Verses 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.”
I used to watch the old TV series called Kolchak: The Night Stalker. For a TV show back in the 1970s, there were sure some episodes that could scare you very well. I always enjoyed the premise that Carl Kolchak (brilliantly played by Darren McGavin), the dogged investigative reporter (who could easily annoy any police captain) was the only one to believe that a monster was behind the crime…and eventually was the only one to dispose of the monster, thus ruining his story on the crime. There was one episode, “Horror in the Heights”, that pitted Kolchak against a Hindu monster, a Rakshasa; this creature ate human flesh, but appeared to its victims as the illusion of someone they trusted. Carl, being cynical, was able to see through the illusion enough to kill the creature with blessed cross-bolts fired from a crossbow (think silver bullets here).
Evil doesn’t always look like evil; how would the devil ever get close to you if he appeared monstrous? As Paul stated above, Satan can transform himself to look like an angel of light. His followers can do the same. But much like using litmus paper to tell the difference between acid and base, the litmus test for false prophets will always be their works. We must always be on the lookout for those who would lead non-Christians and even some Christians astray, especially in these challenging times. What is the standard by which we can tell the truth? Simple: the Word of Jesus Christ the Lord…His Holy Bible.
Something to think about!
Combing The Word 