2 CORINTHIANS 11:1-42005 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: 2 Corinthians 11:1-4

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2005.

Amen. Well, 2 Corinthians chapter 11. Now, chapter 11 is where Paul really begins to deal with the false apostles. We talked about this a couple weeks ago. In chapter 10, he really began to talk about them and to them. They were questioning Paul's authority and raising up and causing all kinds of trouble within the church. And chapter 11 is...

He really gets into the trenches with them. He really goes toe-to-toe with them to show them and to prove to the Corinthians that these guys are big trouble. You need to stay away from them. You need to get them out of your life because the false apostles are...

And so he goes even to the point in verse 15, which we'll see next week, that he calls them ministers of Satan. And so you can see the extent that Paul is going to to make sure they understand the seriousness, the severity of trusting in and heeding to what these false apostles are teaching.

Now, why was Paul so excited over these guys? Why was he so upset and so incensed about these false apostles? What was it that made him come against them so strongly? Was Paul just upset because they questioned his authority? You know that can happen sometimes. Someone questions your boss's authority or someone questions your authority and you're like, hey, and you get real defensive and you want to go at it.

Is Paul doing that? Is that what his reaction is? Well, of course not. We don't believe that. This is the word of God that we're talking about. Is it a power struggle that Paul is going through that, you know, making sure that he's the one that they hold, you know, highest regard for? No, no, no, not at all. We'll see here in chapter 11 verses 1 through 4 and continuing on next week. We'll see the reason why Paul is so concerned and

And the problem that was taking place with these false apostles. We'll also see why it's so important for you and I to know what we believe and why. Because there are crucial things that Paul will be talking about. It's vital. It's necessary. It's extremely important that we know what we believe and why. So let's read together verses 1-4 of 2 Corinthians chapter 11. It says this...

Verse 1.

For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you may well put up with it.

Paul here, as he begins to come against these false apostles, he begins in verse 1 by saying, Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly. What does he mean by that? It's an interesting verse, trying to figure out what Paul is trying to say. But remember, he's beginning the discussion that is very difficult because he's trying to say,

He's going to be acting like the false apostles in commending himself, in proving that his ministry is valid and that God has enabled him and given him the authority that he says he has. He's proving the authenticity of his ministry, in other words. And so the false apostles would do that. They would commend themselves, but what they probably would do is dismiss the things that Paul said and

as folly, as foolishness. They would commend themselves and say great things about themselves, but if Paul were to do that, then they would say, well, that's just foolishness, that's silliness. You shouldn't do that. And so they're doing it by condemning him. Or more likely, Paul is saying that it's folly to boast, like he has been saying all along, that they're commending themselves and comparing themselves with themselves, and that's very foolish.

So he's saying, just bear with me while I do the same, while I act like them and present my case to prove that my ministry is valid, that God truly has given me this ministry. And so he says it's foolishness, it's folly, but nevertheless, he finds it necessary to do so, to engage in this for a time, and we'll get to see that over the next couple of weeks. But he says...

to bear with me. Bear with me. He says, if only you would bear with me in a little folly. And the tense of it is only if you would have kept bearing with me, if you would keep on bearing with me. And then he says, and indeed, you do bear with me. That's in the imperative tense, which means it's a command. It's like, you must. Paul is insisting, bear with me. You need to bear with me for a moment so that I can state my case and you can hear the truth. He's insisting that they hear him out. And so in verse 2,

He begins his case. He says, for I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. Paul says, I'm jealous. Now, typically when we think of jealousy, we have a negative connotation with it. Jealousy is bad. You shouldn't be jealous. So Paul, that's

that's sinful. Well, no, not at all. In fact, God proclaims that he is a jealous God. And so there is a part of jealousy that is proper and right and true. That's why Paul says, I'm jealous for you with a godly jealousy. He's not talking about being jealous of them, coveting their things or coveting whatever power or whatever, anything like that. But he's talking about being jealous for them in the same way that God is jealous for them.

And so we ask the question, well, how is God jealous? God's jealousy is stirred up whenever we worship other gods. That's what God is jealous for. He's jealous for our worship, meaning that He wants us to worship Him and only Him and nobody else but Him and completely, totally, wholeheartedly. He doesn't want us to...

have divided worship and be worshiping multiple gods or have different passions that are higher than him. He's jealous for our worship, for our passion, for our love, for our devotion. And so Paul is saying, just like God is jealous for those things in your life, I am jealous for you as well. Not that you would give those things to me and have that passion for me, but that you would have that passion for God, that you would be sold out to the things of God. Excerpt.

Exodus chapter 34 verse 14. God says, You shall worship no other god for the Lord whose name is Jealous is a jealous God. The Lord, His name is Jealous. He's a jealous God. You shall not worship any other god. That's why it's the first commandment. You shall have no other gods before me. God is very serious about this. And He's very jealous for those who are His. You see it again in Deuteronomy 4.24 and Deuteronomy 5.9 and all over.

God is a jealous God. He's very jealous for us, for our devotions, for our worship. And so Paul is saying that he's against these false apostles, right?

Why? Well, as he's starting this argument, we can see clearly where Paul's going. He says, look, I'm being stirred up in a godly way by these false apostles because they're leading you to worship another god. If his jealousy is being stirred up, it's because they're beginning to put their attention, their focus, their worship on a god that is not Jesus Christ.

A God that is not God, a God that is a false God. And so Paul is very concerned. That's why he's coming against these false apostles in such an intense way. He goes on to say, Paul is playing here the role of a father. He's their spiritual father. He's the one who began the church there in Corinth and

This is something that they would know and understand because in that culture, in that time, in that day, as it should be today, but unfortunately it is not. But in that day, the father of his daughter would personally guarantee her virginity.

as often times the marriages were arranged. The parents would talk, the one dad would talk to the other dad and say, hey, I have a son, you have a daughter, let's get together. And so they said, okay, well that sounds great, it's a good arrangement, let's put our children together. And the father of the daughter was to personally guarantee, it was his honor at stake and the family's name at stake, that she would be pure, chaste, virgin when they were joined in marriage. That was the

the father's honor. It was the father's responsibility. And so the father took it personally and guaranteed his daughter's virginity, that she remained pure until she was married. Now it would be a very shameful thing if she was found to not be a chaste virgin. It would be a horrible thing. The father and the family would be dishonored and looked down upon for the rest of their lives because it was

Their honor, their name, their reputation that was at stake. And so Paul says, look, I'm your spiritual father and I've promised you as a chaste virgin to Christ. Paul is doing his best, taking the responsibility upon himself to keep them pure until the groom comes, until Jesus Christ comes or they go to meet him. And so he's fighting these false apostles because he's jealous for them, the false apostles themselves.

are seducing them into worshiping a different God. And Paul is doing his best to keep them pure, chaste, sold out completely, not committing adultery with other gods, with other things that are not God, but staying pure and true to the one who called them. And that was, of course, Jesus Christ. And so verse 3 says,

He goes on to say, but I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. The simplicity that is in Christ. Paul says, look, this is my fear. This is my fear.

That word fear is the Greek word phobia, which of course is where we get the word phobia. And you always hear Pastor Greg, he does such a great job talking about all the different phobias, right? And I'm sure you've known people who have these phobias of things that are not understandable, that they just freak out when they hear the word phobia.

Whenever some situation takes place or something happens, you know, if you're claustrophobic, then you have this phobia of enclosed spaces. I remember being in the car with my family and a friend of our family and the lady of the other family, she was really extremely claustrophobic. And we're driving in the carpool lane and so, you know, the cement barrier is there and all of a sudden something just triggered and she's

flipped out and she was like crawling all over the car, like crawling over people trying to get to the other side so she could breathe out the window and just all kinds of stuff, right? These phobias that we have. And you, I'm sure, have many stories and things you could tell just like that. Paul says, you want to know what really freaks me out, what my phobia is? This is what I fear, that you will become deceived just as Eve was.

Paul says, this is why I'm freaked out. This is why I'm so incensed. You're showing the potential. You're on the road of deception, of being deceived, just like Eve was. And how was Eve deceived? Well, you can check it out for yourself. Genesis chapter 3. But in short, the serpent messed with her mind. He messed with her mind, deceived her, confused her, promised her great spirituality. First, he questioned the Word of God. Did God really say this?

He questioned whether or not what God said was true, was accurate, was real. And then he added in his own stuff. He said, well, not only will you not die if you eat this, but you will become like God. How did he deceive her? How was she deceived? Well, he messed with her mind, questioned the word of God, but he also promised her.

More spirituality. He says, if you really want to be spiritual, you need to eat of this. You'll be like God, knowing good from evil. You'll be really spiritual if you do this. He deceived her with the desire for more spirituality. In verse 5 of Genesis 3, he tells her, you will be like God.

And that's why Paul says, so your minds will be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Paul's fear was that just as Eve was deceived because the serpent messed with her mind and promised her more spirituality, that Corinth would find themselves in the same place. And just like Eve's mind, he says, your mind may be corrupted. Your mind may

Satan is very crafty. He's very, very crafty. And you and I, unfortunately, are easily deceived or easily led astray. And that's why reading and studying the Word of God is so important.

is so important. It's crucial. We need it. It's necessary in our lives because Satan is crafty and we're easily deceived. It's not enough to study just parts of it or things that we like. We need to study the whole thing so that we will not be deceived, so that our minds will not be corrupted. 2 Timothy 2, verse 15, Paul tells Timothy and warns him,

He says, look, you need to be diligent to study or to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, who rightly divides the word of truth, understands it accurately, correctly, puts it together, takes it apart and keeps it in context. We need to understand and accurately present and divide the word of God. So,

Why is this such a big deal? What's the big deal if their minds are corrupted or if some are corrupted? Well, the big deal is this, and you'll understand, because there is no salvation outside of Jesus Christ. So if Paul's jealousy is being stirred up, it means they're beginning to worship another God. He's fearful of them being deceived like Eve was.

And you know the result of that. But if she's deceived, or they're deceived like she was, and their minds are corrupted, they're being led astray because they desire this more spirituality, then they're looking...

For salvation, they're looking for that spirituality someplace outside of what God has already provided and given to them. And so this is why Paul is so freaked out. He says, look, you need to understand you're being deceived. It's not a good thing. There's corruption taking place and destruction is the result. And just like Eve, we're susceptible to

for corruption from the simplicity in Christ. That word simplicity means singleness, literally. Singleness. It's just Christ. There's nothing else. It's simply Jesus Christ. Now there's many false teachers. There's many false apostles. There's many cults and many teachers that say that we have a deeper understanding

A better knowledge. You need to have this to be spiritual or saved. You need to have this other thing besides what you already have in order to be saved. Special knowledge, special revelation. It happened back then, it happens today. There's many who make that claim. Now the false apostles were Jews and they were most likely Judaizers who held to the teachings of Jesus but also added to that the law, the

That not only did you have to believe in Jesus Christ in order to be saved, but you had to keep the law and continue in the law. Otherwise, your salvation was fruitless or worthless. You were not saved. So the moment we add anything to Christ, because Paul says that your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity of Christ, the simplicity of the gospel is the power of it, the singleness of it, that it's just Christ. The moment we add anything else and say, you must believe in Christ plus Christ,

And those things were corrupting it. The gospel is not the gospel any longer. It has now become corrupted. Our minds have been corrupted. And so then it becomes the worship of something else. If it's not the worship of Jesus Christ, then it's the worship of something else.

And that is not good. That's what stirs up God's jealousy. That is what we need to watch out for. And that's what we see in verse 4. As we read it together, it says this. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you may well put up with it. So Paul is continuing his argument. He says, I'm jealous for you because I've promised you to Christ as a chaste virgin.

And I'm fearful because just like Eve was deceived, you might be deceived as well. And your mind might be corrupted from the singleness or the simplicity of Christ, of the gospel message that you received. Now he goes on, Paul elaborates on his concern. He says,

So what if someone comes in? What if these false apostles are teaching another Jesus?

At the end of the verse, he says, you may well put up with it. You're going to listen to him. You're going to hear it. He says, look, you're in danger of deception. You're in danger of receiving another Jesus. This is why it's so important that Paul is dealing with these false apostles because they're preaching another Jesus, a different Jesus. That word another is the idea of another numerically, but the same kind or the same type. And so what they're preaching is another, number two, we'll say, Jesus two, Jesus

Not the original, not the actual, not the Jesus that the Word of God teaches. But they're teaching Jesus number two, who's along the same lines, kind of the same, along the same basic thing. Yeah, he's the Savior and so on and so forth, but it's not the same Jesus that is presented in the Word of God.

He says, he who comes preaches another Jesus. This is a warning for us. We cannot assume that everyone who names the name of Jesus or talks about Jesus or preaches Jesus is preaching and teaching and talking about the same Jesus that we believe or that the Bible teaches. This is something we need to take note of. This is something that is very important for us. Why? Well, because Jesus

John 14, 6, Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. So if nobody comes except through Jesus Christ, there in John 14, 6, you remember when Jesus said the road is wide for destruction, but for salvation.

The gate is very narrow. In fact, it's so narrow that it's narrow enough only one person can fit through at a time. Jesus Christ is that gate and we must go through on our own. No one else can do it for us. We have to do it on our own, personally walking through Jesus Christ into salvation. Now, if you get that picture...

Here's Jesus. He's the only one. He's the only way. That's what he says. I am the way. I'm not a way. I'm not one of many ways. I'm not the preferred way or anything like that. He says, I am the way. No one comes to the Father but by me. So if he is the only way and they preach another Jesus, guess what? The Jesus that they preach is not the way because he's another one numerically. It's Jesus number two or three or four or five or whatever you might want to call him.

It's a different one. And so Paul says, look, salvation, eternal life is at stake here. Because if it's another Jesus, then it's another way, which is no other way at all. Because there's only one way, and that's what Jesus said. According to the Jesus of the Bible, he is the only way, and there is no other. There's no other way to heaven. The gate is very narrow. You must be born again.

In order to enter into the kingdom of heaven. So do you see the problem? If there's only one way...

And they're teaching another Jesus. The problem is that Jesus is not the way. And Paul's fear is you're going to receive him. You may well receive him. You may well put up with it. You may take on to that doctrine of that other Jesus rather than sticking to the one. Now, this is describing to us, and we understand it this way, it could be very potentially a deep level of deception.

You know, there's many other religions that Satan has established. Many other religions, such as Buddhism or Hinduism or Islam or Atheism, whatever the case may be. Lots of religions, but they teach different gods altogether. But there's some religions, there's some teachings that teach Jesus Christ, but it's another Jesus. They name the name of Jesus, but it's not the same Jesus that brings salvation.

They teach that Jesus brings salvation, but it's another Jesus that they're teaching. And so the result is what? Well, there's only one way. And so you can see the deep level of deception.

That it's important, it's imperative for us to know which Jesus do we believe in? And you might say, I didn't know there was more than one. You need to know there's more than one. Satan is out to rip us off. We need to know what Jesus do we believe in and what Jesus is it that this person is trying to tell me about.

I heard a pastor one time say that whenever people come knock at his door and they say, we want to tell you about Jesus Christ. And he says, which one? They say, what do you mean? There's only one? No, there's more than one Jesus. There's another Jesus that does not lead to eternal life, but that leads to eternal damnation. And we need to know this. We need to understand there is strong deception that can take place. And so with this strong deception and with the stakes so high, how do we know which Jesus is the right one?

Well, of course, the answer is found in the Word of God. We must study it. We must be diligent in it, to rightly divide it, to understand what the Lord is saying through the Word of God, what the Bible teaches about Jesus. Not just parts of it, but the whole Scripture.

In John chapter 5 verse 39, Jesus told the Pharisees and the Jews that were there, He says, look, you search the scriptures, talking about the Old Testament, for in them you think you have life, but these are they which testify of me. In order for us to understand who Jesus is, we need to study and read and understand the entire thing, the whole counsel, because if we do not, then we just have a piece, a picture, a

We can be easily deceived. We need to study. And that's why I encourage you to read through the Bible. I would encourage you now, pick up the Bible in a year with us. There's schedules on the back table. Or pray, starting in January. Join us. Go through the Bible in a year. Because it's so important that we understand who Jesus is, who this Bible presents as the Savior of the world, so that we are not deceived.

We do not follow another Jesus. Paul goes on to say, or if you receive a different spirit, which you have not received, or a different gospel, which you have not accepted. Now this is the result of teaching another Jesus, another numerical Jesus. The result of it is unrighteousness.

a different or another spirit, a different or another gospel. Now this word different, it's similar to the word for another as in another Jesus, but it's another in a qualitative sense. It's another quality. If you preach another Jesus numerically, then what you receive is a spirit and a gospel that's different in quality. And if it's not Jesus Christ of the Bible,

then the quality of the Spirit and the quality of the Gospel is not saving quality. And that's where we need to be concerned. That's where we need to understand how important it is that we know what we believe and why. Another quality. Another Jesus numerically produces another Gospel, another Spirit, another

of quality, different quality than the one that Jesus offers and the one that the Bible presents. There's only one way. There's only one spirit. There's only one gospel message that saves. Only one. There's no other way.

It's only through Jesus Christ. John 3.16, you all know it. It's the gospel message. So simple, right there in one verse. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever might believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting or eternal life.

That is the gospel message. That is the only way that you and I can be saved. It is the only way that you and I will enter into eternity. Now today, just like there was then, there's many who preach and teach Jesus that is not this Jesus. That is not John 3.16. That is not this gospel message. There's many other Jesuses out there. There's many other spirits. There's many other gospels.

And we need to know which one is the one that we want to believe, which one is the accurate one, which one is correct, which one is true to the Word of God. And in order to do that, we must know and understand what God's Word is saying. Today there's many who preach Jesus.

But the question, of course, is it the same Jesus that the Bible teaches? Now, I probably will ruffle some feathers this morning, and that's okay. Because we need to understand, who is Jesus? And who do others say that Jesus is? And I want to pick out three examples, kind of mainstream examples, of what other people say about Jesus Christ, and who is the Jesus that they are teaching. The Catholic Church.

Now, if you want to check this out on your own, I would encourage you to. I went to Catholic.org. But does the Catholic Church preach Jesus? And I'm not waiting for you to respond, but I'm allowing you to think it through. Does the Catholic Church preach Jesus? And we would often say yes. Now, is it the same Jesus or another? And that's where it gets tricky, right? That's where it gets difficult. You're like, don't push me into a corner here.

Is it the same Jesus or another? Now, if you listen to, if you study, if you check out what the Catholic Church says about Jesus Christ, you would say, well, yeah, it's the same Jesus. I mean, they preach about the cross and the blood and atonement and all that. It seems like the same Jesus to me, but in reality, there's a problem.

What is the problem? Well, because we just read John 14, 6. And Jesus said, I'm the only way. No one comes to the Father but by me. That's not necessarily what the Catholic Church teaches. What? Are you sure? There's a teaching. Of course, there's lots of things that we could look at, but I'm just sharing with you a couple real quick. But they teach the 15 promises of Mary to Christians who recite the Rosary.

So for those who recite the rosary, they say, here's what Mary promises you. If you would do this and recite the rosary of Mary, here's what she promises you. And there's 15 of them. Number five on the list, the fifth promise is this. The soul which recommend itself to me by the recitation of the rosary shall not perish.

Now, I look back at John 3.16 and I say, is that the same message? Is that the same gospel? For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Is that the same gospel? Is that the same message? No, it is not. There's a problem.

And there's a big problem. Another Jesus, a different spirit, a different gospel. So then many will ask, and I know it'll come up, well, then are Catholics saved? Because that's a big question. We need to know. We have loved ones and friends. Listen, not if they're trusting in Mary for their salvation. Not if they're trusting in the church or the works or anything else.

for salvation only if they trust in Jesus Christ. That's true whether you go to the Catholic Church or Calvary Chapel or anywhere else you go, or even if you don't go to church, your salvation is not determined on where you go to church, but where you put your trust, where you put your faith, who you are believing in, who is your God. So if they're trusting in Jesus Christ, His atoning blood, the only way is through Him. And so of course that they are saved. But anybody who puts their trust in anything else

I don't care if you do the rosary 50 times a day. That will not bring you salvation. It's only found in Jesus Christ. What about the Mormon church? You can check it out at mormon.org online. The Mormon church, what do they teach? Do they preach Jesus? Yes. They preach Jesus. They come to the door and they say, I want to tell you about Jesus Christ. Is it the same Jesus or another?

On their website, they post some questions and answers. One of the questions that they post is, are you Christians? And the answer is by Gordon Hickley, the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or the Mormon Church. Here's what he has to say.

We are Christians in a very real sense, and that is coming to be more and more widely recognized. Once upon a time, people everywhere said that we are not Christians. They have come to recognize that we are, and that we have a very vital and dynamic religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ.

We, of course, accept Jesus Christ as our leader, our king, our savior, the dominant figure of history of the world, the only perfect man who ever walked the earth, the living son of the living God. He is our savior and redeemer through whose atoning sacrifice has come the opportunity of eternal life. Great deception.

Sounds good, doesn't it? Now, I don't know who he's talking about that they're coming to recognize and see that they're Christians now. Because what are they preaching? It's not the same Jesus. It's another Jesus. Even though it sounds good, wow, that sounds great. What do they really teach about Jesus? What must you do to be saved? Does it go along with and correspond with the same thing that Jesus Christ said?

Well, going on, it said that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints pray and worship in the name of Jesus Christ. He is the center of our faith and head of the church. The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and witnesses of his divinity, his life, and his atonement. So here's the added revelation.

The added special knowledge. Russell Ballard, who is a member of the Twelve Apostles of the Mormon Church, says that there's many who say the Latter-day Saints believe in a different Jesus,

quoting here from 2 Corinthians 11, 4, then do other Christians and that they are therefore not Christian. We believe in the Jesus of the New Testament and we believe what the New Testament teaches about him. We do believe things about Jesus that other Christians do not believe, but that is because we know through revelation things about Jesus that others do not know. False apostles, higher revelation, special knowledge. It's not the same Jesus.

You can look at their doctrine and look at their things and understand it's not the same Jesus. It's a different gospel. It's a different spirit. And therefore, it's not true. And it brings condemnation rather than salvation. What they say about Jesus

Salvation? Well, they say, in order to make atonement effective in an individual's life, we must, number one, have faith in Christ. Number two, repent of our sins. Number three, be baptized. Number four, receive the Holy Ghost. Number five, obey God's commands. And number six, strive to become like Him. In order for you to have your sin atoned for, you need to do these six things. Is that what the Scripture says? No.

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, Acts 16.32. You must believe and that is it. As soon as you addition anything, you must be baptized as well. That's an addition too and it is no longer the gospel message. It is no longer the Jesus Christ that the Bible teaches. It's a different Jesus. It's another Jesus. It's a Jesus that leads to deception as well as destruction.

The Mormon church, another Jesus. A different spirit, a different gospel. What about Jehovah's Witnesses? And you can check this out at Watchtower.org online. Do the Jehovah's Witnesses preach Jesus? Well, yes, they do. Is it the same Jesus or is it another? Well, I hope you know the answer. It is another. In fact, what they claim Jesus to be is not God, but a created being.

They say that, well, the quote is that Christ is God's son and is inferior to him. Not equal to God, not God. They also say that Christ was the first of God's creations. So they're preaching Jesus, they're talking about Jesus, but they teach that Jesus is a created being and that he's Michael the archangel. Now if you want a challenge, I would encourage you to do this.

Take this next week and try to answer this question from the Bible. The question is this. Can you be saved but not believe that Jesus is God? Can you be saved but not believe that Jesus is God? Check it out. Spend some time. I encourage you. Study it. Look it up. But the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Mormon Church, the Catholic Church, another Jesus, a different gospel, a different message.

And here's Paul's concern. He says, if they come and preach these things and teach these things, you may well put up with it. This is why Paul is so fearful. He says, look, you're entertaining the thoughts of these false apostles, and he will later call them ministers of Satan there in verse 15. And he says, you may well put up with anybody who comes and preaches another Jesus, another gospel, another spirit. You're open to the deception. You're opening up yourself to be led astray.

Now, Paul started in the beginning in verse 1 and saying, Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly, and indeed you do bear with me. The idea meaning, if only you would continue to bear with me, and indeed you need to bear with me, I insist. He uses the same word here at the end of verse 4, where he says, You may well put up with it. You will bear with it. We understand and get the picture. You're going to worship something.

Paul says, if only you would bear with me and put up with me and hear what the Word of God has to say, what the Bible teaches and what is true and right, and not another Jesus, but the only Jesus who is the way, the truth, and the life. If only you would bear with me. And he's insisting, bear with me, because if you do not bear with me, you're going to bear with another, which means you will be worshiping another Jesus, following another God, serving another.

Another God in a different religion with a different gospel message, with a different spirit. You will worship something. You will believe something. But only one way is the right way. Only one way leads to salvation. Only one way leads to heaven. All roads don't lead to heaven. All roads lead to God, but not all roads lead to heaven. You will stand before God.

But your entrance into heaven is only secured by your faith, trust, belief in Jesus Christ. And so again I ask, with such strong deception, and since the stakes are so high, how do we know which Jesus is the right one? Well, of course, it's the Word of God. It boils down to this question. It's the question that Jesus asked his disciples in Matthew chapter 16.

Verse 15, Jesus asked them, who do you say that I am? Who do you say that Jesus Christ is? Because that question answers where you will spend eternity. That question determines where you will go for the rest of your life.

Of the rest, of the rest, of eternity upon eternity upon eternity. Where you spend eternal life, forever and ever and ever and ever. That question is the question that you and I need to have the right answer to. It's not the million dollar question, it's the eternal question. Who do you say that Jesus Christ is? Now, I want to take a few moments here, and I'm just going to read some of the scriptures.

Some different portions. If you want to write them down, you're free to. I encourage you to study them and look them up. But you need to know. You need to find out. Who do you say that Jesus is? Is it the Jesus of the Bible? Are you trusting in Him and Him alone for your salvation? Are you believing God's Word and putting it in practice in your life that you believe in Him and that's how you're saved?

Because that is the question. That is what you need to know. That is what you need to be able to answer right and accurately because your eternal life depends on it. First verse, John 3.16. We've read it, but I'll read it again. Determine for yourself...

Which Jesus do you want to believe in? For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 14, 6, Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Acts 4, 12, nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. That's Peter talking to the Sanhedrin about the name of Jesus.

John chapter 3, Jesus talking to Nicodemus. He says,

Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I say to you, you must be born again. John chapter 10. Jesus tells the Jews, I and my Father are one.

Then the Jews took up stones to stone him. And Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shown you from my Father. For which of these works do you stone me? And the Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we do not stone you, but for blasphemy. And because you, being a man, make yourself God.

Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8 and 9. For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. The gospel message which the Bible teaches is about a man named Jesus Christ who is God, became man, died on the cross for us, shed his blood. He was perfect and sinless, yet he died and took upon himself glory.

Your sin and my sin. And he paid for it all. And that's why on the cross he said, it is finished. And when he died on the cross and paid for all of our sin, he made the way, as Paul says in Ephesians 2, 8 and 9, that we could be saved by grace through faith. And he gives us the faith. It's not even, the faith isn't of ourselves.

He gives us the faith and he gives us the grace. And all we must do is believe. That's the only thing. If you want to be saved, you must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Believe what the Bible teaches about him. Believe that he is who he said he was, that he came to do what he said he came to do. Believe. More than just understanding that he exists. Many believe that he was a man, that he was a good teacher.

but believing truly that he is who he said he was, Jesus Christ. And it's by grace. Paul says that it's not of worthless anyone should boast. There's nothing that you can do to be more saved.

There's nothing that you can do to add to your salvation, to be more spiritual. There's nothing that you can do to have better access to God. The gospel message is that the grace of God has come upon our lives and that He freely gives to us complete access to His Son through the veil into the holy presence of God because of what He did and absolutely nothing to do with what we've done, good or bad.

That's the gospel message. That's not what the false apostles were teaching. That's not what many are teaching around us today. We need to know, who do you say that Jesus Christ is? Because based on that, you will spend eternity in one place or the other. You need to know. How do you know? You need to study the word of God. And if you have doubts this morning, I don't know, do I believe that?

I would encourage you to spend some time. Study the book of 1 John. There's three reasons why John writes the book. I encourage you, find him out. Figure him out. What is John? Well, I'll just say he'll encourage you and comfort you. But you need to know which Jesus you believe. You need to know which gospel message you've received and which spirit you've received. Because to receive any other

is not to receive the one in which there is a way, and to receive any other is to condemn yourself to eternity in hell. That's the message. That's what Jesus preached. That's the message we need to know and understand because it's true. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, Lord, your word can be at times very heavy or very difficult because, Lord, it does seem so narrow that there's only one way, and it's through you.

But Lord, we do thank you that the one way that you provided is not a way of toil and turmoil, but it's a way of grace. By faith which you provide, Lord, in which you say, I'll do everything you just believe. And Lord, there's no other religions that teach that. There's no other doctrines. Lord, it's easy for us to add on and to be deceived and deceived.

to think we can achieve something greater, something better by adding on to what you did on the cross. But Lord, help us not to be deceived. Help our minds not to be corrupted like Eve's. Lord, I pray that you would, by your Spirit, open our eyes, that we might understand your Word and receive the Jesus that your Bible teaches.

no other, but that we would hold on to him. That, Lord, when we're asked the question, who do you say that Jesus is, we'll be like Peter and say, you are the Christ, the son of the living God. You are God, and you died on the cross for our sins. Lord, your gospel message is so pure, it's so simple, it's so easy. Help us not to corrupt it, God. Because it's by grace we're saved through faith.

not of works, lest we should boast. Help us to approach you based on what you've done and who you are. Help us to understand, Jesus, who you truly are. And help us to hold on to you, to cling to you, to not be swayed or deceived by anyone, any doctrine, anything that comes along. Lord, we don't want to put up with it. We want to bear with Paul and bear witness with him

The Jesus that he preached. Which is the Jesus that you sent to die on the cross for our sins. And to make a way into eternity for us with you. Thank you, Jesus. You're so awesome. You're worthy. It's all about you. And it's in your name we pray. Amen.

We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.