Caveat Emptor: Consummate Artist or Con Artist?

Bible Book: 2 Corinthians 11 : 1-15

Subject: Satan; Deception

Introduction

Caveat Emptor is Latin for "Let the buyer beware." On the Today Show, August 17, 2012, Kerry Sanders interviewed Ken Perenyi. Perenyi’s paintings have hung in museums and made him millions from their sale. Now it seems he has a pass into a celebrity status as he confesses the secrets of his activity for over three decades in his memoir titled, Caveat Emptor: The Secret Life of an American Art Forger.[1] While it might not be a crime to imitate or copy great works of art as long as you make it clear that is the case. Apparently, Perenyi’s artwork was so convincing that people assumed they were originals and he let the buyers believe what they wanted. In reading Ken Perenyi’s book or any other book written by man we should practice Caveat Lector or “Let the reader beware.”

The original con artist is Lucifer, Satan, the Devil, and the Serpent in the Garden. We read in 2 Corinthians 11:1-15, “Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly—and indeed you do bear with me. For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 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! For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles. Even though I am untrained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge. But we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things. Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you. And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself. As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia. Why? Because I do not love you? God knows! But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.”

Previously, Paul warns us to beware “lest Satan should take advantage of us” and he declares of Satan, “we are not ignorant of his devices” in 2 Corinthians 2:11. These “devices” are dirty tricks the Devil uses over and over again, to get us off the track of God’s will. Allow me to share three of these dirty tricks believers will face, using the acrostic T-I-P.

I. First, we will face Temptation.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 11:2-3, “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

Someone quipped, “The Devil is an artist: he paints sin in very attractive colors.” In Genesis 3:1-6 we read, “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?’ And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.”

We read in Matthew 4:1-11, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.’ But He answered and said, ‘It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ Jesus said to him, ‘It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.”

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:12-13, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

From 1 John 2:15-17 we find a commentary on temptation, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

From Hebrews 5:12-14 we read, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

II. Second, we will face Intimidation.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 11:4-12, “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! For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles. Even though I am untrained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge. But we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things. Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you. And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself. As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia. Why? Because I do not love you? God knows! But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast.”

We read in Proverbs 29:25, “The fear of man brings a snare, / But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.”

Paul writes in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

In 1 John 4:4 we read, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” From the Jamieson- Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary we read the phrase “he that is in the world” means, “The spirit of Antichrist, the devil, ‘the prince of this world.’”[2]

We read in James 4:7-10, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

In the words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther (1483-1546):

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.[3]

Dr. J. C. Ryle (1816-1900) explains, "A zealous man in religion is preemiently a man of one thing. It is not enough to say that he is earnest,--hearty,--uncompromising,--thorough-going,--whole hearted,--fervent in spirit. He only sees one thing,--he cares for one thing,--he lives for one thing,--he is swallowed up in one thing, and that one thing is to please God. Whether he lives, or whether he dies,--whether he has health, or whether he has sickness,--whether he is rich, or whether he is poor,--whether he pleases man, or whether he gives offense,--whether he is thought wise, or whether he is thought foolish,--whether he gets blame, or whether he gets praise,--whether he gets honour, or whether he gets shame,--for all this the zealous man cares nothing at all. He burns for one thing; and that one thing is to please God, and to advance God's glory. If he is consumed in the very burning, he cares not for it,--he is content. He feels that like a lamp, he is made to burn, and if consumed in burning, he has but done the work for which God appointed him. Such an one will always find a sphere for his zeal. If he cannot preach, and work, and give money, he will cry, and sigh, and pray. Yes! if he is only a pauper, on a perpetual bed of sickness, he will make the wheels of sin around him drive heavily, by continually interceeding against it. If he cannot fight in the valley with Joshua, he will do the work of Moses, Aaron, and Hur, on the hill. If he is cut off from working himself, he will give the Lord no rest till help is raised up from another quarter, and the work is done. This is what I mean, when I speak of zeal in religion."[4]

III. Third, we will face Prevarication.

The term “prevarication” is “to deviate from the truth.” Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.”

There are ministers who paint word pictures on the canvas of your mind, who might be consummate artists who are also con artists. We read about those “with great swelling words” (2 Peter 2:18) who deceive their hearers. We read in 2 Peter 2:18-22, “For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: ‘A dog returns to his own vomit,’ and, ‘a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.’”

We read in Jude 1:16-25, “These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, / And to present you faultless / Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, / To God our Savior, / Who alone is wise, / Be glory and majesty, / Dominion and power, / Both now and forever. Amen.”

John writes in John 8:31-32, “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’” Jesus warned about the devil in John 8:44b, who “does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” John also writes in 1 John 4:1-6, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

Dr. Richard Briscoe Cook (1838-1916) shares the following on “Grit” by Rev. Charles H. Spurgeon: "It is said by an old writer, that in the olden times men used to take care of their houses, but now the houses take care of the men; that they used to eat off oaken porringers, and then they were oaken men; but now they are willow-men, can bend any how; they are earthenware men, which can be dashed to pieces. Scarcely in business, in politics, or in religion, have you got a man. You see a lot of things, which are called men, who turn the way the wind blows. I pray God to send a few men with what the Americans call 'grit' in them; men, who when they know a thing to be right, will not turn away, or turn aside, or stop; men who will persevere all the more because there are difficulties to meet or foes to encounter; who stand all the more true to their Master because they are opposed; who the more they are thrust into the fire, the hotter they become; who, just like the bow, the further the string is drawn the more powerfully it sends forth its arrows, and so the more they are trodden upon, the more mighty will they become in the cause of truth against error."[5]

Conclusion

While Satan is a consummate artist he is also a con artist. He paints the most convincing picture of spirituality, even using Holy Scripture. Remember, the angel of light is the father of lies. Dr. A. W. Tozer (1897-1963) stated, “The devil is a better theologian than any of us and a devil still.”[6]

Paul writes about the Hebrews, known to us as the Jews, in Romans 10:2-3, “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.” Therefore, there is a true and false zeal. As a Hebrew of Hebrews, Paul testifies in Philippians 3:9b, “Not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.”

While it is wise to follow the advice of the Latin phrase Caveat Emptor or “Let the buyer beware” and to adhere to another Latin phrase, Caveat Lector or “Let the reader beware;” it is critically important to practice Caveat Qui Credit or “Let the believer beware.” Oh, the trouble that comes to the church because of a lack of discernment! May God grant us the discernment to know the difference between the work of a consummate artist and a con artist.

[1]Today Show, August 17, 2012, Kerry Sanders Interview of Ken Perenyi, (New York: NBC, 2012), Accessed August 17, 2012, http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/48554925/ns/today-books/

[2]Rev. Robert Jamieson, D.D.., Rev. A.R. Fausset, A.M, & Rev. David Brown, D.D., Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary: Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Edinburgh: Collins & Company, 1871), Database © 2005 WORDsearch Corp.

[3]Martin Luther, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” (1529)

[4]J. C. Ryle, Be Zealous: Thoughts on Galatians IV. 18, (London: Wertheim & Macintosh, 1852), 5

[5]Richard Briscoe Cook, The Wit and Wisdom of Rev. Charles H. Spurgeon: Containing Selections from His Writings, and a Sketch of His Life and Work, (Baltimore, MD: R. H. Woodward and Company, 1892), 413

[6]A. W. Tozer, Accessed February 25, 2013, http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/aidenwilso153971.html

By Dr. Franklin L. Kirksey, pastor First Baptist Church of Spanish Fort 30775 Jay Drive Spanish Fort, Alabama 36527

Author of Sound Biblical Preaching: Giving the Bible a Voice Available on Amazon.com and WORDsearchbible.com