Angels of Light (2 Corinthians 11)

Not long ago, I watched three ministers debate online. Two of the three ministers stated that a sin that is known as a sin to most believers is not a sin, while the other minister stated that it was a sin. The sin in question is listed in both the Old and New Testaments as a sin. The one minister read Bible verse after Bible verse confirming how this sin was a sin. One would think that Christian ministers would agree with the verses provided. But they did not.

I kept watching the debate because I wanted to see how the other ministers would respond to the verses—how could they possibly justify their stance given all the verses that were quoted? To my surprise, the sin-supporting minister referred to scripture to justify his stance. He quoted John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

The minister stated that we incorrectly believe the Bible is the Word of God. He noted that Jesus was the Word; therefore, when we say that the Bible is the Word, we reduce Jesus to words on a page. He stated that if we were to view the Bible as we should, we would understand that it is inspired by God but written by men—flawed men. Thus, the Bible is not infallible because man is not infallible.

He stated that Jesus is the infallible Word of God, not the Bible. Therefore, since Jesus did not say that the sin he supported was a sin in the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, then the sin is not a sin. He also said that every other time this sin was listed as a sin in the Bible can be explained as not a sin today. Per his and the other sin-supporting minister's theological degrees and education, those who consider the sin a sin have not studied enough.

They stated we do not understand the Hebrew interpretation or the Greek. They stated we have not considered the cultural context or the audience to which the command was given. They insisted that we could not see the bigger picture and that we only had one puzzle piece of a much greater image. Therefore, we could not say this sin was a sin without considering the history of the text, the context of the scripture, the original language of the text, or the possible bias of the author.

And I must say, although I know the truth and praise God, most of the viewers seemed to know the truth as well; these two well-spoken, highly educated, and experienced ministers could have very well deceived many into believing their lies. Initially, I could not understand how they could be pastors—how anyone could sit under their leadership when they call that which is sin, not sin.

But after listening to them, I could see how those who do not know the truth for themselves, those who are not rooted in Christ, could be robbed of the truth and blinded by the darkness they preached. As I watched the video, I paused and said to myself, “They sound just like Satan …”

I recalled how, in the Garden of Eden, Satan made Eve question if God had commanded her and Adam not to eat of the tree. “Did God indeed say …” Satan asked in Genesis 3:1. The enemy directly opposed what God said. God said it was sinful to eat from the tree. Satan said it wasn’t sinful. Adam and Eve knew God’s word, but Satan made them question His Word.

What happened in Genesis 3 was happening right before my eyes in that online debate. I saw two men, two pastors, two “angels of light” questioning God’s word. I witnessed them say that what the Bible said was a sin was not a sin. And it simply blew me away.

Yet, I knew the Lord wanted me to watch that debate. It merely confirmed what the Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15. “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. 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.”

Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church to express his concern for them. In verse three, he states, “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” He warned against false apostles and feared the Corinthians might fall into their corrupt indoctrination. Just as those two sin-supporting ministers were educated and well-spoken, these false apostles in Corinth were also well-trained in speech. Paul defended his authenticity in the gospel by saying that though he was untrained in speech, he was not unskilled in knowledge.

These false apostles boasted in themselves to solidify their validity as gospel preachers. Although Paul did not want to boast about himself, he began to list his credentials to prove that he was certainly a more genuine apostle than the fake angels of light. He spoke about being beaten, shipwrecked, stoned, hungry, thirsty, both a Hebrew and a seed of Abraham, and much more to prove his commitment and call to preaching God’s Word.

The parallels I saw between Satan, his deceiving angels of light, and those two sin-supporting pastors were uncanny. All of them questioned God’s Word, said God’s Word wasn’t right at face value, and relied on their own wisdom and education. Yet Paul stood firm on the simplicity of God’s Word and not on his own education.

No man taught Paul, yet he was the forefather of the Corinthian Church and the planter of many of the earlier churches… with his lack of formal education. According to those two ministers, if Paul lived today, he would have needed to study more. He would have needed to receive their education to assess the Bible correctly. There is no harm in further education in the Lord, yet the Holy Spirit is the best teacher—and from that debate, it was clear that the formally educated men lacked guidance from the Holy Spirit.

Just as Paul warned the Corinthians to be leery of false teachers and receiving “a different gospel”, we must be on alert. The enemy is never obvious. Remember, those ministers used scripture to support their stance. Satan also used scripture to tempt Jesus in the wilderness. The fall of many believers will not be because they have neglected the reality of Christ or the gospel. It will be because they have accepted another gospel disguised as the real one.

Fake angels of light will spew fake gospels. But they will do it in a very convincing way, just like their father, the devil. Satan was exceedingly wise to trick angels in heaven to follow him instead of obeying God. The devil’s ministers today are just like him—very conning, very wise, appearing as angels of light and using God’s Word as their evidence.

We must be alert. We must know God’s Word and how to use it. Satan knew God’s Word, too, but he used it incorrectly. Let’s pray against the very slick way the enemy attempts to sway us away from the truth. We are not above being deceived. It can happen to us all if we aren’t watchful, prayerful, and steadfast in God’s Word and revelation from the Holy Spirit.

So, may we be vigilant … watching for those who appear as angels of light, those who deceive others and even themselves. Let’s pray that the true light of Christ will shine into their darkness before it is too late. And may we be forever guided by The Truth, Our Lord and Savior, until the end of our days.

May God bless you and keep you.

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