Paul warned the Corinthians believers that they were being lied to through Satan’s deceptions via a FALSE apostle. This false apostle’s words no doubt presented what Paul here calls “Another Jesus and “Another Gospel” as fostered by “Another spirit.” – none of which was in accord with what Paul had already taught them concerning… the Free Gift of salvation by God’s grace through faith alone in Christ.

³ But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. ⁴ For if he that cometh preacheth Another Jesus, whom we [Paul and company] have not preached, or if ye receive Another Spirit, which ye have not received, or Another Gospel, which ye have [correctly] not accepted [as grace believers], ye might well bear [forbear or resist] with him. 2 Corinthians 11:4 (KJV)

In interpreting the above verse, we should realize who these ‘FALSE apostles’ were. They likely were legalistic Messianic Jews; we call them ‘Judaizers.’ They worked to subvert Paul and the grace believers who had embraced his “gospel of the grace of God.” Below we also see this happening in Galatia where Paul says;

⁴ And that because of false brethren unawares brought in [smuggled in], who came in privily [stealthily] to spy out our [grace] Liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into Bondage: Gal. 2:4

⁸ But though we, or an [fallen demonic] angel from heaven, preach Any Other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed [Gk. anathema, meaning ‘banned’]. Gal. 1:8

Paul had to contend with such false brethren undermining of His ministry again and again, and this is what he is addressing here again in 2 Corinthians 11:3-4. Paul here in verse 3 is concerned saying;

³ But [now] I am fearful, lest that even as the serpent beguiled Eve by his cunning, so your minds may be corrupted and seduced from wholehearted and sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” 2 Cor. 11:3 (KJV)

Even today we have such ‘False brethren’ in pulpits and on TV trying to subvert our minds from “the truth” of the pure Grace of God that we enjoy during this age under “the gospel of the grace of God” (Act 20:24). Their untruths are Satanic lies. But in the case of the Judaizers of Paul’s day, these Lies Were “Scriptural.”

You might say, “But how can ‘lies be “Scriptural’?

You see one can be Scriptural and at the same time NOT be dispensational. Paul instructs us accordingly to;

¹⁵ Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, Rightly Dividing The Word Of Truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)

You see, Satan adapted his tactic when Paul’s ‘grace gospel’ came. He uses Israel’s religious Law Program as “another gospel” in place of Paul’s ‘grace Gospel.’ We see this today in its variations in the so-called Christian churches. This ‘lie’ keeps people today from enjoying the power and security of the grace gospel.

Thus, we must “rightly divide” that which applies to God’s two people groups, 1) Israel and, 2) the Gentile “body of Christ.” Failing to “rightly divide” the Scriptures as to what exactly applies only to Israel versus that which applies to grace believers under “the gospel of the grace of God” brings confusion and contention.

These FALSE apostles in Corinth were the law-keeping Judaizers. The Judaizers were a faction among the Jewish Messianic Christians, who still regarded the Levitical laws of the Old Testament as if they were binding on all Christians. They would have tried to force Jewish circumcision upon Titus, Paul’s Gentile convert (cf. Gal. 2:3, Acts 15:1) but apparently yielded to Paul. They were strenuously opposed and criticized for their behavior by the Apostle Paul, who used many of his epistles to refute their doctrinal errors. These Judaizers took the Scriptural truth of God that was Only For Israel and tried to foist it upon Paul’s grace believing converts … telling them they had to keep the “the Law” and “circumcision.”

But if Paul’s grace believers went back to Jesus of Nazareth’s law program for Israel they would then be Out of The Will of God for Today’s “dispensation of the grace of God.” They will have “fallen from Grace.”

⁴ Christ is become of no effect [no benefit] unto you, whosoever of you [who think you] are Justified By The Law; ye are FALLEN FROM GRACE. Galatians 5:4 (KJV)

Having this background, we can better consider 2 Corinthians 11:4 as seen below

• “For if he that cometh” — here likely refers to the false Judaizing apostle, who came after Paul had left Corinth.
• “Preacheth another Jesus” — The Judaizers likely preached ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ as one who can save more powerfully, doing visible miracles, Whereas, Paul preached the Cross and the resurrected Jesus as “the Spirit of life” as One working His power “in us.”
• “Or if ye receive another spirit” — as consequence of one believing in the ‘Judaizer’s False Apostle’ during today’s age of “the grace of God,” one is receiving the lie of “another spirit,” which they make you think the ‘Judaizer’s Jesus’ is greater than that which you have received from the Holy Ghost, when you believed on the Christ whom Paul preached.

Since we know there really is only “the Holy Spirit of God” as “the Spirit of truth” and the Satanic “spirit of error,” which spirit would you suppose was working through the Judaizer’s Apostle? It is clear that was not the Judaizer’s Apostle was not “of God” in going to Paul’s grace believers.

⁶ We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. 1 John 4:6 (KJV)

¹ Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1

• “Or another Gospel” — one that promises more privileges, spiritual advantages, and stronger excitements to holiness, than that which we have preached and which ye have accepted, ye might well bear with him. This would be a sufficient reason why you should not only bear with him, but prefer him to me.

After reading our text of 2 Corinthians 11:4 one might at first ask; How many God-Given Jesus’ are there?

“Another Jesus” - The Bible clearly reveals only One God-Given Jesus, yet Paul refers to “another Jesus,” in 2 Cor. 11:4. You see Jesus had two quite different ministries, one for each of His two people groups; 1) the Nation Israel (Rom. 15:8), and 2) the Gentile Church, called “the body of Christ” through the Apostle Paul.

Jesus’ 1^st coming was as ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ was in His human form in His earthly ministry to Israel.

⁸ Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision [Israel] for the truth of God, Romans 15:8

Since Israel’s “fall” (Rom. 11:11-13), Paul says we of the Gentile “body of Christ” are NOT to heed the instructions of Jesus’ earthly ministry To Israel, given while He lived in “the flesh” on earth.

¹⁶ … know we [as grace believers] no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ After The Flesh [in Jesus’ earthly ministry to Israel], yet now Henceforth Know We Him No More. 2 Cor. 5:16

By contrast, Paul preached a grace -based relationship for all men who receive and experience the Indwelling Power of “the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” who we of “the body of Christ” are to trust and be led.

¹⁶ That he [the Lord] would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the Inner Man; Ephesians 3:16 (KJV)

¹⁷ Now the Lord [Jesus] is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 2 Cor. 3:17

² the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from The Law of sin and death. Rom 8:2

^9bNow if any man have not THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST, he is none of his. ¹⁰ And if CHRIST BE IN YOU, the body is dead because of sin; but THE SPIRIT IS LIFE because of righteousness. Rom. 8:9-10 (KJV)

¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the [matured] sons of God. Romans 8:14 (KJV)

“Another Gospel” - How many God-given Gospel are there?

There are two (2) God-given Gospels – one for Israel­ concerning the Kingdom to come On Earth and in which they will reign with Christ (Rev 5:10, 20:6), and also one for the Gentiles as relates to forming “the church,” “the body of Christ,” who will “reign with Christ” … forever “eternal In the Heavens.”

• Jesus of Nazareth came in His earthly ministry to only address “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt. 15:24), concerning His “Gospel of the Kingdom” to come to earth … for Israel to receive.
• Jesus from heaven gave “the Apostle Paul” a gospel for the Gentiles called “the gospel of the grace of God” making them destined to “reign with Christ” in “heavenly places” (2Tim. 2:12, 2 Cor 5:1b)

The riches of Christ’s Cross, His Death, Burial, and Resurrection … will be life-giving for ALL those of any Dispensational Age, to whosoever of them have Believed God’s Words … For Them in Their Age.