2 Corinthians 11 | Don’t Mess With My Church

“But I will continue doing what I have always done. This will undercut
those who are looking for an opportunity to boast that their work is just
like ours. These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who
disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end, they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve.” 2 Cor. 11:12-15  

Have you ever witnessed the ‘momma bear’ phenomena? That is when a mother defends her child against some kind of attack. The name ‘momma bear’ comes from the observation in nature of how most bears usually avoid confrontations with humans except when it is a female bear with a cub. In these cases, they become fiercely protective and aggressive. It is instinct found in men and women as well when it comes to protecting their child. However, it seems most pronounced in women, and therefore we call it the ‘momma bear’ phenomena.

In 2 Corinthians, there is a similar protective behavior when a pastor (Paul) is dealing with false teachers in the church. Paul is typically not what I would call an ‘in your face’ guy. Oh, he wrote some strong letters and showed emotion at times, but we typically think of Peter as the guy with the aggressive nature, not Paul. However, when someone has a pastoral calling on their life, it typically reveals itself by a passionate defense of those who would hurt members of the church. In the passage in 2 Corinthians 11, Paul goes ‘Momma Bear’ on false apostles who use deceitful works who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. As a Pastor, I can tell you I find myself getting very protective over those of you in the church. And, many in our church who are not ‘ordained’ pastors or elders in the church are also very protective because they have the same pastoral/shepherding calling on their life. When talking of Elders in Titus 1, Paul specifically points this out in verses 10-14. It is a responsibility they have.

Why do I point this out? Because protecting the body of Christ is very important, and part of that task is ensuring sound doctrine is taught, and other gospels with ‘half-truths’ are called out and not allowed to be brought into the church. When an Elder at TCC expresses concern over a specific ‘teacher’ or doctrine that has surfaced, it is not because he has a closed mind. It is because of their calling to protect the church and because they are held responsible by God to make sure false teachings do not creep into the Body. Please always pray for the Elders and when needed, use your inner ‘momma bear’ and stand against false doctrine. We are called to do this, and all need to play a part.