Speaking the word of God in sincerity
By Ivan Ho 3 June 2024
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.
Many, according to apostle Paul, instead of preaching Christ in sincerity, had been “corrupting” the word of God.
How do people corrupt the word of God? By turning God’s word into a means for self gain, when the people they speak to turn into their customers for profit.
According to Cambridge dictionary, the word “corrupt” means “dishonestly using your position or power to gain an advantage, especially for money“.
Strong’s Definition:
From κάπηλος kapēlos (a huckster); to retail that is (by implication) to adulterate (figuratively): – corrupt.
When Paul talked about corrupting the word of God, he wasn’t referring to people making money by selling bibles or Christian books. At the time of his writing, the New Testament Bible was still being written and the Old Testament scriptures were not widely published and distributed like we do today. So what did Paul mean when he said that many people had been corrupting the word of God?
We need to realise that the word of God was spread mainly by word of mouth during the period of the early church. The apostles and followers of Jesus were living carriers of God’s words that they had received, and they were urged to faithfully speak the word in sincerity, that is to speak the pure word of God without corruption or mixtures.