2 Cor. 2:17 Prohibits "Peddling" the word of God"

There are too many ministries in the business of "peddling the word of God". With CDs, tapes, books etc, sometimes with exhorbitant profits, pricing their products out of reach of those with low incomes, poor seniors etc.

This is in stark violation of 2 Corinthians 2:17, the translation of which is obscure in the KJV, but made plain in other translations.

For those of you with wares to sell, remember how Jesus drove the "marketers" out of the temple....

Why not offer Biblically based materials, DVDs, CDs, books, tapes etc, at cost or for a free will offering so all could afford them. If God is with you, he will provide the finances you need.

Here is the text forbidding buying and selling the Word of God:

2Corinthians 2:17
The KJV reads 'which "corrupt" the Word of God', other translations more correctly read, ' "peddling" the Word of God'

(KJV) "For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ."

(NKJV) "For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ."

According the definitions provided by Strong and Vine, the use of corrupt is closer to the original than peddle. For an illustration: "I can preach the word for gain (peddle) and not corrupt it."

The most literal rendering is "adulterating the word" or "fraudulent hucksters of the word." Corrupt is the most correct.

First, it would help to define the words used in the two translations. "Corrupt" means:
1. Marked by immorality and perversion; depraved.
2. Venal; dishonest: a corrupt mayor.
3. Containing errors or alterations, as a text: a corrupt translation.

The definition of "peddle" is:
1. a. To travel about selling (wares): peddling goods from door to door.
b. To engage in the illicit sale of (narcotics).
2. Informal. To seek to disseminate; give out: peddling lies.

verb, intransitive
1. To travel about selling wares.
2. To occupy oneself with trifles (American Heritage Dictionary).

"Corrupt" in this context probably refers to definition number three. So Paul would be talking about people who add "errors" or make "alterations" to the Word of God. "Peddle" on the other hand, refers to people who travel about selling something, plus there there is a possible "negative" connotation to the word.

But which translation is closer to the meaning of the Greek word? Rienecker states about this word, "kapeleuo to peddle, to pawn off a product for gain. The word is used in the LXX [Septuagint] in Isa 1:22 for those who mix wine with water in order to cheat the buyers (Plummer)…. The word refers to those who peddle or merchandise the Word of God for profit" (p.458).
So Rienecker uses the word "peddle" twice in his definition. And the idea of "selling" is definitely involved, but so is the idea of "altering" what is sold.

Bauer defines kapeleuo as, "trade in, peddle, huckster.... Because of the tricks of small tradesman ... the word comes to mean almost adulterate" (p. 403). So "peddle" appears to be primary meaning of the word. But an extended meaning could be "adulterate."

Interestingly, the NKJV footnote gives an alternate translation of, "adulterating for gain." The meaning of "adulterate" is, "To make impure by adding extraneous, improper, or inferior ingredients" (American Heritage Dictionary). This dishonest action is exactly what Rienecker was describing in regards to Isa 1:22.

So by combining the text reading and the footnote, the NKJV expresses the meaning of the Greek word rather well, both its primary and then its secondary meanings. Paul is talking about people who travel about selling the Word to make money while making the Word impure by adding improper elements to it. Meanwhile, the KJV's "corrupt" only expresses the secondary meaning of kapeleuo. The primary idea of "selling" is not in the KJV.

Or to put it another way, "I can corrupt the word and not sell (peddle) it." So the NKJV is more accurate, especially when the footnote reading is included. http://www.dtl.org/versions/book/verses-1.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here is the information from the online Greek Lexicon:

“For we are not, as so many, peddling [kapeleuo] the Word of God” (2Co 2:17).

The Greek verb “kapeleuo” means: to peddle for profit or to make money by selling something; in other words to teach or preach the Word of God in order to get a material reward.
Blue Letter Bible - Lexicon

Lexicon Results for kapēleuō (Strong's G2585)
Greek for G2585
καπηλεύω Transliteration

kapēleuō
Pronunciation

kä-pā-lyü'-ō (Key)

Root Word (Etymology)

from kapelos (a huckster)

Outline of Biblical Usage
1) to be a retailer, to peddle

2) to make money by selling anything

a) to get sordid gain by dealing in anything, to do a thing for base gain

b) to trade in the word of God

1) to try to get base gain by teaching divine truth

c) to corrupt, to adulterate

1) peddlers were in the habit of adulterating their commodities for the sake of gain

http://cf.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2585&t=kjv

0 members like this