“For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!” (2 Corinthians 11:4).
For many, the concept of “god” represents little more than a being who embodies whatever qualities and characteristics they think he should have. The problem is that a concept of God that originates from anywhere other than the Scriptures is one who may have little or no basis in reality. In a similar manner, the false apostles in first-century Corinth apparently preached “another Jesus” who bore little or no resemblance to the Christ found within the gospels.
The problem is that the false teachers in ancient Corinth faced an issue that still exists today: if a person holds an erroneous view of Jesus, then everything that proceeds from that view is likely to be erroneous as well. As one commentator explains, “These false teachers were not disagreeing over some peripheral, minor matter, but over the person and work of Jesus Christ.” (1)
This reminds us of the need to define our terms when we engage in discussions regarding God, Christ, the Scriptures, or other spiritual matters. Just as words may often possess several different meanings, (2) others may define “God,” “Jesus,” “the Holy Spirit,” and “the Scriptures” in different ways as well. Such definitions often sound religiously convincing (and might contain an element of truth), but may not correspond to what we find in the Word of God when we stop to examine them.
For instance, one person may define “God” as a universal consciousness. Another might identify Jesus as the spirit brother of Lucifer. For some, the Holy Spirit is “God’s impersonal force” while “the Scriptures” might include “another testament of Jesus Christ.” While the terminology may be identical in many instances, the definitions may be different and unbiblical.
For this reason, we would do well to follow the example of the citizens of Berea as found in the New Testament book of Acts…
“Immediately when night came, the believers sent Paul and Silas to the city of Berea. When Paul and Silas arrived in the city of Berea, they entered the synagogue. The people of Berea were more open-minded than the people of Thessalonica. They were very willing to receive God’s message, and every day they carefully examined the Scriptures to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:10-11 GW).
(1) Dr. Bob Utley, Free Bible Commentary 2 Corinthians [11:4] Copyright ©2014 by Bible Lessons International http://www.freebiblecommentary.org/new_testament_studies/VOL06/VOL06B_11.html
(2) Such as bat, jam, or key, for example