Queen Mary — “I fear his [John Knox’s] prayers more than all the armies of Europe.”
Knox’s bravery is a distant echo of apostle Paul — the bravest man who ever lived.
Note the description of him in Acts 17 — where is the one who has upset the world? Also 1 Cor. 11:23-28.
When Paul was born, the world was in heathen paganism, by the time he died, the world had been exposed to the tremendous power of the gospel.
This brave Christian is trembling at the beginning of the chapter (v. 3). What would make this brave and godly man be fearful? He was fearful that his flock would be drawn away from Christ!
Background: false teachers had infiltrated and were teaching a false gospel and attacking the person of Paul and his character. They were attempting to accumulate a following for themselves. So in this chapter, after 10 chapters of saying he didn’t want to defend himself, he finally engages in “the fool’s speech” and defends his apostleship.
Paul had to address these false professors and false teachers for the sake of the church. This passage is devoid of any concern for their behavior — he only cares about their focus, what rivets their attention.
The converts were being led astray by another gospel (v. 4) — a gospel that was probably devoid of the blood of Christ (they wanted the exalted Christ without the crucified Christ).
This verse contains Paul’s theology of the pastorate. In it we find three applications of pastoral theology —
1. A Fearful Ecclessiology
Background — Paul wanted to take the Corinthian church and take them to Christ as a bride ready for the groom. He wanted no part of their allegiance — he wanted them to be attached to Christ. He had a godly jealousy for them to know Christ — he wanted to protect this treasure and taken to Christ.
Note that Paul’s eschatology had an immediate bearing on his ecclesiology. He always kept that final day in mind in the way he shepherded the people.
“I’m afraid” = It is in the primary position — put to flight by terror; a protective reflex, like startling an animal. A sustained fear.
Do we have a similar jealousy? Do we care more for our people than our popularity? Do we have a fatherly affection for them?
2. A Functional Bibliology
There is a parenthetical thought in the verse — as the serpent deceived Eve… — Paul not only believed in the creation account, but he believed in a talking serpent!! He took that as absolute historical fact.
The focus, though, is Eve. When Eve fell, it was because she was taken by cunning. (Carson) She was tricked. This is always the mode of attack of the Enemy. He always uses our language, but with his dictionary. He has in mind here another Spirit, another gospel, another Christ.
Satan always wraps his coils around his people with subtlety. His ways are never obvious.
Look at Genesis 3. Paul took the word deception from v. 1 — crafty. Eve took from the fruit and ate — and then gave it right to Adam. Where was Adam? He was right beside her (Gen. 3:6).
- Satan disguises — he won’t come looking like Satan. He comes as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). He does not desire people to be afraid of him, but to be loved and embraced!
- Satan deceives — he is the father of lies who tells half truths. Sprinkled with enough truth, he adds or subtracts truth just enough to confuse the truth
- Satan distracts — placing emphasis on everything but Christ
- Satan distorts — e.g., the Galatians in ch. 3 — “who has bewitched you?” Cf. also Rom. 16:18.
Satan’s supreme ambition is to make sure that Jesus Christ does not have supremacy in the human heart.
We have to have a functional bibliology to take the Bible and teach it and apply it to the lives and hearts of people. It’s easy to use the Bible when you preach; it’s hard to use it when you shepherd.
3. A Jealous Christology
Jesus Christ is the integrating centrality of all our faith. From Him, through Him, to Him are all things.
Christianity is a rational faith (which is why we teach instead of having pep rallies) — the Corinthians were being led astray because they were following another gospel and another Christ. (They were being irrational and led astray by false teachers.)
Who would have thought that any would drift away from the faith in this time — so close to the gospel and taught by Paul? But it is not just drifting from faith, but drifting from a person!
“He’s a good preacher, leader, anything” isn’t good enough. “He’s a godly follower of Christ” is the only adequate answer for people following a pastor and leader.
Note Paul’s preoccupation with Christ’s person in his letters — e.g., Gal. 2:20; Phil. 1:21; 3:8ff; Col. 1:18 (first place in everything — He’s not the first priority; He is first in everything we do and are); Col. 1:28; 3:4; 1 Pt. 2:9; 1 Jn. 5:20.
Don’t allow the people to think that they have their time with God in the morning and then go to live life — He is in first place in all things!
The whole accent of communion is remembrance — communion is to bring us back into realignment to Jesus Christ. Jesus changes everything. Our chief purpose as pastors is to rivet them to Christ — to generate awareness. It’s not a plan of salvation, but a person. Our hearts aren’t wrenched by the cross because we forget Jesus.
Note Jn. 17:3 — “This is eternal life — that they may know You, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” Eternal life is an eternal relationship with Christ and the Father, not just the ongoing measure of time. This is our gospel.
It is possible to lose this perspective of the priority of Christ. It happened to the Ephesians (Rev. 2:1-7). How did that happen? Acts 20:28-30 tells us — not just savage wolves, but even false teachers from among the church itself rose up to lead the disciples away from Christ to them. Men within the church who wanted a following form themselves became thieves of God’s glory and took people away from Christ.
Words of Grace 