Although Paul is strong in chapter ten, he is even stronger in chapter eleven. In 11:13-15 he says concerning the Judaizers, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transfiguring themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself transfigures himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if also his ministers transfigure themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” The Greek word rendered “transfiguring” in verse 13 also means fashioning. The false apostles, being deceitful, fashioned themselves into the appearance of the real apostles, who are true in every way.
Verse 14 indicates that Satan is the source of the false apostles. They follow him in his deceitfulness to frustrate God’s economy. God is light, and His angels are of light. On the contrary, Satan is darkness, and all his followers are in darkness. There is no fellowship between light and darkness (6:14).
The ministers of righteousness in verse 15 are the true apostles, those who carry out the ministry of righteousness (3:9). Whatever the ministers of Satan do is altogether unrighteous. Righteousness has no partnership with lawlessness (6:14).
In 11:5 Paul refers to the Judaizers as super-apostles: “For I account that I am inferior in nothing to the super-apostles.” By using the term super-apostles, that is, apostles in surpassing degree, Paul is referring ironically to the false apostles, as mentioned in verse 13 and 12:11. These false apostles surpass the degree of the genuineness of the apostles. These are the Judaizers who came to Corinth to preach another Jesus with a different spirit and a different gospel (v. 4).
The Corinthians thought that the Judaizers were wonderful and that they did an excellent work in helping the Corinthians. Actually, the Judaizers did exactly the same work as Satan. They transfigured themselves as ministers of righteousness, into apostles of Christ. Therefore, Paul uses four terms to describe them: false apostles, deceitful workers, super-apostles, and ministers of Satan.
Paul also refers to the Judaizers in verse 4: “For if indeed he who comes preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or you receive a different spirit, which you did not receive, or a different gospel, which you did not accept, you bear well with him.” Another Jesus means another person; a different spirit means a spirit of a different nature; and a different gospel means a gospel of a different kind.
The Judaizers used many of the same terms the apostles used: Jesus, spirit, and gospel. Claiming that they were apostles of Christ, they preached Jesus and ministered a certain kind of spirit. Furthermore, they claimed that what they taught was the gospel. However, they had another Jesus, a different spirit, and a different gospel.
No doubt, these Judaizers were eloquent and very appealing. They had much knowledge of the Old Testament, and they also knew the New Testament gospel. But in speaking of them Paul was bold, calling them false apostles, deceitful workers, ministers of Satan. He even gave them the nickname “super-apostles.”
In verse 4 Paul tells the Corinthians that they were bearing well with the Judaizers. The Greek word for “well” also means beautifully, ideally. It is used here ironically. In verse 1 the apostle expresses his desire that the Corinthian believers, who were bearing with him, would bear more with him. Now in this verse he refers them to their bearing beautifully with the false apostles. Paul’s idea is this: “Since you bear with the false apostles so well, so beautifully, so ideally, please bear more with me.” This is why he uses the word “for” at the beginning of this verse.
Do you think that the situation we face today is different from that faced by Paul? Our situation is quite similar. In principle, there are Judaizers today, just as there were at the apostles’ time.
When I was young, I thought that the apostolic age must have been excellent, marvelous, and wonderful. Eventually I learned that the situation at that time was the same in principle as the situation today. If we understand this, we shall not be disappointed when we encounter opposition. Some praise the Lord for the recovery. However, when they consider the opposition, they may be deeply bothered. I would encourage you not to be bothered, for the situation we face today is the same in principle as the one faced by Paul during the apostolic age.