Footstep #200

In his defence against spiritual predators (11:1-4) the second charge regarding doctrinal heresy is even stronger: They preach another Jesus, a different Spirit, and a different Gospel! Here Paul really nails the predators. NB v4: while directed at the congregation, Paul is also accusing the false teachers. What does he mean that they preached “another Jesus”? Muslims claim to honour Jesus as a great prophet, but you wouldn’t recognize the Jesus they honour. The Jesus of the Gospel is the one Paul talks about in 1Cor.15, the One who died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. We’re talking about the pre-existent, Virgin-born, sinless Saviour of the World, the Way, the Truth and the Life! If anyone talks about Jesus and doesn’t hold to these truths about Him, he’s preaching another Jesus! Besides another Jesus these predators have also convinced the Corinthians that they need a different Spirit, one not recognizable as the Holy Spirit Paul preached. In the church today, there are those who have so distorted the Spirit’s ministry that you can hardly recognize Him. Instead of the Spirit of order, he appears as the Spirit of confusion and emotionalism. Instead of glorifying Jesus, he is seen as glorifying Himself or even the preachers who talk about Him. Instead of advancing the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, he generates disunity and conflict. They are talking about a different Spirit.

Thirdly, the spiritual predators preach a different gospel. Read Paul’s curse on legalistic false gospel preachers in Gal.1:8. There is no other gospel, for there is only one way of salvation; all other ways are dead ends, and therefore they are not good news but bad news. Those who preach a health/wealth gospel are spiritual predators. Those who preach a gospel of salvation by works are spiritual predators. Those who preach a gospel of humanism are spiritual predators. Those who preach a gospel of tolerance to sin, or relativism and many ways to God are spiritual predators. Spiritual predators are dangerous because they attack the authority of scripture and the faithful, pawning themselves off as “super-apostles.” (read 11:5-11.)