Quick Definition
gain, advantage
Strong's Definition
gain (pecuniary or genitive case)
Derivation: of uncertain affinity;
KJV Usage: gain, lucre
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
κέρδος, κερδεος (κέρδους), τό, gain, advantage: Php_1:21 (with which cf. Aelian v. h. 4, 7 τοῖς κακοῖς οὐδέ τό ἀποθανεῖν κέρδος); Tit_1:11; plural Php_3:7. (From Homer down.)
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
κέρδος kerdos 3x
gain, profit, Php_1:21 ; Php_3:7 ; Tit_1:11
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
** κέρδος , -εος (-ους ), τό ,
[in Aq .: Eze_27:24 ; Sm .: Psa_30:10 , al. ;]
gain: Php_1:21 ; Php_3:7 , Tit_1:11 .†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
κέρδος [page 341]
An interesting ex. of this word, which in the plur. usually has reference to money, is afforded by P Giss I. 54 .13 (iv/v A.D.) (= Chrest. I. p. 498) σπούδασον οὖν μετὰ τῶν ε̣̈̀[τ ]έρων σου καταλαβεῖν , ἵνα μὴ οἱ ἀπὸ διαδοτῶν λάβοιντο <τὸ > κέρδος̣ ὑμῶν , where the editor (p. 89) suggests that the meaning may be bakshish, a bribe.
Liddell-Scott — Intermediate Greek Lexicon
κέρδος κέρδος, εος, "gain, profit, advantage", Lat. lucrum, Od. ; ποιεῖσθαί τι ἐν κέρδει, Horace's "lucro apponere", Hdt. ; so, κέρδος ἡγεῖσθαι or νομίζειν τι Eur. , Thuc. "desire of gain, love of gain", Find., Trag. in pl. "cunning arts, wiles, tricks", Hom.
STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon
κέρδος, -εος (-ους), τό
[in Aq.: Eze.27:24; Sm.: Psa.30:10, al. ;]
gain: Php.1:21 3:7, Tit.1:11.†
(AS)
📖 In-Depth Word Study
Gain (noun) (2771) kerdos
Gain (2771) (kerdos) refers to a gain, an advantage, a profit. Kerdos is that which is gained or earned, especially the difference between an initial outlay and the subsequent amount earned.
In this verse the KJV translates it as "lucre" which is "filthy".
Kerdos is found 3 times in the Bible...
Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (note)
Philippians 3:7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. (note) (Comment: Kerdos describes what is in the profit column; zemia (“loss, disadvantage”) what is in the loss column)
The NLT picks up the tenor translating it as
Such teachers only want your money
The whole motivation for their actions is financial profit. Teachers only after the saint's money is a distinct mark of false teachers for they love money and "suppose that godliness is a means of gain" (1Ti 6:5, cf 1Ti 3:3, 8) When one looks on his teaching simply as a career designed for personal advancement and profit, he is in a perilous condition.