Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Corinthians 2:17

"For we are not as the many, corrupting the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, speak we in Christ." — 2 Corinthians 2:17 (ASV)

For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God.—More accurately, We are not as most, as the greater number. There is a ring of sadness in the words. Even then the ways of error were many, and the way of truth was one. Among Judaizers, seekers of Greek wisdom, promoters of license as liberty, and questioners of the resurrection, how few were those who preached the true word of God in its purity! The word for “corrupt,” formed from a word meaning “huckster” or “tavern-keeper,” implies an adulteration like that which such people commonly practiced.

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. Compare St. Peter’s use of the same figure in the sincere (the unadulterated) milk of the reason (1 Peter 2:2). It is doubtful whether the imagery of the triumph is still present to his thoughts. If it were, we may think of the word “corrupt” as connected with the thought of the sweet savor: “Our incense, at any rate, is pure. If it brings death it is through no fault of ours. It is not a poisoned perfume.”

As of sincerity, but as of God.—The two clauses are half connected, half contrasted. To have said “of sincerity” alone would have been giving too much prominence to what was purely subjective. He could not feel sure that he was sincere unless he knew that his sincerity was given to him by God. (For the word “sincerity,” see Note on 2 Corinthians 1:12.)