Here’s an outtake from this past Sunday’s adult Bible class at my church (shorewoodbiblechurch.org):
Paul writes
to the Galatians, [11] Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you
with mine own hand.
[12] As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain
you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross
of Christ.
How are
these religious tyrants seeking to control the Galatians? They are going to
teach the Bible; they’re using the Word of God to mistreat, exploit and abuse
God’s people in the dispensation of grace, says Alex Kurz.
But that is
the satanic genius, if you will. The satanic policy of evil is not anti-Bible
and that’s why it’s so insidious. Satan’s issue isn’t the Bible per say.
By the way,
Satan doesn’t believe the Bible. Sometimes people ask, “How can Satan in his wisdom
read the Book of Revelation and not just wave the white flag of surrender?”
Because he
doesn’t believe it’s going to happen! Remember, Satan studied his Bible, knows
it better than any human being who’s walked the planet short of the Lord Jesus
Christ, but Satan is not a Bible believer. He’s a Bible teacher, though.
Does that
sound familiar? There are men in the pulpit; the religious tyrant today will teach
the Bible but that doesn’t mean they’re believers of it.
Circumcision
is a Bible doctrine, so you know what Paul’s getting at in the passage. Just
because it’s Bible doctrine doesn’t mean it’s dispensationally applicable.
[13]
For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to
have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.
The religious
tyrant is interested in glorying in YOUR flesh, your willingness to participate
in their system of religion that exercises manipulative control and dominion.
They say, “I’m
going to be the boss and I want you under my thumb, but I do this because I love
you; I value you.”
By the way,
when we study the five warning signs or red flags of religious tyranny, everything
Paul says . . . If a man put you in bondage and if a man smite thee and exalt
himself, and if a man take of you, etc.
II
Corinthians 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.
In the Old
Testament we see there are passages actually used by the modern-day religious
tyrant to justify this mistreatment of Believers today:
“I love you
so much; we got to get back there to the Word of God and we’re going to let the
Word straighten you out.”
One of the
most degrading things one can do is smite a person on the face. People argue, “Is
that literal violence or is it just symbolic? Is it public shaming?”
There are
ministries out there that will literally humiliate and shame a Believer because
“we love you.” How do they justify that? How can anyone justify smiting a
Believer on the face?
When you go
to Deuteronomy 21 and 25 you understand that the Lord imposed under the Mosaic
law system forms of physical chastisement and discipline.
God lays out
some rules about when someone might need to receive the rod. If you remember
Paul said, “I received 40 stripes save one.” Where did that come from? The Book
of Deuteronomy.
When these
tyrants glory in your flesh, they impose submission and control, abusiveness,
but they do it because they love you; they go to the Mosaic law system. That’s
how they justify it.
Again, Satan’s
not against a Believer studying the Bible as long as they don’t study it “rightly
divided.” Nothing brings greater joy to the Adversary and to the rulers of
darkness and the principalities of the darkness of this world than to study God’s
Word contrary to the way God wants it studied—"rightly dividing the word
of truth.”
I don’t mean
to belabor this, but I got a note from a brother who’s dealing with a church
that’s just vehemently opposed to dispensationalism, and you know where they
keep going to defend their anti-dispensational handling of the Word of God? The
books of Exodus and Deuteronomy, of all the places to go.
Any wonder why Paul says, “I don’t want to have dominion over your faith, but I want to be a helper of your joy.”
Paul begins Philippians
3: [1] Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same
things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.
[2] Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
There are
predators out there. Paul talks about how they’re going to “devour you.” That’s
shepherd language. They’re going to chew and grind your spiritual hide and suck
the soul right out of you.
The Bible
uses predatory language and isn’t Satan, according to Peter, like a “roaring
lion seeking whom he may devour.”
What’s that
word there in verse 2? Workers. They are BUSY; they are active. Listen, they’re
not sitting on the sidelines with their hands under their rump.
In fact, in
II Corinthians 11 Paul calls them “deceitful workers.” They’re religiously
engaged. In other words, the Adversary is working overtime and that’s why Paul
exhorts the Ephesians, of all the churches, “Redeem the time because the days
are evil.”
Listen, the
Adversary is working 24/7, so there’s a gentle rebuke here. These men are working
diligently; they’re working overtime and so we need to be mindful. We should own
the time that we have.
II
Corinthians 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.
[13] For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming
themselves into the apostles of Christ.
[14] And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of
light.
[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.
Light
represents revelation, but the problem is this isn’t the NEW revelation that
Jesus Christ imparts to the Apostle Paul. This is OLD revelation and Paul uses
that word “transform” three times.
He’s saying,
“These guys are impostors, but they’re good.”
“Ministers of
righteousness.” That’s self-righteousness; a righteousness that’s generated in
the realm of the flesh—the doing, the activity, the behavior, subjection to the
Mosaic law that regulates and controls.
It’s a
performance management system; it’s a spiritual control system which, by the
way, is the law program. What to do, when to do it, how to do it and you better
do it enough or there’s going to be chastisement.
That’s going
to help us understand Paul saying, “If a man smite you on the face.”
II
Corinthians 11: [18] Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will
glory also.
[19] For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.
Paul’s saying, “You’re going to tolerate the false standard that’s going to be used by these deceitful workers; these ministers of righteousness always focused on the external.”