Stand up for yourself ∙
We will not boast about things done outside our area of authority. We will boast only about what has happened within the boundaries of the work God has given us, which includes our working with you. – 2 Corinthians 10:13
2 Corinthians 11:2-4
2 For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one husband – Christ.
3 But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning ways.
4 You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.
Chick-fil-A has long stood out in the fast-food industry with its unique marketing strategy, featuring cows as its bovine spokespersons for over 25 years. Their slogan, “Eat Mor Chikin,” underscores their distinction from other fast-food chains that primarily serve hamburgers. As the largest poultry-based fast-food chain in America, Chick-fil-A achieved more than 21.6 billion in domestic sales in 2023, nearly triple the combined sales of both KFC and Popeyes.
Chick-fil-A has taken legal action against 16 chicken producers, including industry giants Tyson Foods and Perdue Farms, accusing them of conspiring to keep prices artificially high. The company alleges that these producers colluded to inflate prices following Chick-fil-A’s 2014 announcement that by 2019, it would only sell chicken not treated with antibiotics. This price inflation impacted billions of dollars in chicken purchases, costs that were ultimately passed on to consumers. Other companies, such as Aldi supermarkets and Campbell Soup, have joined in the legal battle against the chicken producers.
Chick-fil-A alleges that the suppliers violated federal antitrust laws by sharing confidential bidding and pricing information with each other through phone and text messages. This has resulted in a legal dispute as Chick-fil-A takes a stand against what it sees as unfair practices (Neil Vigdor, http://www.nytimes.com).
Undaunted, Big Chicken will by no means “chicken out.” Perdue Farms’ spokeswoman, Andrea Staub, firmly asserted, “We believe these claims are unfounded and plan to contest the merits.” America will undoubtedly be witness to the most egregious cockfight in history.
The idea of taking a stand against Big Chicken seems outlandish, if not oddly intriguing, almost oxymoronic, a tad humorous, whimsical, and even preposterous.
Developing the ability to stand up for yourself and your faith is crucial in commanding respect from others. When you assert your beliefs and set boundaries, people are more likely to pause or even abandon any attempts to push you around or manipulate you. It’s important to remember that, just like water seeks the path of least resistance, individuals often test boundaries until they encounter firm, unwavering principles.
Prepare yourself to take a decisive stand and then stand firm with confidence.
REFLECT & PRAY
1 Peter 5:12 My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is indeed part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace.
Father, grant me the wisdom to know when to take a stand and the courage to stand firm on the truth of the Word of God.
INSIGHT
In the early church, adversaries of the truth often conspired to harm the body of Christ. Deceivers and false teachers were widespread. As an apostle, Paul had to confront the children of the King. The book of 2 Corinthians offers several insights into what occurred.
2 Corinthians 11:4-20
4 You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.
13 These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ.
19 After all, you think you are so wise, but you enjoy putting up with fools!
20 You put up with it when someone enslaves you, takes everything you have, takes advantage of you, takes control of everything, and slaps you in the face.
The children of the King were being led astray from their pure devotion to the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. They were gullible, easily deceived, and ruthlessly taken advantage of by false teachers. Believing themselves to be wise, enlightened, open, compliant, accommodating, tolerant, and even benevolent, they might today have considered themselves, in a pejorative sense, “woke.” However, instead of growing more robust in their faith and walking closer to the Father, they were being deceived, seduced, and led astray. Simply speaking, they caved into false teachers.
The often-quoted pejorative aphorism “suffer fools gladly” originates from the KJV rendering of the first half of 2 Corinthians 11:19 (Baker). Referring to these gullible Corinthians as “wise” is scathingly sarcastic. Rather than being wise, they were fools. They are the very fools who embraced other fools so heartily (Baker).
Paul was confrontational and exposed the true source of the deception that fueled the false teachers: Satan himself. Paul did not hold back or mince words.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
13 These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ.
14 But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
15 So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end, they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve.
It was long overdue for the Corinthians to stand up and resist. They needed to confront the powerful influences misleading them, akin to fighting the “Big Chicken” of their day. They should not allow themselves to be enslaved by false teachers or taken advantage of any longer.
2 Corinthians 11:19-20
19 After all, you think you are so wise, but you enjoy putting up with fools!
20 You put up with it when someone enslaves you, takes everything you have, takes advantage of you, takes control of everything, and slaps you in the face.
“The Corinthians considered themselves unusually wise, but they were being unusually foolish by not only humoring the fools in their midst but doing so gladly. They were absurdly tolerant. They submitted to the teaching of the false apostles even though it resulted in their own enslavement” (Constable).
“The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything” (Albert Einstein).
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 12-23-2
© Dr. H 2023
Dr H Reflections 