The Meanings Of Many

Οὐ γὰρ ἐσμεν, ὡς οἱ πολλοὶ, καπηλεύοντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Οὐ προσεκτέον τοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν ἑτεροδόχων λεγουσι ὅτι οἱ ἀπόστολοι ἐν Χριστῷ διδάσκοντες κατεναντίον τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἑτέρου παρὰ τὸν Πατέρα τοῦ Σωτῆρας τουτέστιν, Ἐναντία αὐτῷ φθεγγόμεθα. Πολλοὺς δὲ λέγει τοὺς ἀπαντῶτας διὰ τὸ χυδαῖον· καὶ γὰρ αὐτῇ ἡ φωνὴ, λέγω δε οἱ πολλοὶ, ὀμώνυνος οὖσα, σημαίνει πλείονα· λέγεται γὰρ ποτε ἀντὶ τοῦ, τινές· ὡς ὅταν ὁ Κύριος λέγῃ· Πολλοὶ ἐρουσί μοι ἐν ἐκεὶνῇ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀντὶ τῶν πρὸς ὀλίγους διαστελλομένων, ὡς ἐν τῷ· Πολλοὶ μὲν κλητοὶ, ὀλίγοι δὲ ἐκλεκτοί. Δηλοῖ ἡ λέξεις καὶ τοὺς πάντας, ὡς ἐν τῷ Ὥσπερ γὰρ διὰ τῆς παρακοῆς τοῦ ἐνὸς ἁμαρτωλου κατεστάθησαν οἱ πολλοί, Πάντες γὰρ ἄνθρωποι, παρακούσαντος τοῦ Ἀδὰμ, ὑπὸ ἁμαρτίαν εἰσίν. Δηλοῖ δὲ καὶ τοὺς χυδαίους, ὡς ἐν τῷ προκειμένῳ καὶ τῷ Μὴ πολλοὶ δισάσκαλοι γίνεσθε, ἀδελφοί. Σημαίνει δὲ καὶ τοὺς ὅπως ποτὲ πλείονας ὄντας, καὶ ἀπερ ἐν τῷ Πολλοὶ ἐπανίστανται ἐπ' ἐμέ· καὶ Πολλοὶ λέγουσι τῇ ψυχῇ μου. Ἐν τῇ ἐκκειμένῃ φωνῇ τῇ, Οὐκ ἐσμεν, ὥς τινες, καπηλεύοντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ, τουτέετιν ἐξυδαροῦντες αὐτὸν διὰ ψυχρολογίας καὶ μωρᾶς ἐξηγήσεως· ἀλλ' ὡς ἐξ εἰλικρινείας ἀδόλως καὶ καθαρῶς αὐτὸν προσφερόμεθα. Δίδυμος Αλεξανδρεύς, Εἰς Τὴν Δευτέραν Ἐπιστολήν Παύλου Πρὸς Κορινθίους Source: Migne PG 39.1692c-1693a

We are not like many who adulterate the word of God. 1 One must not give heed to those heterodox types who say they teach as Apostles in Christ, and speak of another God apart from the Father of the Saviour, that is, who speak in opposition to us. When he says 'many' he means deceivers, on account of the abundance of them among all. Now this word, that is, 'many' may be used for 'most', but here it is said in place of 'some'. As when the Lord said, 'Many shall say to me on that day...' 2 For, of course, it distinguishes from 'few', as in:' 'Many are called, few are chosen.' 3 But indeed this word may signify all, as when: 'So through the disobedience of one, many were made sinners.' 4 Since all men on account of the disobedience of one man became guilty of sin. And then it signifies an abundance in some passages, such as: 'Let not many of you be teachers, brothers.' 5 And it signifies a multitude as in: 'Many rise up against me,' and 'Many say to my soul.' 6 Now in the passage above he says, 'We are not as 'some' who adulterate the word of God, that is, mixing in the water of their rigid and senseless interpretation, but in honesty and without cunning, we speak it purely to you.' Didymus the Blind, On The Second Letter of Paul to The Corinthians, Fragment 1.2 Cor 2.17 2 Mt 7.22 3 Mt 20.6 4 Rom 5.19 5 Jam 3.1 6 Ps 3.2-3