Debate: Is Selling Licenses to Bible Translations a Sin?

Conley Owens takes the affirmative position, and Jonathan Melin takes the negative in this debate hosted by #doreancon 2025 on "The Stewardship of Scripture" at Silicon Valley Reformed Baptist Church in Sunnyvale, CA."For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ" (2 Corinthians 2:17).The best way to translate καπηλεύοντες in the phrase “peddlers of God’s Word” is with a word that carries the primary meaning of commercial action and intent, such as “retailers,” or “merchants,” or simply “sellers.” Paul is contrasting his own free ministry with the commercialized ministry of false teachers, and using this distinction to show God’s seal of authenticity on him as a true servant of Christ. For more on this, see "2 Corinthians 2:17: Commercializing the Word of God".

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