Commentaries:
Simplicity means single, without ulterior motive, pure, sincere, and unambiguous. Vincent's Word Studies (vol. 3, p. 346), defines it as "single-hearted loyalty." It is the opposite of deceit, guile, error, and wandering.
Some things in God's Word are difficult to understand (II Peter 3:16), but the Bible nowhere tries to produce doubt, confusion, or division by any means (I Timothy 6:3-5; II Timothy 2:14). Even Balaam knew that "God is not a man, that He should lie" (Numbers 23:19)! Jesus says, "[God's] word is truth" (John 17:17). The doctrines of God follow a logical and true sequence, locking together like a picture puzzle to comprise the true gospel.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Damnable Heresies
Paul, in his letter to the Corinthian church (written before AD 60), warns about those who preached "another Jesus," received "another spirit," and accepted "another gospel."
The Jesus these false ministers preached about, the spirit they proffered, the "gospel" which they taught, were all spurious—totally foreign to the apostle Paul and the other true apostles of Christ! Paul, therefore, gave this solemn warning to the Corinthian brethren (and to us today):
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. (II Corinthians 11:13-15)
What Is the True Gospel?
Paul had to deal with the Corinthian congregation because they had fallen under the sway of false apostles (see II Corinthians 11:13). These false ministers had convinced many of the brethren that they knew more and better than the apostle through whom they had heard, believed, learned, and been converted to the gospel. They were in the process of throwing aside what they had learned from Paul in favor of what they were hearing from these new "apostles."
John W. Ritenbaugh
Damnable Heresies
Other commentary entries containing this verse:
Romans 3:10-18
Galatians 3:1
Library resources that contain this verse:
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