Why Paul Said "We Are Not Ignorant of Satan's Devices" — 2 Corinthians 2:11

Hello, and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick. Okay, let's go right back to where we left off in our last program, and that will be in 2 Corinthians chapter 2, and we were just talking about the gentleman that caused so much grief in 1 Corinthians chapter 5, so we'll pick up in that line of thinking in just a moment. And again, we like to always remind our television audience that we are just an informal Bible study, and nothing thrills our hearts more than when people write for the first time in their life. They are reading and studying their Bible and understanding what they're reading. And I think the basic premise to all this is to always determine to whom is a portion of Scripture written, what are the circumstances, who's writing it, and so on and so forth. Here of course in Corinthians we're realizing that Paul is now following up his first letter, which was a letter of reproof and correction, and not a letter of commendation for the most part. And now 2 Corinthians is a follow up letter, and of course he is first and foremost defending his apostleship because of all of the snide remarks that are coming out of Corinth, and are attacking the apostles very psych, and like us he was heartbroken by some of the things being spoken about him. And yet on the other hand it was a recognition that the first letter had done its work. And so we'll continue on with that thought. Again for our television audience we like you to know that all the past programs were available on tapes and video and audio both, as well as the books. Now I guess maybe I should explain something else. We do not push these tapes and books with the idea of making money for the ministry. Every book we sell actually is a loss. We do not gain any profit from the books especially, we get a buck or so off the tapes I guess, but there is no income from these materials to pay the television stations. So I want you to be aware of that. We provide these tapes and books more or less as a service for those of you who want them for personal study, as well as for use in Sunday schools and churches. When I hear the denominations and churches that are using my material I have to shake my head in unbelief. But the Lord is using it, and we do appreciate your prayers, we appreciate your letters, my how we live for our mail time. And as I've said on the program before, I hope we don't ever get so big that we cannot read every single letter. I read them, and I hand them over, and Iris reads them. So when you write to us, it's not just some member of a staff that's reading it, but we read it ourselves. In fact the other day she said it, she said, Oh I hope we don't get to the place where we can't know these people and talk to them on the phone, because we do. We enjoy your phone calls, we enjoy your letters. Let's go quickly now then into 2 Corinthians chapter 2, and remember in our last program Paul is more or less commending the Church for having dealt with the man of gross immorality, and have restored him evidently, and they have forgiven him, and that's as it should be. So now then he says in verse 9, For to this end did I also write, to take care of this immoral situation, and to get the man straightened out. So for to this end did I write, that I might show the proof of you, whether you be obedient in all things. Are you going to respond to this immoral situation, or are you going to ignore it? But they responded, and the majority as we saw in the last program, had evidently voted to deal with the individual, and get him in a place of forgiveness and restoration. Now in verse 10 Paul says, For if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes, I forgave it in the person of Christ. Now Paul had absolutely no power of forgiving sin, we know that. No one does, but Christ Himself. But in the name of Christ, He could agree with them, that when they had restored this individual and forgiven him, He could concur. Now verse 11. What was the real purpose of bringing this individual who had failed so miserably, what was the purpose of bringing him to a place of restoration? Oh, to keep Satan from getting the upper hand. Look at the next verse now, in verse 11. "...lest Satan should get an advantage, not just that individual, but for all of us. Lest Satan should get an advantage of us, for Paul says, even as that great apostle, we are not ignorant of his devices." Oh listen, we all know the verse, he can transform himself into an angel of light, and he can make it appear that He is promoting the Scriptures, and as He does it, He leads millions astray. And I�m going to show you that here in just the coming verse, that He is a Master at that. And so the Lord has given us the direction of the Holy Spirit, He�s given us a mind and intelligence that by searching the Scriptures, we can sort these things out. It just thrills my heart when people call, and that�s what they�re doing. They�re suddenly realizing that some of the things that they thought were part and parcel of the Christian experience are not according to the Book. And one lady asked me, I think it was last night, late she called, real late, and she said, �Well give me some verses that tell me that this practice is wrong.� And I said, �No, I can�t do that, but I�ll tell you what I can tell you.� She said, �See if you can find a verse that instructs people to do it.� Oh, she�s never thought of that. I said, �When you can�t find it, and it�s not in the Book, then it must be wrong, because anything that is part and parcel of our practice of the Christian walk is in the Book. And if it�s not in the Book, look out, you�re on thin ice.� Remember how many times haven�t I made the statement that it is just as important to realize what is not in here, as to know what is in here? Because a lot of people go through life thinking it�s in the Book, because they heard it some place. But listen, that�s not the way to go. You search the Scriptures, and if it�s not taught in Scripture, run from it like a plague. So now then Paul says, I�m not ignorant of Satan�s devices. In other words, he�s going to bring in his own past experience, when seemingly Satan had almost beat him down in despair. Verse 12 Ephesians 4, Verse 12 that is from Choas into Macedonia. I�m just debating in my mind whether I should draw a map on the board, but I�m going to trust that you can use maps in the back of your Bible. I�m not going to do it right now, because I�m not an artist. But if you can picture in your mind the Mediterranean Sea, and Turkey as it winds out to the west. Remember Paul�s early ministry was there in that western half of present day Turkey, which was called Asia Minor. Then you have the Aegean Sea between Turkey and the mainland of Europe, which is Macedonia or northern Greece, and Athens in southern Greece. Then you go around that peninsula and of course you go into the Adriatic Sea, and then across from that is Rome. Now here Choas is located on the western shore of what is present day Turkey, up toward what is today Constantinople, or up toward the Dardanelles Straits. Evidently Paul had made arrangements with Titus, one of his fellow workers there in Asia Minor, to meet him at Choas. Then they were going to go on around to the northern reaches of Turkey, or along the Black Sea, which is at that time called Bithynia, and then hence back to Asia. Now you want to remember back then they couldn�t just drop a note in the mail, or send a telegraph, or phone, or anything like that. So how they communicated in the ancients I have a hard time understanding, but somehow or other Titus and Paul had made an agreement to meet here in the seaport town of Choas, which was actually the ancient city of Troy. Now look at what Paul says, "...when I came to Choas to preach Christ�s gospel, a door was opened unto me of the Lord, and I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother." Now can you imagine what that must have felt like? Here they had no means of communication, and he had no way of knowing what had happened to Titus. Why isn�t he at Choas at the set appointed time? And then at the very same time when he�s so distressed about what may have happened to Titus, the Lord comes on him with something totally different, contrary to what he had thought he was going to do, and the two I think were almost a clash in the man�s thinking. Let�s go back to Acts 16, where Paul has been ministering in western Turkey, which was then Asia Minor, and he had now gone up to Choas from the area of Derbe and Lystra, and then he had intended to go back to northern Turkey through the area around the Black Sea, and then hence to Asia. Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Spirit to preach the Word in Asia. In other words, back to the east. After they had come to Mysia, they had intended to go into Bithynia. Now if you look at your Bible map, Bithynia lays right up there along the Black Sea, and that�s where Paul had evidently intended to take a route, and then back to probably Antioch in Syria. So after they had come to Mysia, they had said to go into Bithynia, but the Holy Spirit permitted them not. And they passing by Mysia came down to Choas, where he was expecting now to meet Titus. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night, and there stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed or beseeched him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us to preach the Gospel unto them. And therefore loosing from Choas, we came with a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day to Neapolis, and hence to Philippi, which of course is up there in northern Greece. Now come back to II Corinthians chapter 2, and get this whole scenario that is coming down on the Apostle. On the one hand he is heart broken, he is distressed because Titus, for one reason or another, has not been able to keep his appointment at Choas. But evidently it was at that same time that the Lord revealed by way of a vision, that he was to go over into Macedonia, or to Greece, and preach the Gospel, which of course we know He did. Now let�s look at verse 13 again. 13. So I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother, but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia. So what does he do? In spite of the fact that he has lost track of Titus, he has no way of knowing what�s happened to him, yet he is obedient to the Lord�s call now to go across the Aegean and begin his ministry in Macedonia. Now thanks be unto God, who always causes us to triumph. Do you see the opposite? On the one hand he�s pressed down, he�s distressed, he�s suffering, and yet he�s always triumphant. Now these are tremendous lessons for everyone. Paul was just as human as we are. He had the same passions, he had the same appetites, he had the same feelings, and he could get down, and he could get rejoicing. So now thanks be unto God, who causeth us to triumph, and maketh manifest the good flavor of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God, a sweet saver of Christ, in them who are saved, and who else? The King James says perish, but I think the Greek is a little plainer. He not only was a sweet saver to those who were saved, but he was a potential sweet saver to those who are perishing. So it isn�t to those who are already lost, but to those who still had opportunity to hear Him preach the Gospel. He was the good news for them, just as He was for those who had already embraced it. So we are unto God a sweet saver of Christ, yes in those who are saved, they are the recipients of God�s grace, but also in them who are perishing, because potentially they were able to be saved as well. Now verse 16. Ephesians 1.1-2 In other words if they didn�t respond, spiritual death was their end result. But to the other, to those who did respond, what was the message? Life to life. And who is sufficient for these things? Now I hope I have enough time to do with verse 17, what I just had more fun with the other evening, and I don�t do a lot of Greek study, but once in a while for some reason or other a word will just catch my mind, and I�ll think, well I�ve got to chase this one down. And here was one of them. Verse 17. Ephesians 1.1-2 For we, Paul says, are not as many who corrupt the Word of God. Now I had to stop. Now what does he mean here by corrupting the Word of God? So I had to go and find the Greek and the Strong�s Concordance, and do some checking. Well the Greek word here is Kapalyouhou. I don�t pronounce it correctly probably, but it�s K-A-P-A-L-Y-O-O with another O. So it�s K-A-P-A-L-Y -O-U. Now that Greek word is just Greek to us, isn�t it? But when you look it up in the Septuagint, now here�s where you sometimes have to go. The Septuagint you remember was the Old Testament Hebrew translated into the Greek by 70 Jewish scholars back in quite a few years before Christ. But the reason I put a lot of emphasis on the Septuagint is because that was the Greek that Jesus always referred to. Whenever Jesus would quote from the Old Testament, if He didn�t quote it in the Hebrew, He would quote it from the Septuagint Greek, and that�s where of course a lot of our Greek scholars put the Greek language together for our own benefit. Now when you compare that Greek word K -A-P-A-L-Y-O-U from the Septuagint, it meant one who was a huckster, or one who would hawk his wares, or from Isaiah chapter 1 verse 22, it meant someone who was selling or hawking an adulterated product. Now turn with me to Isaiah, and this one Bible study gets fun, at least I think it does. How it all so beautifully fits together, and the word corrupt in English doesn�t really show you this. We just think of corruption as something that has begun to spoil. But I think maybe this will help you see it. In Isaiah chapter 1, and Isaiah of course is coming down on the nation of Israel because of all their sin and their wickedness, verse 21. How is the faithful city become a harlot? It was full of judgment, righteousness lodged in it, but now murderers. What�s he talking about? The city of Jerusalem. At one time it had been a righteous city, and the Jewish people were obedient to the Mosaic Law and the system. But what had happened, and that�s why Isaiah is castigating the nation. They had become so wicked, and so this city that at one time had been full of righteousness, is now full of murderers, verse 22. Isaiah chapter 1, and here is the word translated corrupt in 2 Corinthians 2, verse 17. Isaiah chapter 1, and here is the word translated corrupt in 2 Corinthians 2, verse 17. This is the same word, and Paul says, I didn�t come to you with a product that was likened unto wine, watered down with water. I didn�t come to you like a huckster, hawking his wares which were not worth one half of what he was charging. You get the picture? All that is wrapped up in that one word, corrupt. Come back now then to 2 Corinthians chapter 2, verse 17. For Paul says, a lot of people do. They hawk an adulterated product of the spiritual. But he says, I didn�t do that, but I came in complete sincerity. Are you back in chapter 2, verse 17? I wasn�t like the many who corrupt or hawk the Word of God as an adulterated product, but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, and we speak in Christ. Now I�m just thinking of another verse. Let�s go back to Jude, and I imagine these are the kind of people that Paul had in mind when he said, we�re not like the many who corrupt or hawk an adulterated product. We are bringing you the real thing. Now remember what I said he was doing? He is defending his apostleship. He said, I�m not like these false teachers. I�m bringing you the absolute truth. But all right, look what the Bible says concerning false teachers. Jude, probably as good a description as you can find anywhere in Scripture. In fact, I think it�s 2 Timothy chapter 3 that is almost word for word like Jude. Verse 8, likewise, and he�s already given the example of the fallen angels, and Sodom and Gomorrah, and so on and so forth. Now verse 8, likewise also these filthy dreamers, who�s he talking about? False teachers, who are hawking an adulterated product. They defile the flesh, they despise dominion, they speak evil of dignities. Now verse 10, but these false teachers, they speak evil of those things which they know not. Sound familiar? They will ridicule the truth of Scripture. Have they ever studied it? Uh-uh. So what are they ridiculing? Something they know nothing about, but they ridicule it just because it�s the Word of God. All right, read on. But what they know naturally from the old Adamic side, as brute beasts, boy that rings a bell doesn�t it? When much of society lives at the level of the animals, that�s where these false teachers are coming from. They�re no higher in their thinking than the animal world, so they�re as brute beasts. And in those things they corrupt themselves. They can live in the moral level of an animal, and they think that they�re living it up. Now verse 11, woe unto them, and then come on down to verse 12. These false teachers are spots in your love feast. They feast with you, feeding themselves without fear. They�re like clouds without water. Now I�m probably giving myself away, but I can remember when I was a little lad in the depths of the depression, and even up in Iowa we were suffering drought and dust storms just like they did down here in Oklahoma. And I�ll never forget one hot summer day there was one little puff of a cloud, and my dad and my uncle were looking at it, and boy they had dreams of maybe we could get a little drop of rain. And as we watched that silly thing, it just disappeared. And every time I read this verse I have to go back to that point in time, because that�s exactly what false teaching does. They can bring a cloud on the horizon of hope, but all of a sudden the adherents suddenly realize it�s nothing. It just disappeared like clouds without water, carried about with wind, trees whose fruit withereth. Verse 13. These are all descriptions now of what Paul says he was not. He said, I did not come corrupting the Word of God. I did not come like a raging wave of the sea foaming out their own shame, wandering stars to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. And that�s what the world is falling for tonight. They�re falling for this line of false teaching that is nothing but an adulterated product. It�s sad to be sure. Back to II Corinthians, verse 17 again. As a defense of his apostleship that he did not come with false teaching, he did not come with half truth. As we saw earlier in the program, he did not come with fickle language, but everything he said was prompted by the Holy Spirit, and he was here for the love of Christ, as we�re going to see in chapter 5. The love of Christ is what constrained him, and so he was able to suffer all the privations that he will list a little later in this II Corinthians letter, and how he went through privation after privation. And then in verse 17, no doubt he was being accused of not bringing the truth, because he wasn�t agreeing with the Judaizers in Jerusalem. He was not working hand in glove with Peter and the eleven anymore. He was out here proclaiming something that they really knew nothing of, and so consequently he was being bombarded with all of these false accusations that should have been reserved for false teachers. But isn�t that amazing? It�s so often the other way around, and instead of the false teachers being bombarded, it�s those with the truth who come under attack. That�s Route 1, Box 760, Kinta, Oklahoma, 74552. Through the Bible with Les Feldick is viewer supported, and your gift is appreciated. Thank you, and be sure to tune in next time, for Through the Bible with Les Feldick.