place of protection for weak people who can’t protect themselves. Your flesh and your heart may fail, but God is the strength of your heart(Psalm 73:26).
God’s love is fierce, not fickle. It is a fortress for weak people who can’t defend themselves. So you can rest. You can have gospel rest in a world run by law and work and performance. The gospel is free—so be free. Rest. You can have deep REM rest in the gospel. Take your eyes of your work and keep your eyes on his work so you can rest.
Sermon Discussion Questions
Outline
Paul tries to break the spell the “super apostles” have over the Corinthians through three points of comparison, showing that he is not inferior to these false apostles:
Main Point: The goal of ministry is to help others see Jesus in all that we say and do. People should hear about Jesus in our message, and people should see Jesus reflected in our ministry. Our message and ministry must both be shaped by the cross.
Discussion Questions
1. How did Paul reflect the cross of Christ in his speaking—not just in what he said, but in how he said it?
Application Questions
1. The gospel does not suspend the law in principle, but enacts it on a substitute. Why does the gospel stand out and offer rest that is different from the world’s rest?
Prayer Focus
Pray that the truth of the gospel would burn so brightly in our hearts that it would shine out in all that we say and do in order that Jesus will be seen by others.