What are false apostles?

This leads the Apostle to speak with great plainness about the opposers. They were false apostles, for they never had been sent of the Lord as the true apostles were. They were workers right enough, but deceitful ones, since they transformed themselves into what they were not. In this they partook of the character of him whom they served, and according to their deceitful works will be their end.

(Vv. 13-15). Such were false apostles deceitful workers; not as Paul, "an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God," but self-appointed apostles, "transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ." In reality they were the ministers of Satan, who knows how to deceive with a fair appearance by transforming himself into an angel of light. Copying their master, these false men covered up their evil with a show of good works, as if ministers of righteousness. Their end will be according to their works. In the opposition of these ministers of Satan to the true minister of Christ, we see the inception of that vast system of corruption of which in its end God declares that "in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth" (Rev. 18:24).

(Vv. 16-21.) The Apostle has shown that in contrast with these "false apostles," he had preached "the gospel of God," attached souls to Christ, and had served freely to take occasion from those who were exalting themselves and taking the money of the saints (verse 20, N. Tn.). But there is another way in which the true servant is strikingly contrasted with these false men, namely the reproach and sufferings endured for the Lord's sake in the course of His service. Of these sufferings the Apostle now speaks; but before doing so he again expresses his deep reluctance to speak of himself. If he had to do so in order to prove his integrity, he trusted that no man would think him a fool. If, however, they thought he was speaking as a fool, let them bear with him for a little. The Apostle realised that boasting of self, in whatever form it might take, whether as to readiness of speech, intellectual powers, independent means, family connections, or social position, was far from being of the Lord. But if there were those who gloried according to the flesh, he also could do so, and they would have no ground for complaint seeing that they readily suffered fools who brought them into bondage to man, preyed upon them, took their money, exalted themselves while insulting others. Not to act as these men had acted, might appear to be mere weakness on his part. Howbeit, if they thought him weak, he would show them that he could be bold, though he still thinks to speak of himself is foolishness.

Further, he knew that "false apostles, deceitful workers" had gained access into their midst, and he described the moral features of these men in 2 Cor. 11:1 to 4, and 2 Cor. 11:12 to 20. They appeared in the midst of the primitive assemblies as the very apostles of Christ, yet the effect of their teachings was to turn aside from the truth of the gospel (verse 4), and to corrupt from simplicity as to Christ (verse 3). Instead of condemning the flesh as a judged thing they gloried in it (verse 18) and they exercised, as might be expected, a highly fleshly "ministry" — exalting themselves, brow-beating the saints, devouring them by extracting money and possessions from them, and bringing them into spiritual bondage to their false teachings. All this verse 20 shows.

Looking at the other side of the picture, we see that, in those early times, there were "false brethren" who, not only made a christian profession, but assumed to be apostles. Such were "false apostles" and "deceitful workers." Nevertheless they came to the saints with such a fair show in the flesh that they appeared as angels of light and ministers of righteousness. With satanic subtlety, these men perverted the truth by preaching "another Jesus," "another Spirit," and "another gospel" (v. 4). Furthermore, the Apostle foresaw that if the assemblies suffered these evil workers in their midst, the Christian circle would be corrupted from simplicity as to Christ, with the result that the hearts of the saints would be drawn from true allegiance to Christ, and they would become followers of those who, for their own exaltation, were drawing away disciples after themselves (v. 20). Thus pretending to be what they were not, they perverted the truth, corrupted the Christian profession, and exalted themselves at the expense of others.

But those "evil workmen" who so troubled the Christians in Antioch never wearied of their evil work; and wherever Paul preached the Glad Tidings of Salvation through Christ alone, without the deeds of the Law, these "dogs" followed, and tried to "remove" the disciples from "the grace of Christ unto another Gospel: which is not another." (Gal. 1:6-7). Almost the whole of the Epistle to the Galatians is written to expose the folly and wickedness of these evil workmen. Hear the Apostle cry, "Who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth?" (Gal. 3:1). And notice well the solemn curse, twice repeated, on such teachers, in Gal. 1:8 & 9. But it was not to Galatia alone these "dogs" found their way, but also to Corinth, and most of the latter part of Second Corinthians is taken up exposing them there: Listen: "Such are false apostles, deceitful workmen, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness." (2 Cor. 11:13-15). "False apostles" is the name the true Apostle calls them: "deceitful workmen," and "ministers of Satan." Such in the sight of God are teachers who seek to put the saints of God under Law.

Now Paul deliberately, solemnly characterizes these men as "false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ." It is the Spirit of God who so inspires Paul to write. It does not seem that all the assembly was influenced by these men, but some among them were; and the saints required this faithful warning. Utter wickedness can be clothed in a pious garb; and it is nothing to be marvelled at, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light, and his servants as ministers of righteousness. Notice, these are high, pretentious claims - superior light, and assumed righteousness - but leaving out the cross of Christ, and therefore the pure grace of God: all therefore becomes a hollow and deadly sham.

And who were these teachers? The Holy Spirit now exposes the true character of these men. They were not apostles at all, but deceitful workers, who transformed themselves into the apostles of Christ. They were the instruments of that sinister being who was once an angel of light and whose most powerful tactic is to assume this character, to which he had lost all claim by his fall. These false teachers posed as ministers of righteousness. They made high pretensions, yet denied the true righteousness of God. We see much of this in our own days, especially in systems like Christian Science and others.

Verse 13. "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers," etc. His ironical concessions are now superseded by direct and unsparing denunciation. These lofty and too plausible pretenders are no true shepherds, but wolves rather in sheep's clothing. The strength of his language is proportioned to the gravity of the evil which he is opposing. Unreal claims are in their nature lies; and no lie is of the truth, but all have their common parent in the devil. By personal description, the men whom he thus denounces might be included among the "unruly and vain talkers," of whom he elsewhere speaks (Titus 1:10); men ignorant of the force of what they wished to teach, and convicting themselves of folly in proportion to their zeal. But in all opposition to the truth, there is an agency at work below the surface, which it belongs to the office of the Spirit of truth to discover and unmask. That Spirit glorifies Jesus. If other doctrines than those of the gospel are broached, they are, in all their vanity, the fruit of Satanic energy; men's minds and wills being alike led captive by the spirit of error, when not in sincere subjection to the Lord. Hence the bold distinctness of Paul's words.

Verses 14, 15. "And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed (or "transforms himself") into an angel of light," etc. It is possible that some historic reference may be here intended, but if so, it cannot now be determined More probably the apostle is here stating generally the habit and practice of the deceiver. God is light, and Satan is His opposite; his power is the power of darkness, but his craft is the mimicry of light. To corrupt and destroy truth is his unceasing aim, and to effect it he assumes the form of that which he assails. When Paul calls these false apostles "ministers of Satan," he characterizes them according to the eversive nature of their influence in the church (conf. Gal. 1:8). Their work was deceit; their wisdom, to do evil, to destroy, if it were possible, the work of God, by corrupting and seducing His elect. We should note here also the declared affinity of light and righteousness. It is as ministers of righteousness that Satan's ministers transform themselves. This is one of the commonest forms of teaching from beneath. High and ostentatious pretensions to personal holiness are usually alleged by those who, while claiming to guide others in the way of peace, are themselves destitute of a true knowledge of the grace of God. Preaching themselves and not the cross of Christ, they deny God's righteousness while seeking to maintain their own. But there are balances in God's sanctuary for the final estimation of what men have wrought professedly for Him; and the deceiver's end will be according to his work.

His true motive he explains. "But what I do I will also do that I may cut off the occasion of those desiring an occasion that wherein they boast they may be found even as we" — a cheap boast where men have plenty and need no self-denying devotedness. "For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ." The beginning of those evil ways was then at work which soon formed a clerical class, dispensing even with the claims to gift from Christ under the fabulous pretension to apostolic succession. Such men then opposed the apostle in person, as now they oppose his doctrine. Is this wonderful, when as the apostle reminds us, "Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light? It is no great thing therefore if his servants also transform themselves as servants of righteousness," though he solemnly adds, their "end shall be according to their works."

Having set before them Christ, His service, His servants, and the grace of Christ in giving to others, he exposes the false pretensions of evil men who were seeking to corrupt the assemblies of God's people by presenting themselves as angels of light and ministers of righteousness.