2Co 11:1 Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.
2Co 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
2Co 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

I'm so glad God gave us this word. Studying this word will help us not to be deceived by anything or anyone. Paul was concerned that the Corinthian church was easily misled into various doctrines and which left the simple gospel of Jesus Christ covered up or ignored in the middle of the mess of teachings of men.

2Co 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

When we preach another way of salvation other than simple faith in Jesus to forgive us of sin, free us from sin and grant us eternal life, we are preaching another gospel. If we are trusting in infant baptism, certain sacraments, religious rites, ceremonies and any other acts of man to save us, that is preaching another Jesus. If we pray to any saint or to Mary for salvation, that is trusting in something other than Jesus for our salvation. If we depend upon confessing to a priest to save us, we are trusting in man, not Jesus Christ. If we depend upon church membership, paying tithes, or any other work or act to save us, we are not depending on Christ alone. Jesus is the only way of salvation. If there was another way then Jesus' death would have been for nothing. He died bearing our sins, He rose from the dead so that all who believe in Him will also rise from the dead and live eternally.

He is the way of salvation. We can't teach that Jesus is the way but we must also join this group to complete our salvation. When we believe in Jesus (believe means more than just believing He once existed), we turn from sin and turn to Christ. The Holy Spirit comes within us and we are "born again" by God's spirit. It is something done by God to the believer. Nothing man does in the form of baptisms, rituals or ceremonies can make one more saved. God saves. Now it is up to us to continue in the faith and not return to the sin we were saved from, but nothing man can do apart from Christ will ever save anyone. It is more than just accepting a religion, it is being born again by the spirit of God. God has to do it when He sees our faith in the one He sent to save us, His Son, Jesus Christ. It is spiritual, it is inward. Circumcision, rites, ordinances, sacrifices and works of men can't change the inward man or save the soul. We are baptized in water as an outward testimony to what has taken place in our hearts but even the baptism itself does not save the soul. It is an act of obedience to show that we are already saved from sin and a believer in Jesus Christ.

What is the gospel simply?

If you confess with your mouth, the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Repent means to turn around and go the right way. Go and trust in Christ to save from sin and make us a new creature where the old things have passed away.

We actually turn from our way and turn to God's way of salvation and that way is Jesus Christ.

If we add to this by saying one has to become Catholic, Mormon, do a few good deeds to earn our wings, etc, then we are leaving the simplicity of Christ and teaching another gospel.

If we preach the prosperity gospel, it is another gospel. Jesus never promised us that we could be rich in this life. The gospel of the kingdom is within us when we believe. It is not an outward manmade act. It is not joining anything. We can join a church if we desire but if we don't that doesn't mean we are not saved and joining a church doesn't make one more saved. Jesus is the way of salvation. We can't bypass Jesus and just be a good person to be saved either. We must come through Jesus and we must repent or turn from sin. That is the gospel.

If sin separates us from God then the sin has to be forgiven and removed to be able to inherit the kingdom of God. Jesus is the one God sent to do the job of saving us from sin. Since Jesus paid the price for our sins with his death then only He is the way of salvation. We must believe in Him to be saved from sin and inherit eternal life and be reconciled back to God. If we return to open sin and do not repent then of course we are not saved. If Jesus paid such a high price to free us from sin and we willfully return to it, why would we consider ourselves saved from sin if we are doing the same things Jesus saved us from?

Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

We are saved from sin by the grace and mercy of God. We ask and He gives. He does it all. All we do is believe this. We can't earn it, we can't work for it and we can't do some ritual to get it. All we do is repent and believe in Jesus Christ. God does the saving, we do the believing. We can't boast because we did nothing to earn it.

To add all the other stuff that goes around is preaching another Jesus.

One does not have to sign any covenant, one does not have to be baptized in the Catholic church, one does not have to become a Mormon, join the Masons or do any other thing. Just simple faith in Jesus Christ saves the soul and abiding in Jesus from then on. Jesus is the way, Jesus is the truth and Jesus is the life. No man or woman comes to the Father but through Jesus.

You don't have to be a Baptist, you don't have to join the Pentecostal church, and you don't have to sign anything. Just simply trust in Jesus all the days of your life. You will be "born again" by God's spirit. You don't have to depend on any man or woman for salvation.

God gives us pastors, teachers and evangelists to exhort, correct and comfort but they do not save and if they move away, go to be with the Lord, or even backslide, we still can go on because our savior is Christ, not man.

2Co 11:5 For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.
2Co 11:6 But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.
2Co 11:7 Have I committed an offense in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?
2Co 11:8 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.

Other churches gave to Paul so that he could minister to this church.

2Co 11:9 And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
2Co 11:10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
2Co 11:11 Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.
2Co 11:12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
2Co 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

This we must always remember. No one can deceive a believer in Christ by teaching that which everyone knows is false. No one can deceive by openly opposing the word. They deceive mostly by pretending to be one of us. They use the word deceitfully, they twist scriptures or take them out of context. Those that preach the good life and prosperity doctrine do this. Their churches are getting large and prosperous because they use enough scriptures to deceive. They are transformed into apostles of light.

The word itself is being dumbed down, watered down and ignored in place of praise and worship, fun and dancing.

Don't get me wrong. I love singing and worshipping God but false doctrine churches also sing and worship. Worship and praise is important. Singing is part of worship and I love it but it must never replace the sound teaching of the word. We might go and hear upbeat music that makes us feel good for a while but without the word how are we going to know right from wrong, truth from error and avoid the things Jesus warned us about. Jesus said to, "Take heed that no man deceive us." If we never read, hear or receive the word, how can we know what is true?

If we hear only ear tickling, feel good messages and never hear the ones of warning, how are we going to repent and be sorry for sin? How can one change if he or she sees no need to change?

2Co 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2Co 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

I'm not trying to get us to be suspicious of everyone here but we do need to be careful. We do this by studying the word ourselves so that we are not deceived.

Remember God wants unity and love but not at the expense of believing lies and neglecting the truth.

He broke up the unity at the tower of Babel. Those who are emphasizing unity forget that when they want us to join up with all the new fads coming along. We can love one another without going along with every fad that comes down the church pipes.

Contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. Remember what happened in the Middle Ages when the church replaced the bible with their own teachings which they exalt above the word of God. We must not belittle and forsake the word for the sake of any false unity.

2Co 11:16 I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.
2Co 11:17 That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
2Co 11:18 Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.
2Co 11:19 For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.
2Co 11:20 For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.
2Co 11:21 I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, I (speak foolishly,) I am bold also.
2Co 11:22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

It doesn't matter what someone may boast of having in the way of heritage, education, and knowledge, it matters whether or not they are teaching the simplicity of the gospel and sticking with the sound doctrine of the word. In Paul's day he had those that boasted that they were of the circumcision, or of the Jewish elite. They thought they were more spiritual than Gentile believers who were not circumcised.  Paul totally reminded them that they also were saved by the grace of God and not their works in the flesh.  Having begun in the spirit, works of the flesh could not make them more saved.  Circumcision is good for health reasons but it doesn't make one saved or unsaved. 

2Co 11:23 Are they ministers of Christ? I (speak as a fool) I am more; in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
2Co 11:24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
2Co 11:25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
2Co 11:26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
2Co 11:27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
2Co 11:28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
2Co 11:29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
2Co 11:30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
2Co 11:31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed forevermore, knoweth that I lie not.
2Co 11:32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
2Co 11:33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.

Usually you will find the true believers being persecuted for their faith. When you see men admired and praised even by the secular world, I would wonder about that. When everybody accepts the person of a certain well-known preacher, then I would wonder about it. Those that speak truth are hated, criticized and persecuted.

Luk 16:15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

Luk 6:26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

This of course doesn't mean that every hated person is a true believer. Hitler was hated I'm sure but in his day, many in his own country thought he was great and he was highly esteemed. Yet we know how wicked he turned out to be.

To sum it all, again and again I say that we can be thankful God gave us the written word to discern, search and make sure what we hear is right.  That is why I set up this website, to encourage the study of the word. 

11 Corinthians 12