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BEWARE OF DECEIT
MONDAY, MARCH 9
2 Corinthians 11:3-4
Genesis 3:1-7
 
“… as the serpent beguiled
Eve through his subtilty …”
 
BEWARE OF DECEIT
 
The insidious attacks on Paul’s character revealed one big issue plaguing the Corinthian church: there were false teachers and brethren in the midst who were trying to pull the Corinthians away from Christ. Paul was concerned that the deceitful lies of these men may prove persuasive as they continued to interact with the Corinthians. Therefore, he wrote this warning to the Corinthians to beware of such deceit.
 
Paul likened the deceit of these men to that of the serpent beguiling Eve (cf. Gen 3:1-7). First, he approached her with an apparently innocent inquiry, yet one which was calculated to cast doubt on God’s Word: “Yea, hath God said?” The woman’s reply revealed that she fell for the subtle attack on God’s Word:
 
• Instead of saying that man could freely eat of every tree in the garden (Gen 2:16), the woman said that they “may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden.” This undermined the goodness of God.
 
• The woman said that God did not allow them to touch the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. However, God did not say this in Genesis 2:16-17. The woman had added to God’s Word.
 
• God had said that should man eat of the forbidden fruit, he shall “surely die.” However, the woman said “lest ye die,” thus weakening God’s warning of punishment for disobedience.
 
Sensing the victory, the serpent then declared, “Ye shall not surely die,” totally denying God’s promise of punishment. When the woman saw that the fruit was good for food (lust of the flesh), pleasant to the eyes (lust of the eyes) and able to make one wise (pride of life), she fell for the deception, hook, line and sinker!
 
The deceiver is still active in the world today. Beware of his devices!
 
THOUGHT: (Read 1 John 2:15-17.)
PRAYER: O Father, keep me from falling for Satan’s lies.

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