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What Do We Put Up With?

“For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” 2 Corinthians 11:4

Paul was speaking to a church that showed evidence of dysfunction. They were taking each other to court rather than settling matters between themselves. They were arguing over which preacher they liked the best and who they were “following.” They tried to outdo each other about their spiritual gifts. They were not following the way of love in Christ.

And now they were entertaining false teachings about Jesus and the Gospel. Recently I heard again about someone who is a long-term church attender and presumed Christian seemingly shocked that Jesus is the only means of salvation. This person responded, “Well if you are saying that people of other faiths are not going to heaven, then that is not my Jesus.” There are many closet universalists in churches, people who believe that as long as people believe in something and are good people, they will make it to heaven. They are putting up with false teaching, buying into the fake news being spread by false teachers.

This is why we must study to show ourselves approved by God as workers who are rightly handling the truth and are not ashamed. There is only one Gospel, and we must reject, not accept, any teaching that goes against that Gospel.

Prayer Focus: Lord, help us to remain true to the Gospel of Jesus, never putting up with any teaching that goes against it.

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