New Living Translation
2 Corinthians 11:3
3But 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.
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.
- New International Version (NIV)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.
- 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.
Context of 2 Corinthians 11:3
1I hope you will put up with a little more of my foolishness. Please bear with me. 2For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one husband—Christ. 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. 4You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed. 5But I don’t consider myself inferior in any way to these “super apostles” who teach such things.
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 without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?
- 2 Corinthians 12:20For I am afraid that when I come I won’t like what I find, and you won’t like my response. I am afraid that I will find quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly behavior.
- Psalms 119:53I become furious with the wicked, because they reject your instructions.
- Galatians 1:6I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News
- Galatians 3:1Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross.
- Galatians 4:11I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing.
- Philippians 3:18For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ.
- Genesis 3:4“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman.
- John 8:44For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.
- 1 Timothy 2:14And it was not Adam who was deceived by Satan. The woman was deceived, and sin was the result.
- Revelation 12:9This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.
- Revelation 20:2He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years.
- 2 Corinthians 11:13These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ.
- 2 Corinthians 2:17You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us.
- 2 Corinthians 4:2We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.
- Matthew 24:24For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.
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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries