“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:13–14, KJV)
Some time ago, we saw an advertisement on the internet. It seemed to be from a major outdoors outfitter. Their clothing and other things are always priced very high and their goods are of exceptional quality. The pricing on their purported sales webpage was unbelievable. Their clothing was at nearly 70% off. So, we started on an internet shopping spree, looking for everything we needed or wanted but could never saw fit to part with the money to purchase. Our total bill came to just under two-hundred dollars. Yes, chicken feed for some but not us.
About an hour after we made our purchase, I began to have a strange feeling. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true. I went back to the computer and checked the website from which we ordered the goods. Something seemed wrong. Then I googled the sale. Something was wrong. We inadvertently were caught by a scam. Someone had masqueraded as the major outdoor goods supplier and set up the site. Fortunately, we charged the sale on our credit card and the credit card company immediately cancelled the payment. The point is this. We must watch out for those things which are deceptive in life. They usually are presented as good but often are a deceptive snare.
Here Paul wrote of this issue in the church. He indicated that there were false teachers who were vying for the affection of those in the Corinthian church. He describes them as “false apostles,” pseudaapostoloi, lying, deceitful, false apostles, and “deceitful workers.” He indicated that the Lord did not appoint these to apostleship but they were “transforming themselves” into that position. The participle translated as “transforming,” metaschematizo, means to transfigure or disguise (Strong G3345). The ESV translated the word as “disguise,” which makes things a bit clearer. They were fashioning themselves into something that they were not. The result was that of leading people astray.
Paul went on to explain then that the disguising themselves should be no surprise.
“And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.” (2 Corinthians 11:14–15, ESV)
These false teachers were not what they claimed. They claimed to be apostles but were not. They put on the pretense of being servants of righteousness but were not. In fact, what Paul indicated was that they were not servants of the Lord at all. They were, in fact, servants of Satan. False teachers do not stand on neutral ground. Those not on the Lord’s side stand as Satan’s tools disguised as servants of the Lord.
Today, there are many charlatans professing to be something they are not. They are the wolves in sheep’s clothing. It behooves every believer to be grounded in the word of God, the Bible, so they will not be drawn to the heretical teaching of these professing servants of God. It is possible to spot these but it often takes a discerning heart. They can come in flashy attire, eloquent words, and with bold claims. These things may be red flags but you cannot tell who they are by appearances. You must examine what they are teaching. Do they preach the full counsel of God’s word? Do they sway from the truth in small things? Do they speak to tickle the itching ear? Do they promise things that are not in the word of God? Examine everything and hold to the truth.
Renewing the Heart 