For our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in deception.
was not of deceit: Having just stated the divine origin of the gospel, Paul now denies any human motive or source. "The preaching was not from error; the preachers were not wrong (how could the gospel ’of God’ be a mistake?)" (Morris 52). Vincent agrees: "Our exhortation did not proceed from any false teaching which we had ourselves received" ( 22). Fields says the word "deceit" "refers to error that is not merely the result of ignorance, but of evil intentions" (54). The modern mind credits every preacher, no matter how outlandish his claims, with being sincere. Paul reminds us there are insincere preachers who consciously practice deceit.