KJV Onlyists often spins out memes and various short posters to spread their disinformation, conspiracy theories, half truths and lies in the internet more particularly in social media and being an active internet user I often come across them.
The particular text in dispute here is 2 Corinthians 2:17 wherein it is alleged that the NKJV “Hides Bible Corruption.” Here’s the meme and below is my response to it.
The meme should be entitled “KJV ONLYISTS HIDES AND CORRUPTS THE REAL TRUTH AND SPINS CONSPIRACY THEORY INSTEAD THAT MODERN TRANSLATION CORRUPTS SCRIPTURES” 🤣🤣🤣
On the contrary, the KJV did not actually fully capture what the underlying Greek text is actually saying.
The Greek word translated by the KJV as “corrupt” is actually the word “kapēleuontes” which in reality is best translated as “peddle for profit.” Ronald Trail in the SIL Exegetical commentary writes how the translations translate such word, “pres. act. participle of καπηλεύω (LN 57.202) (BAGD p. 403): ‘to peddle for profit’ [LN; NIV], ‘to peddle’ [NTC], ‘to huckster’ [AB, LN], ‘to engage in petty trading’ [ICC2], ‘to trade on’ [NAB], ‘to get rich from’ [CEV], ‘to haggle’ [Lns], ‘to handle as cheap merchandise’ [TEV], ‘to traffic in trivial things’ [TNT], ‘to adulterate’ [WBC; NJB], ‘to adulterate for profit’ [REB], ‘to corrupt’ [KJV]. This participle is also translated as a noun: ‘peddlers’ [NRSV], or a noun clause: ‘hucksters who preach just to make money’ [NLT]. This word had a generally negative connotation [HNTC, ICC1, ICC2, NIC1, NIC2, NTC, TNTC, WBC].”
The word used by the KJV just does not aptly captured what the Greek is trying to convey as David E. Garland writes in the New American Commentary “the word translated “peddle” (kapēleuō) by the NIV does not mean “to corrupt,” “to water down,” “to falsify,” or as the REB renders it: “We are not adulterating the word of God for profit as so many do.”267 Hafemann’s reexamination of the primary evidence shows that Paul refers to “selling the Word of God as a retail dealer sells his wares in the market.”268 Paul avows that he does not treat his apostolic calling as a trade, and his refusal to accept material gain from his preaching the gospel was well known to the Corinthians and a sore spot with them (1 Cor 9:3–18; 2 Cor 11:7–11). He was not simply in “the business of preaching … without any ultimate concern.”269 His ministry has ultimate significance both for himself and the world. He does not “market” the gospel with an eye for the bottom line. To survive in the marketplace the peddler must adapt to the market either by making sure that he has what people want to buy or by tricking them into thinking that they want to buy what the peddler has to sell.”
Shouldn’t we be on the look out for those who spin conspiracy about corruption made by modern translation today when in reality it is merely just caused by manuscript variants and choice of words base on which closely reflects the original language in the underlying manuscripts made by the translators of each respective translation ? 🤣🤣
There are no manuscript variants here and this is a perfect example of how the KJV although not totally wrong in its translation, is somehow off in rendering the word. That is why even the KJV translators admit that translations are not infallible and have imperfections and blemishes. This actually is a classic example of an interpretative challenge because of linguistic and cultural gaps.
While it is true that certain words may be translated many ways from the source language to the target language, certain words just do not completely convey what the original word is trying to say.
Again the word in dispute here is “kapēleu/kapēleuontes.” While it could also be translated as “corrupt,” translating it as such just doesn’t do justice to the word considering the following arguments:
1.) The actual word in English “corrupt” taken alone is either “phtheiro” which means “to corrupt” or “kataphtheiro” “to corrupt into destruction” or “diaptheiro” to “corrupt utterly.”
2.) The word ” kapēleu/kapēleuontes.” ” occurs only once in the New Testament. Considering this fact, context is therefore the key in translating this word. To use “corrupt” here would not do any translation any justice as to while it is true that such word may be translated as “corrupt” to render it is as such is to render only its meaning figuratively. What we need is a definition that renders it by implication and using “corrupt” just doesn’t cut it because what Paul is trying to say here is that they are not like others who profit from God’s word for personal gain. So the best translation here is the one by implication not figuratively.
The NT Word Study Dictionary states that “kapēleu” is derived from kápēlos which in turn may lso be derived from kápē (n.f.), food, nutriment, from káptō (n.f.), to eat; a huckster or petty retail trader, contrasted with émporos (1713), merchant (Matt. 13:45; Rev. 18:3, 11, 15, 23), who sells his wares wholesale. Kápēlos refers especially to the retailer of wine who is exposed to the strong temptation to tamper with it or sell it in short measure in order to make additional profit. Kapēleúō includes dolóō (1389), falsify (2 Cor. 4:2), to adulterate wine with water to make an unworthy personal gain.
3.) Most Bible commentators and scholars are of the opinion that it is best to translate this word as to “peddle” or anything related to the thought of profiting from.
Albert Barnes in his commentary writes “Which corrupt the word of God. Margin, “deal deceitfully with.” The word here used (καπηλευοντες) occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, and does not occur in the Septuagint. The word is derived from καπηλος, which signifies, properly, a huckster, or a retailer of wine; a petty chapman; who buys up articles for the purpose of selling them again. it also means sometimes a vintner, or an innkeeper. The proper idea is that of a small dealer, and especially in wine. Such persons were notorious, as they, are now, for diluting their wines with water, (comp. Sept. in Isa. 1:22;) and for compounding wines of other substances than the juice of the grape, for purposes of gain. Wine, of all substances in trade, perhaps, affords the greatest facilities for such dishonest tricks; and accordingly the dealers in that article have generally been most distinguished for fraudulent practices and corrupt and diluted mixtures, hence the word comes to denote to adulterate, to corrupt, etc. It is here applied to those who adulterated or corrupted the pure word of God in any way, and for any purpose.”
Muray J. Harris in the Expositor’s Bible commentary writes “By the phrase “unlike so many,” Paul may be referring to the numerous wandering teachers and philosophers of the first century (see note on 11:8) who expected or demanded payment for what they claimed was “the word of God,” or (and this is more likely; note the “some people” of 3:1) to the group of his Judaizing opponents at Corinth who converted preaching into a means of personal gain. In contrast, Paul appeals to the sincerity of his motives and the purity of the message.”
The IVP NT background commentary writes “Professional speakers had long been accused of changing truth into error for gain (like a merchant providing impure products to save money). Philosophers had come under the same charge in some circles, because most made their living by their teaching or, in the case of the *Cynics, by public begging. The public often perceived wandering teachers and holy men as charlatans, no doubt because many of them were (in Scripture, cf. Jer 6:13–14; 8:10–11; Micah 3:5, 11). (Critics sometimes declined to name their opponents, thus refusing to grant them even explicit notice, but Paul may have his opponents in mind; cf. 2 Cor 11:4–5, 22.) Thus many philosophers and moralists felt the need to repudiate the charge, as Paul does here.”
David K. Lowery in the Bible Knowledge Commentary makes a similar comment “… Paul said they peddle God’s Word. This word καπηλεύοντες, “to hawk, peddle,” is used only here. Paul may have had in mind Isaiah’s description of Jerusalem’s unscrupulous Israelites who “diluted” their wine with water to increase their profits (Isa. 1:22; cf. Lucian’s description [Hermotimus 59] of similarly unscrupulous philosophers). So too these false apostles adulterated the Word of God for profit. They served themselves, not God whom Paul represented. They were “greedy for money” (1 Peter 5:2), an evidence of their falsehood. But Paul ministered with sincerity”
John Calvin has the same take on how the word is best rendered in light of its context “I do not think it likely, however, that those, who are here reproved, preached openly wicked or false doctrines; but am rather of opinion, that they corrupted the right use of doctrine, for the sake either of gain or of ambition, so as utterly to deprive it of energy. This he terms adulterating. Erasmus prefers to render it — cauponari — huckstering.167 The Greek word καπηλεύειν, is taken from retailers, or tavern-keepers, who are accustomed to adulterate their commodities, that they may fetch a higher price. I do not know whether the word cauponari is used in that sense among the Latins.”
Richarsd L. Pratt Jr. in the Holman Bible Commentary has the same thoughts on the matter “Paul wanted the Corinthians to know that he did not view his ministry as an ordinary job. He did not peddle the word of God for profit. He distinguished himself and those who worked with him from so many others who had reduced their ministries to mere occupations. Unlike the gospel peddlers, Paul and his company spoke before God with sincerity. Paul still lingered on the accusation of insincerity and duplicity he had addressed in the preceding section. He could not have been insincere because he looked upon his ministry so highly. Instead, he served as one sent from God, considering his task a sacred privilege. The fact that he did not accept payment for his preaching further demonstrated his sincerity.”
James, Faussett and brown in their commentary writes “not as many — (2 Corinthians 11:18; Philippians 2:21). Rather, “the many,” namely, the false teachers of whom he treats (tenth through twelfth chapters, especially 2 Corinthians 11:13; 1 Thessalonians 2:3). which corrupt — Greek, “adulterating, as hucksters do wine for gain” (2 Corinthians 4:2; Isaiah 1:22; 2 Peter 2:3, “Make merchandise of you”). as of sincerity . . . as of God — as one speaking from (out of) sincerity, as from (that is, by the command of, and so in dependence on) God. in Christ’s — as united to Him in living membership, and doing His work (compare 2 Corinthians 12:19). The whole Gospel must be delivered such as it is, without concession to men’s corruptions, and without selfish aims, if it is to be blessed with success (Acts 20:27).”
John MacArthur in his commentary explains “Peddling is from the verb kapēleuō; which is derived from the noun kapēlos. A kapēlos was a huckster, a con artist or street hawker who cleverly deceived unwary buyers into purchasing a cheap imitation of the real thing. Paul had in mind especially the false apostles at Corinth, who peddled a corrupt mixture of divine truth and Jewish legalism to the Corinthians.”
Colin G. Kruse in the New Bible Commentary renders the same opinion when he writes “Paul felt this heavy burden of responsibility because unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. He refused to tamper with God’s word (cf. 4:2) and remove its offence so that he could peddle it for personal gain. On the contrary, he spoke with sincerity, conscious of his accountability to God.”
Scott J. Hafemann in the NIV New Testament commentary expresses the same sentiment when he writes “In verse 17, therefore, Paul supports his sufficiency for the ministry by comparing his practice of preaching the gospel free of charge to that of the “many” who accept, even demand, money for their ministry. Unlike them, Paul does not “peddle the word of God for profit.” Though a matter of debate, the fact that Paul contrasts himself negatively to this group, together with the image he uses to do so, indicates that he is not referring to the apostles listed in 1 Corinthians 9:5, or to their counterpart, the “super-apostles” of 2 Corinthians 11:5 and 12:11. In each of these cases, Paul compares himself positively to these other genuine apostles, and nowhere does he call into question their receiving financial support for their ministry (in 1 Cor. 9, Paul explicitly defends their right to do so). In contrast, Paul is referring here to those opponents who have recently arrived in Corinth (i.e., the “false apostles” of 2 Cor. 11:4, 13–15).”
Mark A. Seifrid in the Pillar New Testament Commentary also agrees and writes “All that Paul has said in this section (1:12–2:17), including the thanksgiving he has offered to God, is an assertion of his “simplicity and purity” in his dealings with the Corinthians. He now completes the inclusio begun at 1:12. If he were merely peddling the word of God—the Gospel—others might well be regarded as more sufficient for the task than he (v. 17). True ministry of the Gospel is the exception, not the rule: “For we are not peddling the word of God as many do.” Paul’s reference to “the many,” which may well signify “most” (if not “all”), suggests that while he has hardly forgotten the present situation, he intentionally sets it in a larger context. The apostolic claimants in Corinth are nothing special. They are merely part of a larger group of wandering teachers who peddled the Gospel like wares to be sold.328 Their theology operated according to a business model. In contrast, the work of God, the imparting of life and death, takes place through the apostle.”
The Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible Commentary comments “The qualified man does not “corrupt the word of God.” The word “corrupt” (kapēleuontes) is taken from an old word meaning huckster or peddler. It means to peddle, to adulterate, to whittle down, to contaminate, to tamper with the Word of God. It means to mix other things into the gospel, for example, personal ideas, speculations, the latest religious fads or novel ideas.”
The Pulpit Commentary comments “The word for ‘corrupt,’ formed from a word which signifies ‘huckster,’ or ‘tavern keeper,’ implies an adulteration like that which such people commonly practised. We, says St. Paul, play no such tricks of trade with what we preach; we do not meet the tastes of our hearers by prophesying deceits. The very fact that we know the tremendous issues of our work would hinder that.” God’s gospel word, the message of eternal life in Christ Jesus”
In dealing with the word in the original Greek text A.T Roberton writes in the Robertson’s Word Pictures in NT – “Corrupting (kapēleuontes). Old word from kapēlos, a huckster or peddlar, common in all stages of Greek for huckstering or trading. It is curious how hucksters were suspected of corrupting by putting the best fruit on top of the basket. Note Paul’s solemn view of his relation to God as a preacher (from God ek theou, in the sight of God katenanti theou, in Christ en Christōi).”
Similarly Ronald Trail in dealing with the word in the Original Greek text writes, “That is implied by the word καπηλεύοντες ‘peddling–for–profit’? Merchants were often viewed as cheats who would adulterate their wares for dishonest gain [AB, NIC2]. This word implies both deceptiveness as well as greedy motives [LN], adulterating something for the purpose of improper gain [AB, EBC, EGT, HNTC, Ho, ICC2, NIC1, NIC2, WBC]. It implies that the false teachers were like merchants who would peddle inferior goods for the sake of gain and then leave [Lns]. They were defrauding the Corinthians [2 Cor, p. 96] by selling them a watered–down message [NTC], motivated by personal gain [TG], garbling it for profit [ICC1]. The diluted gospel others preached was not potent enough either to save or to lead to destruction [Provence].”
Marvin R. Vincent also focusing his study on what really the Greek word means writes in his Vincents Word Studies in the NT, “Only here in the New Testament. From κάπηλος a huckster or pedler; also a tavernkeeper. The κάπηλοι formed a distinct class among the Greek dealers, distinguished from the ἐμπόροι merchants or wholesale dealers. So Plato: “Is not retailer (καπήλους) the term which is applied to those who sit in the market-place buying and selling, while those who wander from one city to another are called merchants?” (“Republic,” 371; compare “Statesman,” 260) The term included dealers in victuals and all sorts of wares, but was especially applied to retailers of wine, with whom adulteration and short measure were matters of course. Galen speaks of wine-dealers καπηλεύοντες τοὺς οἴνους playing tricks with their wines; mixing the new, harsh wines, so as to make them pass for old. These not only sold their wares in the market, but had καπηλεῖα wine-shops all over the town, where it was not thought respectable to take refreshments. The whole trade was greatly despised. In Thebes no one who had sold in the market within the last ten years was allowed to take part in the government. So Plato, speaking of the evils of luxury and poverty: “What remedy can a city of sense find against this disease? In the first place, they must have as few retail traders as possible” (“Laws,” 919. The whole passage is well worth reading). The moral application of the term was familiar in classical Greek. Lucian says: “The philosophers deal out their instructions like hucksters.” Plato: “Those who carry about the wares of knowledge, and make the round of the cities, and sell or retail them to any customer who is in want of them, praise them all alike; though I should not wonder if many of them were really ignorant of their effect upon the soul; and their customers equally ignorant, unless he who buys of them happens to be a physician of the soul” (“Protagoras,” 313). Paul here uses the term of those who trade in the word of God, adulterating it for the purpose of gain or popularity. Compare 1 Timothy 6:5, Rev. In the “Teaching of the Twelve Apostles” occurs the word χριστέμπορος a Christ-monger (ch. 12:5).”
Colin Kruse in the Tyndale commentary makes the same observation, “The verb used in the statement we are not … peddlers [Vol 8: 2 Co, p. 88] is kapēleuō, whose literal meaning was ‘to trade in’ or ‘to peddle’. Because of the tricks of petty traders, who would adulterate their wine with water or use false weights, the word came to have negative connotations. Paul’s meaning here then is that he felt the burden of responsibility of gospel preaching so greatly because he refused to tamper with God’s word (cf. 4:2) and remove its offence so that like others he might peddle it for personal gain.”
James M. Scott in the UTB commentary similarly comments, “Paul denies that he has any concern for personal profit from the divine revelation that he mediates. This is in contrast to Paul’s opponents, to whom he refers as so many (hoi polloi). If 2 Corinthians can be seen as a unity, as the repetition of 2:17 in 12:19 supports, then we can assume that the apostle is referring here to the same opponents as in chapters 10–13. Unlike the opponents who have come into the Corinthian church from the outside, Paul does not peddle the word of God. These “false apostles” have preached a different gospel (11:4) and have exploited the church (11:20). Paul, on the other hand, refuses financial support from the Corinthians, insisting instead on preaching the gospel free of charge (11:7–11; 12:14–18). The apostle does not want to be open to the charge of extortion, against which Moses himself had to defend himself during Korah’s rebellion (cf. Num. 16:3, 15).”
Moyer Hubbard in the Zondervan Illustrated Bible backgrounds commentary bridges the cultural gap and makes the following comments on the text “Preaching the gospel for mere financial gain has been a problem from the earliest days of the Christian movement. Already by the time of the Didache (ca. A.D. 80-150) Christian communities were exhorted to judge itinerant Christian teachers with reference to their desire for monetary gain: “And when the apostle leaves, he is to take nothing except bread until he finds his next night’s lodging. But if he asks for money he is a false prophet.”27 Paul may have in mind the intruders addressed in chapters 10-13, or he may be referring more generally to that familiar brand of itinerant philosopher who would peddle his teaching for a hefty profit. The Greek verb Paul uses for “peddle for profit” (kapēleuō) was regularly used as an indictment against the Sophists, the popular rhetoricians of Paul’s day. As early as Socrates we find the Sophists described as those who “take their doctrines the round of our cities, hawking them about (kapēleuō) to any odd purchaser.”28 Philo, Paul’s contemporary in Alexandria, makes a similar disparaging assessment of the Sophists: “And the wisdom must not be that of the systems hatched by the word-catchers and Sophists who sell their tenets and arguments like any bit of merchandise in the market.”29 Dio Chrysostom describes this lot as those who come “in the guise of philosophers,” yet whose pretentious oratory was displayed solely “with a view to their own profit and reputation.”30 But the charge of avarice was leveled against a variety of schools of philosophy whose practitioners earned their livelihood from attracting a crowd and then gaining a following.”
Ralph P. Martin in the Word Biblical NT commentary sheds light on this matter as follows, “ὡς οἱ πολλοὶ καπηλεύοντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ, “adulterating God’s message as our many [opponents] do.” It is clear how he viewed their pretentious claims. They are no better than “hucksters (who) adulterate . . . they act for profit.”60 The verb combines two meanings: (1) to dilute as wine may be “watered down,”61 and (2) to make a profit by selling shoddy goods.62 The verb is a hapax legomenon in the NT and found [vol. 40, p. 190] only twice in LXX (cf. Isa 1:22 for an interesting allusion to mixing water with wine). Plato63 uses the verb to describe pseudo-sophists and to mock philosophers in his day (“the sophist is a merchant or retailer [κάπηλος] in knowledge”), and Philostratus64 has the verb σοφίαν καπηλεύειν, “to hawk wisdom around.” Hafemann65 criticizes the rendering “adulterate,” arguing for the rather cumbersome idea of “selling the Word of God as a retail dealer sells his wares in the market”;66 yet he grants that the notion of “watering down” God’s message is implied in 4:2. His reference to Paul’s refusal to earn his living off the gospel in 1 Cor 9 is well taken though.”
Paul Bernette in the New International Commentary on the New Testment comments, “Paul achieves this contrast by a two-part sentence that begins, “We are not as46 the many,47 peddling the word of God,”48 whereas the second part reads, “but as men of sincerity, indeed as from God, before God, in Christ we speak.”49 Unlike them he does not “peddle the word of God”; rather, he “speak[s the word of God] with sincerity.” How is Paul able confidently to attribute such negative motives to these men, while expecting his own claim “of sincerity”50 to be accepted? It appears that he is appealing to the known fact that these men have received some material benefit from the Corinthians (cf. 11:20), whereas Paul deliberately refused payment from them (11:7–12; 12:13–16). It is sufficient to apply the verb “peddle”51 to them a pejorative word implying adulterating a product for improper gains and “sincerity” to himself to signal that the whole subject of financial benefit is being raised, even though the Corinthians may not accept his view of things (4:2; 7:2; 12:17–18).”
In conclusion the KJV may not be totally wrong in translating it as “corrupt,” but considering the above arguments, it is not the best translation and not the nearest one to what the word in the original Greek is trying to convey. Most modern translation however captured the essence of such word by translating it as to “peddle” or anything related to the thought of profiting from.
Hi ! my name is Zigfred Diaz. Thanks for visiting my personal blog ! Never miss a post from this blog. Subscribe to my full feeds for free. Click here to subscribe to zdiaz.com by Email
You may also want to visit my other blogs. Click here to learn more about great travel ideas.
Leave a Reply