2 Corinthians 11:14 – And no wonder, for even satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
​Context = Preaching for money.
​2 Corinthians 11:7 – Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God’s gospel to you free of charge? 8 I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. 9 And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way. 10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. 11 And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! 12 And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
In 2 Corinthians 11, the Lord is releasing through paul a major difference between true and false apostles. True apostles preach the gospel without asking for money. False apostles preach the gospel and ask for money. By this text we know that Jesus is the True Apostle who never once asked for money for Himself or for His ministry!
​Hebrews 3:1 – Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, The Apostle and High Priest of our confession
​1 John 2:6 – Whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.
​1 Corinthians 9:15 (NLT) – Yet I have never used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that I want to start now. In fact, I would rather die than lose my right to boast about preaching without charge.
​1 Timothy 6:5 (AMPC) – And protracted wrangling and wearing discussion and perpetual friction among men who are corrupted in mind and bereft of the truth, who imagine that godliness or righteousness is a source of profit [a moneymaking business, a means of livelihood]. From such withdraw.
​2 Corinthians 2:17 – For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.
​In greek the word for “peddlers” is the word “kapeleuo”.
Kapeleuo also means: a huckster, to retail, to adulterate, to corrupt, to make money by selling, to swindle, to gain by sleazy tactics
John 2:14 – In the temple He found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And He poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And He told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make My Father’s house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house will consume Me.”
Micah 3:9 – Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who detest justice and make crooked all that is straight, 10 who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity. 11 Its heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money; yet they lean on the LORD and say, “Is not the LORD in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us.”
The Lord is speaking against the sin of the religious leaders in Israel, and their sin is that they teach for money.
Matthew 10:8 – “You received without paying; give without pay.”