to give (used in a very wide application · verb — present active participle, nominative plural masculine
no
μηδεμίανmēdemian
G3367
not even one (man · adjective — accusative singular feminine
offence
προσκοπήν,proskopēn
G4349
a stumbling · noun — accusative singular feminine
in
ἐνen
G1722
"in · preposition
thing
μηδενὶmēdeni
G3367
not even one (man · adjective — dative singular masculine
that
ἵναina
G2443
compare G3588 (ὁ)) · conjunction
ministry
διακονία,diakonia
G1248
attendance (as a servant · noun — nominative singular feminine
be
μωμηθῇmōmēthēa
G3469
to carp at · verb — aorist passive subjunctive, 3rd person singular
not
μὴmē
G3361
(adverb) not · particle — negative
blamed
μωμάομαιmōmáomai
G3469
to carp at
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Romans 14:13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his broth…
1 Corinthians 9:12 If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we s…
Matthew 17:27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou…
Matthew 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and…
1 Corinthians 9:22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
1 Corinthians 10:32-33 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:
1 Corinthians 8:9-13 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
1 Corinthians 10:23-24 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on 2 Corinthians 6:1-10
In these verses we have an account of the apostle's general errand and exhortation to all to whom he preached in every place where he came, with the several arguments and methods he used. Observe,
I. The errand or exhortation itself, namely, to comply with the gospel offers of reconciliation - that, being favoured with the gospel, they would not receive this grace of God in vain, Co2 6:1. The gospel is a word of grace sounding in our ears; but it will be in vain for us to hear it, unless we believe it, and comply with the end and design of it. And as it is the duty of the ministers of the gospel to exhort and persuade their hearers to accept of grace and mercy which are offered to them, so t…
Resuming the connection with Co2 6:1, interrupted by the parenthetical Co2 6:2. "Giving no offense" (compare Co1 10:33), "approving ourselves," and all the other participles down to Co2 6:10, are nominatives to "we also entreat you" (Co2 6:1), to show the pains he took to enforce his exhortation by example, as well as precept [ALFORD]. "Offense" would be given, if we were without "patience" and the other qualifications which he therefore subjoins (compare Rom 14:13).
Adam Clarke on 2 Corinthians 6:3
Giving no offense - The word προσκοπη, read προσκομμα, Rom 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 offense, and vilify the Gospel of Christ.
John Gill on 2 Corinthians 6:3
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 mini…
The Church Fathers
By his faith and vigilance, Paul is cutting away everything which might cause the negligent to stumble, out of fear that their sluggishness might present his disciples with a cause for stumbling. Fault would have been found with their ministry if they did not exemplify in their deeds the things they were teaching.
"Giving no occasion of stumbling, that our ministration be not blamed." Persuading them not from considering "the time" only, but also those that had successfully labored with them. And behold with what absence of pride. For he said not, 'Look at us how we are such and such,' but, for the present, it is only to do away accusation that he relates his own conduct. And he mentions two chief points of a blameless life, "none" in "any" thing. And he said not 'accusation,' but, what was far less, "occasion of stumbling;" that is, giving ground against us to none for censure, for condemnation, "that our ministration be not blamed;" that is, that none may take hold of it. And again, he said not, 'that it be not accused,' but that it may not have the least fault, nor any one have it in his power to animadvert upon it in any particular.
For those who strive after perfection, according to the same apostle, must "give no offence in anything, but in everything approve themselves not to men, but to God." And, as a consequence, also they ought to yield to men; for it is reasonable, on account of abusive calumnies: Here is the specification: "in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings, in pureness, in knowledge, in long-suffering, in kindness, in the Holy Ghost, in love unfeigned, in the word of truth, in the power of God," that we may be the temples of God, purified "from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit." "And I," He says, "will receive you; and I will be to you for a Father, and ye shall be to Me for sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." "Let us then," he says, "perfect holiness in the fear of God."
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Ministers · Should avoid giving unnecessary offence — Should avoid giving unnecessary offence
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
2 Corinthians 6:1-10
1. We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
1. Nos vero adiuvantes (vel, collaborantes) [569] etiam obsecramus, ne frustra gratiam Dei receperitis.
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.)
2. Dicit enim (Ies. 49, 8) Tempore accepto exaudivi te, et in die salutis auxiliatus sum tibi: ecce, nunc tempus acceptum: ecce, nunc dies salutis.
3. Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:
3. Nullum dantes [570] ulla in re offensionem, ut ne vituperetur min…
Paul gives a revealing picture of the hardships of his ministry (cp. 4:7-18). Nine trials are listed; many of these experiences from Paul’s life are recorded in Acts (e.g., Acts 14:5-6, 19-20; 16:19-24; 21:30-36). Through their steadfast suffering for the Good News, Paul and Timothy (2 Cor 1:1) showed that they were true ministers of God.
