2 Corinthians 11:4 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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2 Corinthians 11:4

Comments

If a preacher comes to Corinth preaching another Jesus: a Jesus Christ who was not infallible, a Jesus Christ who did not die on Calvary to make atonement for sinners, who did not literally rise from the dead, who is not God as well as man, you will too easily accept him. Such failure of discernment would be a shameful thing.Similarly if someone comes preaching not the Holy Spirit who works secretly in the heart but another spirit. The Spirit of God has been called the shy Spirit. Of course he is not shy but he acts as though he is: the unobtrusive Spirit. But they say, ‘No you have got to receive another spirit who is all song and dance and noise and commotion and outward dazzling things. We believe in a different kind of Spirit. A spirit who is all action and show and miracles and signs and wonders.’ But the Spirit of the New Testament works in your heart, and prompts you to righteousness. ‘Or another gospel’ – one which teaches something other than justification by faith alone. ‘Ye might well bear with him.’ What a criticism of the church, what a terrible thing. This is Paul’s gentle sarcasm. We would say today, ‘You will easily accommodate it.’ If Satan’s sends in among you someone with a different gospel, a different spirit, a different Christ, you will bear it, you will accept it quietly, you will take it lying down.

Application

We should never let ourselves get like that. This passage, difficult as it is on the surface, is about discernment and the defence of the church. The gospel is so precious and Christ is so precious, every Christian must be a contender for the faith.

The cults have a different Christ. On the surface they talk about Christ but he is a different Christ because they have taken away his eternal deity, they have detracted from him, they have removed essential parts, so it is a different Christ and we have to be aware of that. These Corinthian heretics said, ‘I believe entirely in Christ Jesus’ but you can’t find your way to heaven entirely by Christ,’ they would say, ‘he isn’t enough. You have got to obey the ceremonial law of the Jews at the same time. It has got to be some works and some grace.’ That is a different Christ. The true Christ is all Christ. We can contribute nothing to salvation. He must suffer and die to bear the punishment due to us for our sin. He must do everything for us and we depend entirely upon him.

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2 Corinthians 11:4 Commentary and Bible Study