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Read the Bible

King James Version

2 Corinthians 6:3

Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Minister, Christian;   Obedience;   Resignation;   Self-Denial;   Zeal, Religious;   Thompson Chain Reference - Discretion;   Helps-Hindrances;   Leaders;   Ministers;   Offences;   Prudence-Rashness;   Religious;   Tact;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Ministers;   Offence;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Stumbling block;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Corinthians, First and Second, Theology of;   Leadership;   Wealth;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Corinth;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Offense;   Thorn in the Flesh;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Corinthians, Second Epistle to;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Minister Ministry;   Offence;   Temperance ;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Corinthians, Second Epistle to the;   Offence;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
We are not giving anyone an occasion for offense, so that the ministry will not be blamed.
King James Version (1611)
Giuing no offence in any thing, that the ministery be not blamed:
English Standard Version
We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry,
New American Standard Bible
giving no reason for taking offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited,
New Century Version
We do not want anyone to find fault with our work, so nothing we do will be a problem for anyone.
Amplified Bible
we put no obstruction in anyone's path, so that the ministry will not be discredited,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited,
Legacy Standard Bible
giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited,
Berean Standard Bible
We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no one can discredit our ministry.
Contemporary English Version
We don't want anyone to find fault with our work, and so we try hard not to cause problems.
Complete Jewish Bible
We try not to put obstacles in anyone's path, so that no one can find fault with the work we do.
Darby Translation
giving no manner of offence in anything, that the ministry be not blamed;
Easy-to-Read Version
We don't want people to find anything wrong with our work. So we do nothing that will be a problem to others.
Geneva Bible (1587)
We giue no occasion of offence in any thing, that our ministerie shoulde not be reprehended.
George Lamsa Translation
Give no occasion for offence to any one in anything, so that there be no blemish in our ministry:
Good News Translation
We do not want anyone to find fault with our work, so we try not to put obstacles in anyone's way.
Lexham English Bible
We are giving no one an occasion for taking offense in anything, in order that our ministry will not have fault found with it,
Literal Translation
We are not giving a cause of stumbling, in nothing, that the ministry may not be blamed,
American Standard Version
giving no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our ministration be not blamed;
Bible in Basic English
Giving no cause for trouble in anything, so that no one may be able to say anything against our work;
Hebrew Names Version
We give no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our service may not be blamed,
International Standard Version
We do not put an obstacle in anyone's way. Otherwise, fault may be found with our ministry.Romans 14:13; 1 Corinthians 9:12; 10:32;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
Nor in any thing give to any man occasion of stumbling, that no blemish may be upon our ministry;
Murdock Translation
Give ye no occasion of offence to any one in any thing, that there may be no reproach on our ministry.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Let vs geue none occasion of euyll in any thyng, that the ministerie be not blamed:
English Revised Version
giving no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our ministration be not blamed;
World English Bible
We give no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our service may not be blamed,
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed, But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God,
Weymouth's New Testament
We endeavour to give people no cause for stumbling in anything, lest the work we are doing should fall into discredit.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Yyue we to no man ony offencioun, that oure seruyce be not repreued;
Update Bible Version
giving no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our service not be blamed;
Webster's Bible Translation
Giving no offense in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:
New English Translation
We do not give anyone an occasion for taking an offense in anything, so that no fault may be found with our ministry.
New King James Version
We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed.
New Living Translation
We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry.
New Life Bible
We do not want to put anything in the way that would keep people from God. We do not want to be blamed.
New Revised Standard
We are putting no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Giving, no single, occasion of stumbling, in anything, that the ministry be not blamed;
Douay-Rheims Bible
Giving no offence to any man, that our ministry be not blamed.
Revised Standard Version
We put no obstacle in any one's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry,
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Let vs geve no man occasion of evyll that in oure office be founde no faute:
Young's Literal Translation
in nothing giving any cause of offence, that the ministration may be not blamed,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Let vs geue no man occasion of euell, that oure office be not euell spoken of:
Mace New Testament (1729)
as for us, we give no occasion of offence, that our ministry may not be blamed:
Simplified Cowboy Version
We never ride in a way that would cause someone else to doubt who we are. We don't ride in front of anyone or do anything that would make someone question who we were.

Contextual Overview

1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. 2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) 3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: 4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; 6 By pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, 7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; 9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; 10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

2 Corinthians 1:12, 2 Corinthians 8:20, Matthew 17:27, Matthew 18:6, Romans 14:13, 1 Corinthians 8:9-13, 1 Corinthians 9:12, 1 Corinthians 9:22, 1 Corinthians 10:23, 1 Corinthians 10:24, 1 Corinthians 10:32, 1 Corinthians 10:33

Reciprocal: Isaiah 57:14 - take Matthew 15:12 - Knowest Mark 9:42 - offend Acts 19:37 - which Acts 20:18 - after 2 Corinthians 7:2 - we have wronged Ephesians 4:12 - the work Philippians 1:10 - without Philippians 2:4 - General 1 Thessalonians 1:5 - what 1 Thessalonians 2:10 - how 1 Thessalonians 5:22 - General 1 Timothy 3:7 - lest 1 Timothy 4:10 - therefore 2 Timothy 2:15 - a workman

Cross-References

Genesis 6:1
And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
Genesis 6:13
And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Genesis 6:14
Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
Genesis 6:15
And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
Genesis 6:16
A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.
Genesis 6:18
But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee.
Genesis 6:20
Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.
Numbers 11:17
And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.
Nehemiah 9:30
Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands.
Psalms 78:39
For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Giving no offence in anything,.... These words are in connection with 2 Corinthians 6:1 and to be considered either as a continuation of the exhortation to others, that they would take care to give no offence to any; or rather as an account the apostle gives of himself, and other ministers, by way of example; and is as if he had said, I Paul, Timotheus, Silvanus, and other ministers of the word, take all possible care to lay no stumblingblock in the way of the hearers of the Gospel; to give no offence to them that are without, or to them that are within, to Jew or Gentile, or to the church of God, neither by word nor writing, by doctrine or conversation, or in any way whatever: that the ministry be not blamed; the ministry of the word of reconciliation, which they had received of the Lord Jesus. The apostle knew there were persons enow who were waiting all opportunities, and taking all advantages to vilify and reproach the ministry of the Gospel, and so hinder its progress and spread; and that if that was once brought into contempt by the disagreeable conduct of the preachers of it, there would be but little hope of success from it. Some copies read, "our ministry"; and so the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions; the Ethiopic version reads, "your ministry".

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Giving no offence in anything - We the ministers of God, 2 Corinthians 6:1. The word rendered “offence” means, properly, stumbling; then offence, or cause of offence, a falling into sin. The meaning here is, “giving no occasion for contemning or rejecting the gospel;” and the idea of Paul is, that he and his fellow-apostles so labored as that no one who saw or knew them, should have occasion to reproach the ministry, or the religion which they preached; but so that in their pure and self-denying lives, the strongest argument should be seen for embracing it; compare Matthew 10:16; 1Co 8:13; 1 Corinthians 10:32-33. See the Philippians 2:15 note; 1 Thessalonians 2:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:22 notes. How they conducted so as to give no offence he states in the following verses.

That the ministry be not blamed - The phrase, “the ministry,” refers here not merely to the ministry of Paul, that is, it does not mean merely that he would be subject to blame and reproach, but that the ministry itself which the Lord Jesus had established would be blamed, or would be reproached by the improper conduct of anyone who was engaged in that work. The idea is, that the misconduct of one minister of the gospel would bring a reproach upon the profession itself, and would prevent the usefulness and success of others, just as the misconduct of a physician exposes the whole profession to reproach, or the bad conduct of a lawyer reflects itself in some degree on the entire profession. And it is so everywhere. The errors, follies, misconduct, or bad example of one minister of the gospel brings a reproach upon the sacred calling itself, and prevents the usefulness of many others. Ministers do not stand alone. And though no one can be responsible for the errors and failings of others, yet no one can avoid suffering in regard to his usefulness by the sins of others. Not only, therefore, from a regard to his personal usefulness should every minister be circumspect in his walk, but from respect to the usefulness of all others who sustain the office of the ministry, and from respect to the success of religion all over the world. Paul made it one of the principles of his conduct so to act that no man should have cause to speak reproachfully of the ministry on his account. In order to this, he felt; it to be necessary not only to claim and assert honor for the ministry, but to lead such a life as should deserve the respect of people. If a man wishes to secure respect for his calling, it must be by living in the manner which that calling demands, and then respect and honor will follow as a matter of course; see Calvin.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Corinthians 6:3. Giving no offence — The word προσκοπη, read προσκομμα, Romans 14:13, signifies a stumbling block in general, or any thing over which a man stumbles or falls; and here means any transgression or scandal that might take place among the ministers, or the Christians themselves, whereby either Jews or Gentiles might take occasion of offence, and vilify the Gospel of Christ.


 
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