Admonition from Paul, "Keep it PURE"

Apologies for needing to do this, because the battery died during the recording, and what is on our recording site is kind'a choppy near the end.

This is part 8 of our series in Paul's letters to the church at Corinth; he warns those who will hear it, to be ever vigilant about keeping the truth he has preached to them from being contaminated by strange imaginations.

1. 2 Cor. 11: 1-4
1.  1 Tim. 6: 1-E(nd of chapter).
2. 2 Cor. 11: 4
1. Is. 52: 6-E
3. 2 Cor. 11:4
1. Gal 1:1-4
1. John 17: 12-18
2. Gal. 1:2-10
1. 1 Tim. 6:3-6; 17
3. Gal. 1: 11-12
4. 2 Cor. 11: 4-13
1. 1 John 4:1-6
1. Rom. 1:18-23
2. 1 John 2: 3-6, 15-E
5. 2 Cor. 11:11-20
1. 2 Tim. 4:14-17
6. 2 Cor. 11: 20-E
7. Is. 55: 1-11

In this part of the study of Paul's letters, we touch on his admonitions to be aware of what was already happening to the congregations/small bodies of believers.  By addressing these problems he saw already infiltrating  the truth, he is letting us, today, know that so much of what we see in religion, as 'church' and 'worship', had its beginnings even there, and then.

Paul firstly warns about the eloquence and charisma of the various preachers who had already come along and deceived those who were lukewarm 'believers', who did not have a desire to know and have a relationship with their creator. He rightly calls what they preached, 'another gospel'. And for this, they are accursed, because they too, were murdering souls. He also refers to their message, their 'other gospel' as preaching another jesus. It is for this indictment that we find the verses in Is. ch. 52 to be 'spot-on', hitting the nail on the head, describing what they did and continue to do to the 'visage', the appearance of, and how people 'see' CHRIST.  In presenting a Christ that is not what Scripture says He is, it is perverting how He appears to those the gospel is being preached to.

Paul also recognizes that the reason for their profaning the Gospel, is because they are men-pleasers. They cook up their message for an ulterior motive; to gain wealth, (which Paul warns about in the last section of the chapter 11, regarding 'great gain does not equal godliness'), or to gain power over those who would be 'servants' to them, or for a bank account or notoriety and fame, or social standing.  All these are indicators of where their hearts are. Paul also gives an indication about satan and the devil and a roaring lion, by telling of his experience with the coppersmith who resisted his preaching, and intimidated the believers in the area into cowering from his, (the coppersmith's) strong, wrong attacks. 

Finally, he exhorts the believers to keep their minds, hearts, and lives pure, by knowing that the truth within them, is stronger than the lies in the world. Seek ye first.... all else will be burnt up.

I know that my little summary just above cannot recount the expressions and understanding we as a congregation enjoy, so I sincerely apologize for the technical difficulties I blame on a dead battery. 

:)  Comments welcome.  til next time.