 Okay. All right, welcome back. Okay. So Paul is warning the church here against false apostles. Now, who are they? Just a few things here. In verse 20, he lists them. They are deceitful workers who either conceal the truth or misinterpret the truth for personal gain. Though they are unrighteous, they disguise in order to portray themselves as a apostle of Christ and ministers of righteousness, just as how Satan did it. So two things. One, they are deceitful workers. They conceal the truth or they misrepresent the truth for their own personal gain. And they are unrighteous, but they walk around as if they are righteous ministers of God and as if they were, they are the apostles of Christ and God has called them for the work. Now, thirdly, their reward will be according to their works. So this is a serious warning to the churches regarding false prophets. Now, when you look around us, there will be many, many kinds of teachings, false teachings that may crop up. Now, as ministers of God, as children of God, always test every scripture through the word of God, through the eyes of God's word. And so we must be careful of what we are watching online, what we are reading. So just be careful, know that whatever we are doing, whatever we are believing must be in line with God's word. Now, picture this. The false teachings has already started right from the early church and it continues on even now. So it's again the same tactics that the enemy uses. Verse 16 onwards, I say again, let no one think me a fool if otherwise at least receive me as a fool that I also may boast a little. What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were foolishly in this confidence of boasting. Seeing that many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast. For you put up with fools gladly since you yourselves are wise for you put up with it if one brings you into bondage. If one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face to our shame, I say that we were too weak for that. But in whatever anyone is bold, I speak foolishly. I am bold also. Now Paul is exposing the manner in which the Corinthian church was tolerating this foolishness of these false ministers. And he's saying, now when I write a letter, that letter was just a letter of correction. You know some of you were not tolerating that. But now you've got these ministers of God who are coming into the church. You're tolerating those foolish teachings. You put up with them, you put up with these fools as if they are wise. You think you are wise by putting up with these people. If they take from you, if they are people who put you into bondage, you're still putting up with them. So Paul is saying, don't tolerate them. You're tolerating them with their boasting. How much more should we not boast for what we have done for the church in Corinth? We have done what is right, what is true. We ourselves are boasting very less. These people are coming in and doing everything wrong and they're boasting about it. So this applies even to the modern day churches. There are ministries of the false apostles, false teachers. And here's what it is. We shall note them by their fruit. God will judge them. But we must, again, just be careful. See that we are following the right meaning and God's word. And there are ways we can understand that, okay, this is what they're speaking is true because sometimes they are like wolves in sheep's clothing. So you can't really make up through the word. Through the eyes of the word of God, we will be able to make out that difference. Now look at this list Paul comes up with, right? Sufferings for Christ. He's saying, now these people who came up to church and they're saying, I did this, I did that, and they're extorting from you and they're giving all kinds of reasons, giving all kinds of teachings. You're putting up with them. Now just look at the list of things that I have gone through. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool. I am more in labours, more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prison more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews, five times I received the 40 stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rocks. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. A night and a day I have been deep, I've been in the deep, in the seas, in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of Gentiles, in the perils of the city, the perils in the wilderness, the perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness, often in hunger and thirst and fastings often, in cold and nakedness, besides the other things, what comes upon me daily, my deep concern for all the churches who is weak and I am not weak, who's made to stumble and I do not burn, and I do not burn with indignation. Paul is giving this whole list and he's ending it in verse 29. He's saying the church is yet to weak because I am concerned about the church but I am not weak. Look at that confidence that Paul is talking in. He's giving this whole list and he's saying still I'm not weak. I'm not weak in dealing with the enemy. I'm not weak in dealing with these false prophets. I'm not weak in dealing with the church. I'm not weak in dealing with the ministry. What a powerful, powerful declaration that is. The church is going to stumble. I've gone through all these difficulties. The church is going to stumble. Should I not burn with indignation? Indignation is holy anger. We see that word indignation being used even when the Lord Jesus in the book of Matthew, he was full of indignation. He spoke to the Pharisees and the Sadducees, gave the whole list of things there. So he says, Godly anger. Because of what I've gone through, I'm still not weak. I will deal with these people who are coming into the church because the church is God's kingdom. It's the body of Christ. Verse 31, If I must post, I will post in the things which concern my infirmity. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. The makest governor under Aratis, the king, was guarding the city of De Masinus with a garrison, desiring to arrest me. But I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped from his hands. Now, I wonder why he came up with these verse 32 and 33. All of a sudden he's talking about what happened. When he went to Damascus, when his eyes were open, he briefly blistered over there. They were trying to catch him and they tipped him down in a basket and then they never saw him again after that. So it was for many, many years. He went on to Tarsus and then the whole thing happened there. So I wonder why he brought this up in 32 and 33. Because here, 22 onwards, he's talking about his credentials and the sufferings. 32 and 33, he's just talking about how he moved away and how he escaped from his hands. Now Paul starts with this bold and foolish posting by asking four questions. He says, are they Hebrews? I am more than that. Are they Israelites? I have the blood of the Israelites more than anybody else. Are they the seed of Abraham? Are they ministers of Christ? I am more. Now Paul is saying the qualifiers, all are yes. His boasting was that I qualify for everything here. The seed of Abraham, Hebrew and Israelite, everything I have yet is saying the so-called qualifications, the false apostles, they mean nothing. The false apostles seem to have created from this idea and began to exalt themselves. They've been using the term minister as an inflated title to exploit the church in Corden. Now Paul is saying, they're all saying, I'm a minister or apostle or prophet, whatever they're saying, let them say, but I am more than all of that. Look at the intense hard work and tiredness that he has gone through. Stripes, imprisonment, deaths, whippings. Five times the lashes from the Jews, each whipping was 39. So 39 into 5. Beaten with rods, stowed, shipwrecked, in the ocean for one day and one night, facing dangers with robbers, dangers from the Jews, Gentiles, hungry, look at that list. Paul is saying, this is perhaps the most difficult seeing that have gone through, but I'm still not weak. I'm not weak in dealing with these false apostles and I'm going to deal with them. I'm going to exhort you, encourage you to put them out of the church because they are infiltrating the church. And he ends that whole chapter there. He goes on to boast in verse 12, in chapter 12. Here he goes on to boast about how he is different, his spiritual experience and the grace that he received to handle the thorn in the flesh and how those challenges, those difficulties, he was able to overcome by the grace of God. Look at this, verse 12. He's continuing. That was more of the physical challenges that he went through. Now he's talking about something in the spirit that helped him to go through those physical challenges. The vision of paradise. Verse 1, it is doubtless, not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who 14 years ago, whether in the body, I did not know or whether out of the body, I did not know. Such a one was caught up in the third heavens. And I know such a man, whether in the body or out of the body, I did not know but God knows how he was caught up in the paradise and heard in expressible words which is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such a one, I will boast yet of myself, whether not boast except in my face. For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a for I will I will remain lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me, sees me to be or hears from look at Paul. Although he's boasting about his revelations of the visions and revelations of the Lord, he chooses to share this he doesn't want to share it so that people may should think of him above what he is. So nobody Paul is saying I'm sharing this, I'm sharing portions of it so that when people look at me they should feel that oh this is possible he went up the third heaven and came back. So they should not see him above what he is. You see the humility there. This is the first time Paul is sharing an experience in any in all of his episodes in the church. He shares that this third person referring to himself as a man of Christ. Now why did he do this? Probably because he wanted to take the focus of himself. So Paul is saying you know a person who went up to the third heavens but what he saw in those third heavens is more important than the person who went there. He does not dwell or boast on this experience he refrains from that because if he does so people may call him a super apostle or a celebrity or they may look at him as oh he can't come near apostle Paul but Paul didn't want that. Now look at the contrast. A false prophet all the attention to themselves. Look at the apostle Paul. He has so many things to boast of probably he had two pages to talk about this one experience but he just says I know I went up to the third heaven I saw things that I will I cannot even speak about but he could have listed it or he could have written it down into three pages probably but he didn't do that because he didn't want the attention to come to himself. Here they want the attention they started calling themselves as ministers here Paul is saying the things that I've gone through yet I don't want the attention to be on myself look at that contrast and it's a very important lesson for us God will choose us in many ways God will do wonderful science and use us in great ways it's wonderful but the attention and the focus should never be upon us it should be on what God is then verse 7 unless I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations a thorn in the flesh was given to me a messenger of Satan to buffet me lest I be exalted above measure concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me and he said to me my grace is sufficient for you for my strength is made perfect in weakness therefore most gladly I would rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me therefore I take pleasure in infirmities and reproaches in needs and positions in distresses for Christ's sake for when I am weak I am strong now let's talk about the thorn in the flesh it's very very important because there are different understandings about the thorn in the flesh now all scripture must be interpreted in light of the rest of the scripture and in light of the person of Jesus Christ now ok anything that we claim anything that is not aligned to Jesus must be questioned and discarded Jesus Christ is perfect theology his word of the cave flesh now the Apostle Paul received great revelations he had great encounters Paul understood and wrote about it now God permitted a thorn in the flesh now what is this thorn in the flesh some say it is a sickness some say it was an eye problem some say it was a hand problem because one was when he was stoned it was most probable that they would stone always you see the stoning of Stephen they would stone towards the face area and because of that whole list of challenges and beatings that he went through hundreds of thorns in the flesh meaning of hundreds of pains in his body the entire body may have been bruised and beaten now Paul states here clearly he says a thorn in the flesh was a messenger of Satan the word messenger in the Greek means angel right so the angel of the church the book of Revelation so the messenger of Satan was a spiritual being could be a demon that was constantly that constantly opposed Paul in his ministry right buffering him striking him continuously right now in the previous chapter we saw right Paul is explaining all the challenges that he went through the troubles the hardships the weakness he endured now as he say that after the whole list while some of these hardships he took upon himself many of these came in opposition to the work he was doing right look at this well here all of these served to keep his feet on the ground help him walk in humility knowing that he had to depend on the Lord now what did he pray Paul prayed three times that these demonic oppositions to be gone right he prayed God probably he is thinking when I go when I am going towards this Macedonia why are people you remember Ephesus they were like beasts they were trying to devour him and kill him that is thorn in the flesh to his ministry all these served for him to keep his ground saying God I have to depend on him three times he prayed for this demonic work to be gone God simply did not take the messenger out of the way instead he called Paul to rely on his grace continuing to press forward and overcoming what the demon was doing right so I will come to the question but let me just complete this Paul that even in his weakest formance God's grace was enough to keep him strong even imagine this five times 40 lashes minus one those beatings would have been really really painful ones and even in his weakest formant God's grace was there God's grace was more abundant and as believers today you and I have received such abundance of grace every time we have a revelation every time the Lord speaks to us it must keep us grounded in humility the wrong way to look at it is by saying oh there is a thorn in my flesh God has allowed this sickness in my body so that I can continue to be humble and look to God that is a wrong understanding because the Lord Jesus says by your stripes I am healed by the stripes of Jesus I am healed the Lord Jesus wants to heal us right to claim that the thorn of the flesh is a spiritual purpose for God to use us to continue to look to us the thorn in the flesh is there so that I can we must fight sickness all that is wrong meaning we must not allow that sickness to stay and say okay this is a thorn which God has given me I will stay with this thorn but with this thorn your grace is sufficient for me now I have heard a lot of people people who have had cancer oh it's a thorn in the flesh but God has given me this thorn and we live with it oh can God heal cancers yes so we must take scripture and light with all scripture Paul is talking about the thorn in the flesh which refers to more of the ministry the thorn the work of the devil attacking his ministry and Paul is praying God can you stop this thorn can you take away this maybe it was Macedonia remember they were crying why because he is going to go to Jerusalem they know he is going to be persecuted he may be even killed in Jerusalem the efficient elders are saying don't go there Paul is saying I have to go there he knew the challenges he knew that the enemy is going to buffet him cause these problems Paul is praying take out these thorns take out these problems but God did not even in those problems my grace I think there is a question here I think there is a question here Shri Kumar has raised his hand I want to know when Paul is mentioning here that this is given to me so that I should not exalt about measure yes we know that because of the level of revelation what he was having so maybe that is something which he should not walk in pride or something like that God has given this so my question is when Paul is saying that it is given to me so that I should not be exalted about the measure so how we have to understand that line that God allowed it or how you say that whether God permitted him to prosecute him how we will be able to interpret that portion and is it possible that because we can understand that it is because of the level of revelation and about his ministry what he had that is why it was given to him is it possible that even now also this is possible to normal believers whom God has called and he can be prosecuted that is my question that is a wonderful question so the ultimate thing was that Paul need to be humble because of the revelations that he has received during that time now to answer the part where God allowed it because Jesus says the Lord Jesus says my grace is sufficient for you so the devil is doing his work he is doing it he is trying to prophet you he is trying to bring all these troubles to you I am not going to stop what he is doing but I am going to increase my grace for you so apostle Paul as my son the enemy is going to come he is going to trouble you even more probably you are going to go through this really difficult time next but even through those thorns through those buffering of the devil I will increase my grace my grace I pour out my grace upon you that even in those sufferings you will be strengthened now how do we translate it now look at what is happening now in the nation of India the anti conversion law has started so we cannot share the gospel do God love it? is God for it? obviously not but the devil is doing his work let's do this let's create this law let's create this thing and then nobody can share it he is trying all he can but God is going to increase the grace for each one of us will there be persecutions? especially when you look at villages and towns where there is high persecution north of India I am guessing even in Africa there have been a lot of persecutions towards Christians so will it stop? God is not promising that God is promising that I will increase my grace right? so we must look at it this way there are things that God will not stop the enemy from doing the enemy is doing but here it's not like he is going to allow and keep us at the same level he is going to allow something God is going to increase our power he is going to increase our grace he is going to raise up people who are really anointed the power of the Holy Spirit so we look at it that way so probably the Lord Jesus is saying to Paul, I am just picturing it I am making a picture for you Paul, you have gone through all these difficulties now you have the stone and the flesh meaning the stone, the devil is attacking you and it's going to attack, he is going to continue but I am not going to stop that, you are praying that I stop but for now I am not going to do that but what I am going to do is I am going to increase your anointing I am going to increase the grace of God upon your life wherever you go, all lives will be touched all lives will be blessed so you look at this side of the picture don't look at that side, Paul persecution trials will continue but you look at this side of the picture my grace is sufficient for you I am going to increase it I am going to increase the anointing I am going to increase the power of God I am going to increase greater revelations in you probably you will be able to do greater works what happens after all of this remember Paul goes into Malta the snake bites him, he shakes off that snake he doesn't die remember he goes into at the sea he is going into the sea the storms come and Paul says everyone stay in the ship you will live right so it was not like after this there was no difficulties of course he was 3 years in home imprisonment yet he was given the freedom to share the gospel and all of that but he was there there were difficulties but Paul is saying I will increase the grace so look at the situation that we are in now probably maybe 5 years down the line things are going to be really 5-10 years down the line for Christians for us as believers things are really difficult maybe the enemy may come and try to sweep over but God is going to increase his grace his anointing for us as believers he is going to increase it so that we will be able to defeat the works at the end so that's all Shikamara I hope that answers thank you so Christopher the first second and the third heavens the first heaven is the reality what we see in our natural life the heavens what we see that's the first heaven the second heaven is where Satan and his throne and his fallen angels work remember Daniel is praying Daniel is praying and he says the prayers didn't reach God because the principalities and the powers of the devil was hindering the prayers to reach so that's the unholy dark realm like first heaven is the real thing that you see the natural heavens the beauty of the stars the skies second heaven is where Satan and his demons the fallen angels the the unholy dark realm demonic works begin that's the second heaven and the third heaven is where God has his throne established the celestial kingdom of God where he rules everywhere the three heavens and that's where the apostle Paul says I was caught up in the third heaven is that okay Christopher? so we've almost come to the end let me just quickly try and finish it so that we can done with this this class itself alright so okay let's go to verse 11 quickly I have become a fool in boasting you have compelled me but I ought to have been commanded by you for in nothing was I behind the most eminent apostles though I am nothing truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance in signs and wonders and mighty deeds for what is it in which you were inferior to the other churches except that I myself was not burdened to you forgive me this wrong now Paul is not falling short in any of the qualities compared to the false apostles and he's saying hey mine is much much much greater the things that we have done the signs wonders and miracles mighty deeds they were obviously done by the power of the Holy Spirit and not by any human work right let's look at this passage verse 21 I think this is the last passage yes this is the last passage okay let's look at this now this is this final sayings for this chapter now for the third time I am ready to come to you and I will not be burdensome to you for I do not seek yours but you for the children ought to lay up for the parents for the parents for the children and I will be gladly spent and be spent for your souls though the more abundantly I love you the less I am loved but be that as it may I did not burden you nevertheless being crafty I caught you by cunning did I take advantage of you by any of those whom I sent to you I urged Titus and sent our brother with him did Titus take advantage of you did we not walk in the same spirit did we not walk in the same steps again do you think that we excuse ourselves to you we speak before God in Christ but we do all things beloved for your edification for I fear less when I come I shall not find you such as I wish and that I will be found by you such as you do not wish lest there be contentions jealousies outbursts of wrath selfish ambitions concedes into your words lest when I come again my God will humble me and I shall know for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness fornication and gluteness which they have practiced now this will be Paul's third visit to the Corinthian church remember the first one was when he went to Corinth second one the way to Macedonia he goes he sees the church he sees the church as a complete disorder and he is burdened and he is upset and now he is going to come the third time right and Paul was a spiritual father to the Corinthian believers he shared the gospel with them he brought them from immaturity to Christ like this he connected them and he cared for them he had their best in the heart that's why he says I am doing all this for your edification though you don't love me I will still love you right look at my team it's not only me look at Titus when he came did he ask you for money did he use you in any way right but Paul here his only fear is that when he visits the Corinthian church that if there is still divisions there are most of anger all these carnal things he will have to mourn because they were like his children mourn that they have lived an unrepentant sinful lifestyle but you know what the main reason Paul is coming is to handle those false prophets who have come into the church he says I am going to come now he doesn't mention it he will say that I am come I am going to handle those false prophets I am going to chase them away from he doesn't say it but Paul knows his presence itself there will make the difference because where there is truth lies will fall away nobody can stand against the Holy Spirit when the Apostle Paul comes to Corinth those false prophets will run away so the main reason he is coming is not that he wants to take the gifts to the church in Jerusalem because that he is already told Titus and the team to do but he is coming so that he can get rid of these people who have infiltrated the church the false prophets and these false teachers so what do we see here Paul is taking this decision even though he didn't want to see them because of what they are doing but Paul knew that it is important for him to go because the church needs to be protected you see the heart of a shepherd I have to go I don't go these people will keep listening to these false prophets these false teachings this false Jesus this false spirit they are talking about and then all my efforts will go away so I have to go I have to protect them they are my children even though you don't love me even though you are not too keen of me coming I will come make sure I make things right and now chapter 13 he is saying I am coming but I am coming with authority right now verse 1 this will be the final chapter this will be the third time I am coming to you by the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses every word shall be established I have told you before and foretell I will present the second time right let us go down for though he was crucified in weakness yet he lives by the power of God for we also are weak in him but we shall live with him by the power of God towards you examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith test yourselves do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you you are disqualified but I trust that you will know that we are that all is encouraging the church right he is saying I am going to come Christ died in weakness yet he lives powerful we will come in weakness but yet the power of the Holy Spirit will speak examine yourselves test your faith what are they preaching test it don't let anyone disqualify you in fact we are not disqualified because we are constituted right Paul asked those to test him in the manner to in turn examine themselves and see if they were indeed in the Christian faith and not disqualified it is not like you just because I came you heard about it and you received the gospel test yourself test your life and test it and see if it is in line with what God is doing and see if it is in line with God's word right now I pray to God that you do know evil not that we should be approved but that you should do what is honorable that we may seem disqualified though we may seem disqualified for we can do nothing against the truth but for the truth we are glad when we we are weak and you are strong and this also we pray that you may be made complete therefore I write these things being absent that's being present I should use sharpness again we are saying that according to the authority the Lord has given me edification and not for destruction all is gently telling the church we got to make things right we can only speak of the truth and not against the truth so I am writing this to you now though I am absent because if I was present there I would have been sharp I would have been stern I would have been I would have sternly corrected you but this sternness comes from the authority that the Lord has given us again not to bring destruction but to bring edification so Paul's prayer we believer we equip thoroughly be strong in the word of God and he writes these beforehand and he is giving them these instructions so that when he comes there he doesn't have to be sharp doesn't have to be stern so basically Paul is saying last time I came I saw what is happening I was stern and I wrote one stern letter now second time when I come I don't want to do the same thing I want to spend time with you probably to see a change in you Titus has come back and said that there is a change in you but there are other things that you are letting inside the church so let's make things right and he gives his final greetings and benediction finally brethren farewell become complete we have good comfort we have one mind live in peace and the God of love and peace will be with you greet one another with a holy kiss all the saints greet you the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all so in this closing episode Paul greets the believers wishes them well reminds them of the instructions and again greet one another with a holy kiss with a cultural equivalent during those times greet another with a holy kiss but right now we can do it with a handshake that is prevalent in the culture that we are in Paul again pronounces the blessings to the believers which indeed is the triune what we call as the benediction the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the love of God the Father the fellowship or the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you it looks like a quite abrupt ending and the reason that it sounds a bit abrupt is because Paul is going to visit them and every time now he knew that he's going to visit them and I'm sure he's going to get rid of those false apostles and prophets so it's been a long session it's been a long course I want to encourage each one of us to continue to study this continue to read it it'll be a blessing thank you so much for joining along I really enjoyed just being there just studying and teaching and looking forward to study more of it I'll put the final assessment maybe today or tomorrow all the best for your final final assessments thank you so much for being patient and joining with me I'll show you just quickly close with a word of prayer let's pray Father we want to thank you for this beautiful day God thank you for this entire course that we've been able to complete yet there's so much to learn so much to apply in our life and I pray God that each one of us will grow to maturity will grow and will apply all that we have learned applied in our lives, our families and be equipped and matured in Christ and build us up that we may glorify your name and all that we do and all that we say we thank you Lord I pray for each and every student may your wisdom your strength be upon them I pray God that you use each one of us we thank you Father we give you all the praise and glory Amen thank you so much everyone have a great month and wishing you all a blessed Christmas season as well God bless, take care Bye