Whats up with Paul labeling his colleagues (some of the other church leaders) servants of satan??? Read 2 Cor 10 & 11. Didnt this guy want to get invited to preach at other churches around town? Did he have a death wish to utterly destroy any credibility he had amongst his peers? Surely he knew that his name would be scratched from the mutual admiration society if he called them out?
But what was their crime? For one thing they commended themselves all the time, for another they took advantage of others, indulging themselves by living off the bread of others. For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face.
These false apostles took the peoples money, elevated themselves with airs and graces and titles, and abused them in other ways. In a word,they enslaved their hearers in a demonic, witch-like hold, just as one crushes the spirit and holds a slave in fear. And to make matters worse, Paul said they boasted that they work on the same terms as Paul!!!
Thank God Paul was a real man, not a limp wristed girly man with no resolve to stand up to false teachers. He stood up to those who made a money making career of gospel work, who lived for the furtherance of their own ministry and name. Paul was a man of integrity and godly character who freely gave of himself to serve others without charge, while all the others made it their practice to subtlety, manipulate money from their hearers for their own needs. It didnt matter what clever ways they worded their money grubbing efforts, God knew their hearts, that money was their God
and as such Paul rightly stated that they were not children of almighty God.
Isnt it interesting that in Pauls day you could be labelled SATANIC for money grubbing, yet today no one even bats an eye! Oh how far we have fallen!!
And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 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 Cor 11:12
brother Mark M.
from: http://gospelfellowships.net/2013/08/08/money-grubbing-and-loving-pastors-can-become-servants-of-satan/
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