A PURE VIRGIN BRIDE TO CHRIST

Passage: 2 Corinthians 11:1-6

Key verse: 2

NIV

Paul and the False Apostles

11 I hope you will put up with(A) me in a little foolishness.(B) Yes, please put up with me! 2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband,(C) to Christ, so that I might present you(D) as a pure virgin to him. 3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning,(E) your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached,(F) or if you receive a different spirit(G) from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel(H) from the one you accepted, you put up with it(I) easily enough.

5 I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.”[a](J) 6 I may indeed be untrained as a speaker,(K) but I do have knowledge.(L) We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way.

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Footnotes
  1. 2 Corinthians 11:5 Or to the most eminent apostles
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Paul and the False Apostles

11 I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! 2 For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since (A)I betrothed you to one husband, (B)to present you (C)as a pure virgin to Christ. 3 But I am afraid that (D)as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts (E)will be led astray from a (F)sincere and (G)pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes and (H)proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept (I)a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. 5 Indeed, I consider that (J)I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. 6 (K)Even if I am unskilled in speaking, (L)I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way (M)we have made this plain to you in all things.

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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. A match-maker for Jesus (1-2)

God's people in the Old Testament are sometimes referred to as God's Bride (Isa 54:5). In the New Testament, the Church is called the Bride of Christ. A pure virgin means one who is wholly committed in heart, mind and body to her husband, Jesus. Who is pure? Jesus shed his blood to cleanse us from sin and make us pure. Paul was a match-maker to bring people to Jesus. We are united with Jesus in his death and resurrection. We are saved by him alone. We need no other gospel, nor do we need Jesus plus anything else. There is one gospel; I have one heart and one Savior.

2. Paul's godly jealousy (3-6; 2a)

Paul knew that the devil is very smart, and young Christians are vulnerable. They can be led astray if someone speaks with eloquent and moving words, suggesting that believers need something more than the simple gospel of Jesus to be saved. We need only to receive Jesus into our hearts as Savior and Lord, and love him and trust him. (Jn 1:12,13)

Prayer: Lord, give me a pure heart to love and trust my true husband Jesus.

One Word: Only Jesus