A Warning From The Word To Those Who Seek Profits From Peddiling The Things of God
PAUL SAW THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL
Only a few years into Paul’s ministry, he told the Corinthian Congregation of the corruption already in the Church:
"For we are not as many, which corrupt (peddle) the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ" (II Cor. 2:17).
Now I hope you all know that I love the King James, and it is true as stated in this verse that they "corrupted" the word of God, but this verse tells us much more than the King James translators present in this verse. Let’s read a few other translations of this same verse:
"For we are not, as THE MANY, driving a PETTY TRADE with the word of God…" (A New Translation, By J. B. Rotherham).
"For we are not as the MAJORITY, who are PEDDLING the word of God…" (Concordant Literal New Testament).
"For I seek not PROFIT [LIKE MOST] by setting the word of God TO SALE…" (The Epistles of Paul, By Conybeare).
"Unlike MANY PEOPLE, we are not in the habit of MAKING PROFIT out of God’s Message" (The Twentieth Century New Testament).
"For I am no PEDDLER of God’s message LIKE MOST MEN" (An American Translation, By Goodspeed).
"For I am not like MOST, TRAFFICKING in the word of God" ( The New Testament in Modern English, By Montgomery).
"For we are not like THE GREAT NUMBER who make use of the Word of God for PROFIT" (The New Testament in Basic English).
"For we do not, like SO MANY, PEDDLE [for profit] an adulterated message of God" (The Berkeley Version of the New Testament, By Gerrit Verkuyl).
ADULTERATING HUCKSTERS OF GOD’S WORD
Does anyone have any doubts now, as to what this verse is saying? I hope not. But there is still more in this verse that does not meet the eye of understanding unless we check the Greek. The word from which "corrupt," "profit," "peddling," and "trafficking" was taken, is the Greek word kapeleou, and it means much more than simply selling for a profit: Strong’s Greek Dictionary of The New Testament: #2585. kpeleuo (a huckster); to retail, i.e. (by impl.) to adulterate. This word means to be a retailer, to peddle, to hucksterize; hence, intentionally to get base gain by dealing in anything, to do anything for sordid personal advantage." (P. 128). WOW! But wait … here’s one more definition:
From Greek-English Keyword Concordance, "peddle [kapeleu’o], sell at retail, with the insinuation of improper profit, either by overcharging or adulterating"(P. 220).
Can you even begin to understand and believe what you are reading? Paul said that it was the MAJORITY that were retailing, selling, peddling, huckstering, an adulterated version of God’s word by overcharging improper profits far beyond rational living expenses for their own base gain and sordid personal advantage! Not only was this practice CORRUPT, but, it was being done by "THE MANY," "THE MAJORITY!" Tell me that you can’t see this being done in the church today?
MODERN TV RELIGIOUS SIDESHOW AUCTIONEERS
Turn on your TV. The majority are selling, peddling, hucksterizing an adulterated version of God’s word for improper profit and personal gain! Your will hear sermons on such subjects as, "Planting Seed", or "Seedtime and Harvest," or "Making a Financial Covenant with God," or "Becoming a Faith Partner," or "Tithing on the Gross," or "Your Welfare Check Belongs to God," or "At What Age Should One Tithe?" or "Tithing Your Way to Financial Freedom," or best of all, "Will a Man ROB God?" etc., etc., etc.
At various times during the show, you will be offered: BOOKS, TAPES, PAMPHLETS, VIDEOS, STATUES, PINS, TRINKETS, MEMBERSHIP CARDS, PLAQUES, CANDLES, CERTIFICATES (always suitable for framing), COMMEMORATIVE COINS, BAGS OF SALT, VIALS OF OIL, DIRT FROM THE HOLY LAND, WATER FROM THE SEA OF GALILEE, AND EVERY CONCEIVABLE PIECE OF RELIGIOUS JUNK AND PARAPHERNALIA IMAGINABLE, all for big bucks, (plus shipping and handling)!!
Or maybe you could catch one of Pastor Shambach’s "God Told Me…" sermons. Pastor Shambach has been coercing people on international television for the past several years to send two thousand dollars to TBN. He said that GOD TOLD HIM THAT EVERYONE WHO IS IN DEBT AND WANTS TO GET OUT OF DEBT NEEDS TO SEND to TBN TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS (and if you don’t have two thousand dollars, then you are to send it in by smaller installments)! And if you have money left over, you can go to a thousand web sites where these same religious hucksters have whole stores of religious accouterments for which you can spend your money. I opened one site this week just out of curiosity. They boasted over ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THOUSAND items for sale.
God started the church in the Wilderness by bringing the people of Israel out of Egypt (out of sin).
Only a few entered the Promised Land because of unbelief (they wanted to go back to Egypt, back to sin).
From the Promised Land, God drove both Israel and Judah into captivity by the Assyrians and Babylonians respectively.
Under Ezra and Nehemiah along with priests and Levites, they returned and rebuilt Jerusalem.
Jesus Himself, tells us how utterly corrupt the religious leadership was in His day.
Paul tells us that it was the MAJORITY in his time that were making merchandise out of God’s word, corrupting and selling it for a personal profit!
In 70 AD all of Jerusalem including the whole temple system was totally destroyed, but the Church that Jesus built continued on.
Only a few years into Paul’s ministry, he told the Corinthian Congregation of the corruption already in the Church:
"For we are not as many, which corrupt (peddle) the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ" (II Cor. 2:17).
Now I hope you all know that I love the King James, and it is true as stated in this verse that they "corrupted" the word of God, but this verse tells us much more than the King James translators present in this verse. Let’s read a few other translations of this same verse:
"For we are not, as THE MANY, driving a PETTY TRADE with the word of God…" (A New Translation, By J. B. Rotherham).
"For we are not as the MAJORITY, who are PEDDLING the word of God…" (Concordant Literal New Testament).
"For I seek not PROFIT [LIKE MOST] by setting the word of God TO SALE…" (The Epistles of Paul, By Conybeare).
"Unlike MANY PEOPLE, we are not in the habit of MAKING PROFIT out of God’s Message" (The Twentieth Century New Testament).
"For I am no PEDDLER of God’s message LIKE MOST MEN" (An American Translation, By Goodspeed).
"For I am not like MOST, TRAFFICKING in the word of God" ( The New Testament in Modern English, By Montgomery).
"For we are not like THE GREAT NUMBER who make use of the Word of God for PROFIT" (The New Testament in Basic English).
"For we do not, like SO MANY, PEDDLE [for profit] an adulterated message of God" (The Berkeley Version of the New Testament, By Gerrit Verkuyl).
ADULTERATING HUCKSTERS OF GOD’S WORD
Does anyone have any doubts now, as to what this verse is saying? I hope not. But there is still more in this verse that does not meet the eye of understanding unless we check the Greek. The word from which "corrupt," "profit," "peddling," and "trafficking" was taken, is the Greek word kapeleou, and it means much more than simply selling for a profit: Strong’s Greek Dictionary of The New Testament: #2585. kpeleuo (a huckster); to retail, i.e. (by impl.) to adulterate. This word means to be a retailer, to peddle, to hucksterize; hence, intentionally to get base gain by dealing in anything, to do anything for sordid personal advantage." (P. 128). WOW! But wait … here’s one more definition:
From Greek-English Keyword Concordance, "peddle [kapeleu’o], sell at retail, with the insinuation of improper profit, either by overcharging or adulterating"(P. 220).
Can you even begin to understand and believe what you are reading? Paul said that it was the MAJORITY that were retailing, selling, peddling, huckstering, an adulterated version of God’s word by overcharging improper profits far beyond rational living expenses for their own base gain and sordid personal advantage! Not only was this practice CORRUPT, but, it was being done by "THE MANY," "THE MAJORITY!" Tell me that you can’t see this being done in the church today?
MODERN TV RELIGIOUS SIDESHOW AUCTIONEERS
Turn on your TV. The majority are selling, peddling, hucksterizing an adulterated version of God’s word for improper profit and personal gain! Your will hear sermons on such subjects as, "Planting Seed", or "Seedtime and Harvest," or "Making a Financial Covenant with God," or "Becoming a Faith Partner," or "Tithing on the Gross," or "Your Welfare Check Belongs to God," or "At What Age Should One Tithe?" or "Tithing Your Way to Financial Freedom," or best of all, "Will a Man ROB God?" etc., etc., etc.
At various times during the show, you will be offered: BOOKS, TAPES, PAMPHLETS, VIDEOS, STATUES, PINS, TRINKETS, MEMBERSHIP CARDS, PLAQUES, CANDLES, CERTIFICATES (always suitable for framing), COMMEMORATIVE COINS, BAGS OF SALT, VIALS OF OIL, DIRT FROM THE HOLY LAND, WATER FROM THE SEA OF GALILEE, AND EVERY CONCEIVABLE PIECE OF RELIGIOUS JUNK AND PARAPHERNALIA IMAGINABLE, all for big bucks, (plus shipping and handling)!!
Or maybe you could catch one of Pastor Shambach’s "God Told Me…" sermons. Pastor Shambach has been coercing people on international television for the past several years to send two thousand dollars to TBN. He said that GOD TOLD HIM THAT EVERYONE WHO IS IN DEBT AND WANTS TO GET OUT OF DEBT NEEDS TO SEND to TBN TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS (and if you don’t have two thousand dollars, then you are to send it in by smaller installments)! And if you have money left over, you can go to a thousand web sites where these same religious hucksters have whole stores of religious accouterments for which you can spend your money. I opened one site this week just out of curiosity. They boasted over ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THOUSAND items for sale.
God started the church in the Wilderness by bringing the people of Israel out of Egypt (out of sin).
Only a few entered the Promised Land because of unbelief (they wanted to go back to Egypt, back to sin).
From the Promised Land, God drove both Israel and Judah into captivity by the Assyrians and Babylonians respectively.
Under Ezra and Nehemiah along with priests and Levites, they returned and rebuilt Jerusalem.
Jesus Himself, tells us how utterly corrupt the religious leadership was in His day.
Paul tells us that it was the MAJORITY in his time that were making merchandise out of God’s word, corrupting and selling it for a personal profit!
In 70 AD all of Jerusalem including the whole temple system was totally destroyed, but the Church that Jesus built continued on.
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