2 Corinthians 6:12 (KJV)

What does 2 Corinthians 6:12 mean?

In 2 Corinthians 6:12, Paul tells the Corinthians that the distance between them does not come from a lack of affection on his side. He says the constraint lies in their own feelings toward him.

Paul pictures affection as having room to move, then speaks of that room becoming narrow. His words follow his description of his own heart as enlarged in verse 11, and they prepare for his appeal in verse 13.

The Greek behind 2 Corinthians 6:12

• “straitened” — στενοχωρέω (stenochōreō): The word carries the sense of being confined or pressed into a narrow space. Paul uses the image for a restriction in affection between people.
• “bowels” — σπλάγχνον (splanchnon): The word refers to the inner organs and was also used for deep feelings of affection. In the KJV, “bowels” expresses the Corinthians’ inward feelings, not a literal problem with their bodies.

Why 2 Corinthians 6:12 matters

• Paul’s contrast distinguishes his feelings from theirs. The repeated “straitened” places the same image on both sides, while “not” and “but” show where Paul locates the difficulty.
• The surrounding passage shows that Paul is asking for a response of affection. After speaking of the Corinthians’ “own bowels” in verse 12, he asks them to “be ye also enlarged” in verse 13.
• Paul addresses the Corinthians as people close to him. In verse 13 he speaks “as unto my children,” giving his appeal the language of a family relationship.