Those WONDERFUL TITLES

Let me NOT... accept any man's person, neither let me give flattering TITLES unto man

-Job 32:21

2 Corinthians 11:13 - For SUCH are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming THEMSELVES into the apostles of Christ.

In the free-for-all arena of Christianity parading across the landscape we have smiling millionaire preachers and healers, church growth purposeful promoters, very IMPRESSIVE buildings/ campus's/ and architecture, stadium events, womens conferences for dynamic women of God, Worship conference extravaganzas, church leadership conferences, Christian wealth and blessing conferences, Holy Spirit conferences where you can get fire and thunder from God, live-satellite feed Christian conferences, Christian celebrities, Christian presidents, Christian entertainers, Christian recording artists, Christian businessmen and women, Christian book/gift/ and music stores, Christian TV networks and programming, and...

Oh well, you get the picture. We are just so BLESSED, it is obvious we have the best religion money can buy!    Why just look at all those beautiful Christian TV folks and their guests, the Sunday morning church services in those lovely sanctuaries, and all the rest.  You could spend your life just going from one conference to another, listening to cd's, DVD's, and seminar recordings as you drive, and fill yourself on all the wonderful material they sell.  And if they have "Bishop", Apostle", "Prophet" or "Dr." attached to their name, wow, they must be way up there and really know their God stuff.  And you can just forget the plain old simple "Reverend"  title for those fellows when you see them in the church marketplace.  

 The sheep smile and nod their heads because it feels good and they don't mind getting fleeced in the process because those handsome beautiful smiling ministers are so NICE and want God's best life for us, right?   And for anywhere from a few bucks to a few thousand, some of them will be glad to bring his message to your church or stadium, or better yet, make you a "PARTNER" in his ministry.

 Pardon me if I sound a bit sceptical.  After a quarter century around Christianity we have been well-sheared by more than one of what the Bible warned us of...   The system conditions us to drop our guard, reason away discernment, and most of all ignore what the New Testament scriptures repeatedly warned us of:

Matthew 7:15 - Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Matthew 24:11 - And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Mark 13:5 - And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you:
Mark 13:22 - For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
Matthew 24:24 - For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Luke 6:26 - Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
Luke 21:8 - And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I (Jesus) am Christ
Acts 20:29 - For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Romans 16:18 - For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
2 Corinthians 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;
Galatians 2:4 - And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:
Ephesians 4:14 - That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
2 Peter 2:1 - But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying (contradicting) the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2 Timothy 3:13 - But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived
2 Thessalonians 2:3 - Let no man deceive you by any means:
Titus 1:10 - For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
1 John 4:1 - Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Revelation 2:2 - I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

Let's start here:
  The word "apostle" literally means "one sent forth," and they are sent to raise up churches and set them in order.  The apostles are given a portion of the gift of the rest of the five fold ministry so they can discern the elders that they are called to ordain (Acts 14:23).  Elders are ordained five fold ministers, not assistants or helpers to the pastor (Acts 20:17, 11:30).  Even apostles are elders (1 Peter 5:1 - The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder;  2 Jn.1 1 The elder unto the elect lady and her children,; 3 Jn.11 The elder unto the well beloved Gaius.  We must recognize then, that apostles are also elders in the body and elders are not the pastors staff of yes-men.
    The apostle Paul was very concerned  about the churches being corrupted by the leaven of sin, the leaven of adding the law, and the corruption of the gospel by those who were deceived by hidden motives such as personal gain, prestige, and personal success.
 2 Corinthians 11:13 - For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
What was Paul, a real apostle,  talking about? The phrase "for such" refers to something Christians, who called "themselves" apostles,  were doing.  So let us explore the ministry and manner of those "such" Paul referred to:

 "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".   And is it possible Paul had no expectation for the "apostle-ettes" either when he said "I suffer not a woman to teach nor usurp authority over a man"?

"But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion (opportunity) from them which desire occasion (opportunity); that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
 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;
: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. 21 I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak... 22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. 23 Are they ministers of Christ?
"For yourselves know how you ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you: Neither did we eat any man's bread for naught; but wrought with labor and travail NIGHT AND DAY, that we might not be chargeable to any man. Not because we have not power, but to MAKE OURSELVES AN EXAMPLE UNTO YOU TO FOLLOW US" (II Thes. 3:7-9).

 One morning as my wife and I read the warnings given in 2Cor. 11,  we said "THEY OUGHT TO TEACH THIS IN CHURCH!" when we realized Paul's life and ministry was a role model for the guys behind the pulpit.   Well, at least Paul tried.  In todays non-judgemental/ non-discerning church, the wolves of Christianity need not even put on a sheep-mask.

 Paul's manner of ministry as an example:

2Cor. 11: 7 " Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?"

"For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for LABOURING NIGHT AND DAY, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the Gospel of God" (I Thes. 2:9).

Paul could work "night and day" and "preach the Gospel of God" at the same time.

As Paul ministered in Corinth:

"And because he was of the same craft [trade], he abode with them, and wrought [worked]: for by their occupation they were tentmakers" (Acts 18:3).

"I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. (no tithes either)  Yea, ye [all of you ministers] yourselves know, that these hands (Paul's) have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have showed you all things how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:33-31).

"For I think that God has set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.
We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honorable, but we are despised.
Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;
And labor, working with our own hands; being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:

Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.  Not exactly a glorious picture of the flashy, Italian suited center stage orator, is it?
I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.

For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

  To make note of a few points here to look for from Pauls "for such" and "themselves",  we have:

1. They transform themselves into apostles.  Here's a clue: "themselves"  and "such" usually attach the title "APOSTLE" to their name!  (Paul did not. When I did a search at bible.com KJV it returned this: "Apostle Paul" was not found in the new testament.)   And never is any woman ever named or called an apostle, co-apostle, or even apostlette.

The same went for ANY of the other Biblical apostles. HELLO?  As soon as they attach the title "apostle" to their name, they become a false one!  You can shout at me all you want, that is the truth.  (Unfortunately the same search for a title "Pastor XYZ" returned ZERO verses for a titled pastor and/or a female wife co-pastor.)  The Biblical term is "help" meet" for him. Gen. 2:18.  The titles "Pastor",  "Prophet" and "Apostle" attached to the FRONT of any man's name are non-existent in scripture. 

 2. "preacheth another Jesus":  You mean there is a DIFFERENT Jesus presented by the "such"?  Well, well, we have Jesus presented these days as a Jesus who accepts everything and everybody that doesn't care what you do or believe as long as you "accept Him as your personal saviour".  Why there are even preachers who will tell you Jesus was rich and wealthy and He wants you to be too!