A huckster or a merchant?

From a word study of "CORRUPT" in 2nd Cor. 2:17 (KJV) here is the definition and some (not meant to be an exhaustive list) passages which should suffice is showing that if the purpose for preaching is for personal gain, you are, by God's definition, a false teacher........a 'peddler' of the gospel, treating it as a mere commodity for self-gain. If however, you are a 'merchant' of the gospel, you value your product, and promote it for the great good/benefit it can do for others. 

‘Corrupt’ - definitions as follows:

"to be a retailer, to peddle"; to make money by selling anything;

 to get sordid gain by dealing in anything, to do a thing for base gain;

to trade in the word of God;

to try to get base gain by teaching divine truth;

to corrupt, to adulterate;

"Peddlers" were in the habit of adulterating their commodities for the sake of gain...

2 Cor. 2:17 – "For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ."

Motivations for preaching CAN be EVIL and cover a wide range as seen from Phil. 1:15-18, "Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice." This is why all of us need to compare the preaching we hear to see if any contexts were perverted, which will result in believing a lie.

Other relevant passages on 'corrupting.......i.e. "peddling" the gospel:

Titus 1:11 – They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.

Titus 2:7 – In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine [shewing] uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,

2 Peter 2:3 – And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

2 Peter 2:14-15 – They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing,

Jude 1:11 - Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam's error and perished in Korah's rebellion. These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.

Ezek. 13:19 – You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, putting to death souls who should not die and keeping alive souls who should not live, by your lying to my people, who listen to lies.

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