September 26th, 2022

Paul and the False Apostles

I wish you would put up with a little foolishness from me. Yes, do put up with me! For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, because I have promised you in marriage to one husband—to present a pure virgin to Christ. But I fear that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may be seduced from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if a person comes and preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or you receive a different spirit, which you had not received, or a different gospel, which you had not accepted, you put up with it splendidly!

Now I consider myself in no way inferior to those "super-apostles." Even if I am untrained in public speaking, I am certainly not untrained in knowledge. Indeed, we have in every way made that clear to you in everything. Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? I robbed other churches by taking pay from them to minister to you. When I was present with you and in need, I did not burden anyone, since the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. I have kept myself, and will keep myself, from burdening you in any way. As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia. Why? Because I don't love you? God knows I do!

But I will continue to do what I am doing, in order to deny an opportunity to those who want to be regarded as our equals in what they boast about. For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no great surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will be according to their works.

Scripture quotations have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Scripture quotations have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah.

Judah on Trial

Listen, heavens, and pay attention, earth,
for the Lord has spoken:
"I have raised children and brought them up,
but they have rebelled against me.
The ox knows its owner,
and the donkey its master's feeding trough,
but Israel does not know;
my people do not understand."

Oh sinful nation,
people weighed down with iniquity,
brood of evildoers,
depraved children!
They have abandoned the Lord;
they have despised the Holy One of Israel;
they have turned their backs on him.

Why do you want more beatings?
Why do you keep on rebelling?
The whole head is hurt,
and the whole heart is sick.
From the sole of the foot even to the head,
no spot is uninjured—
wounds, welts, and festering sores
not cleansed, bandaged,
or soothed with oil.

Your land is desolate,
your cities burned down;
foreigners devour your fields
right in front of you—
a desolation, like a place demolished by foreigners.
Daughter Zion is abandoned
like a shelter in a vineyard,
like a shack in a cucumber field,
like a besieged city.
If the Lord of Armies
had not left us a few survivors,
we would be like Sodom,
we would resemble Gomorrah.

Hear the word of the Lord,
you rulers of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
"What are all your sacrifices to me?"
asks the Lord.
"I have had enough of burnt offerings and rams
and the fat of well-fed cattle;
I have no desire for the blood of bulls,
lambs, or male goats.
When you come to appear before me,
who requires this from you—
this trampling of my courts?
Stop bringing useless offerings.
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons and Sabbaths,
and the calling of solemn assemblies—
I cannot stand iniquity with a festival.
I hate your New Moons and prescribed festivals.
They have become a burden to me;
I am tired of putting up with them.
When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will refuse to look at you;
even if you offer countless prayers,
I will not listen.
Your hands are covered with blood.

Purification of Jerusalem

"Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves.
Remove your evil deeds from my sight.
Stop doing evil.
Learn to do what is good.
Pursue justice.
Correct the oppressor.
Defend the rights of the fatherless.
Plead the widow's cause.

"Come, let's settle this,"
says the Lord.
"Though your sins are scarlet,
they will be as white as snow;
though they are crimson red,
they will be like wool.
If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the good things of the land.
But if you refuse and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword."
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

The faithful town—
what an adulteress she has become!
She was once full of justice.
Righteousness once dwelt in her,
but now, murderers!
Your silver has become dross to be discarded,
your beer is diluted with water.
Your rulers are rebels,
friends of thieves.
They all love graft
and chase after bribes.
They do not defend the rights of the fatherless,
and the widow's case never comes before them.

Therefore the Lord God of Armies,
the Mighty One of Israel, declares:
"Ah, I will get even with my foes;
I will take revenge against my enemies.
I will turn my hand against you
and will burn away your dross completely;
I will remove all your impurities.
I will restore your judges to what they were at first,
and your advisers to what they were at the start.
Afterward you will be called the Righteous City,
a Faithful Town."

Zion will be redeemed by justice,
those who repent, by righteousness.
At the same time both rebels and sinners will be broken,
and those who abandon the Lord will perish.
Indeed, they will be ashamed of the sacred trees
you desired,
and you will be embarrassed because of the garden shrines
you have chosen.
For you will become like an oak
whose leaves are withered,
and like a garden without water.
The strong one will become tinder,
and his work a spark;
both will burn together,
with no one to extinguish the flames.

The City of Peace

The vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

In the last days
the mountain of the Lord's house will be established
at the top of the mountains
and will be raised above the hills.
All nations will stream to it,
and many peoples will come and say,
"Come, let's go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us about his ways
so that we may walk in his paths."
For instruction will go out of Zion
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He will settle disputes among the nations
and provide arbitration for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plows
and their spears into pruning knives.
Nation will not take up the sword against nation,
and they will never again train for war.

The Day of the Lord

House of Jacob,
come and let's walk in the Lord's light.
For you have abandoned your people,
the house of Jacob,
because they are full of divination from the East
and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines.
They are in league with foreigners.
Their land is full of silver and gold,
and there is no limit to their treasures;
their land is full of horses,
and there is no limit to their chariots.
Their land is full of worthless idols;
they worship the work of their hands,
what their fingers have made.
So humanity is brought low,
and each person is humbled.
Do not forgive them!
Go into the rocks
and hide in the dust
from the terror of the Lord
and from his majestic splendor.
The pride of mankind will be humbled,
and human loftiness will be brought low;
the Lord alone will be exalted on that day.

For a day belonging to the Lord of Armies is coming
against all that is proud and lofty,
against all that is lifted up—it will be humbled—
against all the cedars of Lebanon,
lofty and lifted up,
against all the oaks of Bashan,
against all the high mountains,
against all the lofty hills,
against every high tower,
against every fortified wall,
against every ship of Tarshish,
and against every splendid sea vessel.
The pride of mankind will be brought low,
and human loftiness will be humbled;
the Lord alone will be exalted on that day.
The worthless idols will vanish completely.

People will go into caves in the rocks
and holes in the ground,
away from the terror of the Lord
and from his majestic splendor,
when he rises to terrify the earth.
On that day people will throw
their worthless idols of silver and gold,
which they made to worship,
to the moles and the bats.
They will go into the caves of the rocks
and the crevices in the cliffs,
away from the terror of the Lord
and from his majestic splendor,
when he rises to terrify the earth.
Put no more trust in a mere human,
who has only the breath in his nostrils.
What is he really worth?

Scripture quotations have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.