New International Version
2 Corinthians 11:3
3But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
- New Living Translation (NLT)But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent.
Context of 2 Corinthians 11:3
1I hope you will put up with me in a little foolishness. Yes, please put up with me! 2I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. 5I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.”
Read all of 2 Corinthians 112 Corinthians 11:3 word by word
φοβοῦμαι δὲ μή πως ὡς ὁ ὄφις ἐξηπάτησεν Εὕαν ἐν τῇ πανουργίᾳ αὐτοῦ, φθαρῇ τὰ νοήματα ὑμῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ἁπλότητος καὶ τῆς ἁγνότητος τῆς εἰς τὸν Χριστόν.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Butδέde · thenG1161
- I fearφοβέωphobeō · to fearG5399
- lest by any meansμήπωςmēpōs mē pōs · so thatG3381
- asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
- the serpentὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the serpentὄφιςophis · snakeG3789
- beguiledἐξαπατάωexapataō · to deceiveG1818
- EveΕὖαEua · EveG2096
- throughἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- subtiltyπανουργίαpanourgia · craftinessG3834
- soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
- yourσύsu · youG4771
- mindsνόημαnoēma · mind/thoughtG3540
- should be corruptedφθείρωphtheirō · to destroyG5351
- fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
- the simplicityἁπλότηςhaplotēs · opennessG572
- inεἰςeis · towardG1519
- ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 11:3
- 2 Corinthians 11:29Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?
- 2 Corinthians 12:20For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.
- Psalms 119:53Indignation grips me because of the wicked, who have forsaken your law.
- Galatians 1:6I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—
- Galatians 3:1You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.
- Galatians 4:11I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.
- Philippians 3:18For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
- Genesis 3:4“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.
- John 8:44You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
- 1 Timothy 2:14And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.
- Revelation 12:9The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
- Revelation 20:2He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
- 2 Corinthians 11:13For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
- 2 Corinthians 2:17Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.
- 2 Corinthians 4:2Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.
- Matthew 24:24For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 11:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3As the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty - This is a strong reflection on the false apostle and his teaching: he was subtle, and by his subtlety (, from , all, and , work; his versatility of character and conduct, his capability of doing all work, and accommodating himself to the caprices, prejudices, and evil propensities of those to whom he ministered) he was enabled to corrupt the minds of the people from the simplicity of the Gospel of Christ…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3But I fear - Paul had just compared the church to a virgin, soon to be presented as a bride to the Redeemer. The mention of this seems to have suggested to him the fact that the first woman was deceived and led astray by the tempter, and that the same thing might occur in regard to the church which he was so desirous should be preserved pure. The grounds of his fear were: (1)That Satan had seduced the first woman, thus demonstrating that the most holy…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3The false teachers were leading the Corinthian believers away from pure devotion to Christ. They were doing Satan's work, like the serpent did in Eden (11:14; see Genesis 3:4, 13).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. I fear--(2Co 12:20); not inconsistent with love. His source of fear was their yielding character. subtilty--the utter foe of the "simplicity" which is intent on ONE object, Jesus, and seeks none "other," and no "other" and different Spirit (2Co 11:4); but loves him with tender SINGLENESS OF AFFECTION. Where Eve first gave way, was in mentally harboring for a moment the possibility insinuated by the serpent, of God not having her truest interests at…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Corinthians 11:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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