2 Corinthians 2:17

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

For we are not like so many others, hucksters who peddle the word of God for profit, but we are speaking in Christ before God as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Οὐ γάρ ἐσμεν ὡς οἱ πολλοὶ, καπηλεύοντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ: ἀλλʼ ὡς ἐξ εἰλικρινείας, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἐκ Θεοῦ κατενώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐν Χριστῷ λαλοῦμεν.

Transliteration

Not gar we esmen as the many, kapēleuontes the logon of the Theou: all' as from eilikrineias, all' as from Theou katenōpion of the Theou, in Christō we laloumen.

Grammar Details

• *gar*: postpositive conjunction - for/because
• *esmen*: present active indicative, 1st person plural - we are
• *kapēleuontes*: present active participle, masculine nominative plural - peddling/corrupting for profit
• *logon*: accusative masculine singular - word
• *Theou*: genitive masculine singular - of God
• *all'*: adversative conjunction - but
• *eilikrineias*: genitive feminine singular - sincerity
• *katenōpion*: preposition - before/in the presence of
• *Christō*: dative masculine singular - Christ
• *laloumen*: present active indicative, 1st person plural - we speak

Word Meanings

• *kapēleuontes*: peddling/corrupting for profit/adulterating
• *logon*: word/message/account
• *eilikrineias*: sincerity/genuineness/purity
• *katenōpion*: before/in the presence of/in the sight of
• *laloumen*: speak/talk/tell

Referenced Verses

• 2 Cor 4:2 : 2 But we have rejected shameful hidden deeds, not behaving with deceptiveness or distorting the word of God, but by open proclamation of the truth we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience before God.
• 2 Cor 1:12 : 12 Paul Defends His Changed Plans For our reason for confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that with pure motives and sincerity which are from God– not by human wisdom but by the grace of God– we conducted ourselves in the world, and all the more toward you.
• 2 Cor 11:13-15 : 13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will correspond to their actions.
• 1 Tim 1:19-20 : 19 To do this you must hold firmly to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck in regard to the faith. 20 Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.
• 1 Tim 4:1-3 : 1 Timothy’s Ministry in the Later Times Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the later times some will desert the faith and occupy themselves with deceiving spirits and demonic teachings, 2 influenced by the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared. 3 They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
• 2 Tim 2:6-9 : 6 The farmer who works hard ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think about what I am saying and the Lord will give you understanding of all this. 8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David; such is my gospel, 9 for which I suffer hardship to the point of imprisonment as a criminal, but God’s message is not imprisoned! 10 So I endure all things for the sake of those chosen by God, that they too may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus and its eternal glory. 11 This saying is trustworthy: If we died with him, we will also live with him. 12 If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we deny him, he will also deny us. 13 If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, since he cannot deny himself. 14 Dealing with False Teachers Remind people of these things and solemnly charge them before the Lord not to wrangle over words. This is of no benefit; it just brings ruin on those who listen. 15 Make every effort to present yourself before God as a proven worker who does not need to be ashamed, teaching the message of truth accurately. 16 But avoid profane chatter, because those occupied with it will stray further and further into ungodliness, 17 and their message will spread its infection like gangrene. Hymenaeus and Philetus are in this group. 18 They have strayed from the truth by saying that the resurrection has already occurred, and they are undermining some people’s faith.
• 2 Tim 4:3-4 : 3 For there will be a time when people will not tolerate sound teaching. Instead, following their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves, because they have an insatiable curiosity to hear new things. 4 And they will turn away from hearing the truth, but on the other hand they will turn aside to myths.
• Titus 1:11 : 11 who must be silenced because they mislead whole families by teaching for dishonest gain what ought not to be taught.
• Heb 11:27 : 27 By faith he left Egypt without fearing the king’s anger, for he persevered as though he could see the one who is invisible.
• 2 Pet 2:1-3 : 1 The False Teachers’ Ungodly Lifestyle But false prophets arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. These false teachers will infiltrate your midst with destructive heresies, even to the point of denying the Master who bought them. As a result, they will bring swift destruction on themselves. 2 And many will follow their debauched lifestyles. Because of these false teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. Their condemnation pronounced long ago is not sitting idly by; their destruction is not asleep.
• Jer 5:31 : 31 The prophets prophesy lies. The priests exercise power by their own authority. And my people love to have it this way. But they will not be able to help you when the time of judgment comes!
• Jer 23:27-32 : 27 How long will they go on plotting to make my people forget who I am through the dreams they tell one another? That is just as bad as what their ancestors did when they forgot who I am by worshiping the god Baal. 28 Let the prophet who has had a dream go ahead and tell his dream. Let the person who has received my message report that message faithfully. What is like straw cannot compare to what is like grain! I, the LORD, affirm it! 29 My message is like a fire that purges dross! It is like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces! I, the LORD, so affirm it! 30 So I, the LORD, affirm that I am opposed to those prophets who steal messages from one another that they claim are from me. 31 I, the LORD, affirm that I am opposed to those prophets who are using their own tongues to declare,‘The LORD declares….’ 32 I, the LORD, affirm that I am opposed to those prophets who dream up lies and report them. They are misleading my people with their reckless lies. I did not send them. I did not commission them. They are not helping these people at all. I, the LORD, affirm it!”
• Matt 24:24 : 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
• Acts 20:20 : 20 You know that I did not hold back from proclaiming to you anything that would be helpful, and from teaching you publicly and from house to house,
• Acts 20:27 : 27 For I did not hold back from announcing to you the whole purpose of God.
• 1 Cor 5:8 : 8 So then, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of vice and evil, but with the bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.
• 2 John 1:7-9 : 7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, people who do not confess Jesus as Christ coming in the flesh. This person is the deceiver and the antichrist! 8 Watch out, so that you do not lose the things we have worked for, but receive a full reward. 9 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not remain in the teaching of Christ does not have God. The one who remains in this teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house and do not give him any greeting, 11 because the person who gives him a greeting shares in his evil deeds.
• Jude 1:4 : 4 For certain men have secretly slipped in among you– men who long ago were marked out for the condemnation I am about to describe– ungodly men who have turned the grace of our God into a license for evil and who deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
• Rev 2:14-15 : 14 But I have a few things against you: You have some people there who follow the teaching of Balaam, who instructed Balak to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality. 15 In the same way, there are also some among you who follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
• Rev 2:20 : 20 But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and by her teaching deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
• Rev 12:9 : 9 So that huge dragon– the ancient serpent, the one called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world– was thrown down to the earth, and his angels along with him.
• Rev 19:20 : 20 Now the beast was seized, and along with him the false prophet who had performed the signs on his behalf– signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with sulfur.
• 1 John 4:1 : 1 Testing the Spirits Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.