Straightened 2 Corinthians 6:12

Paul the apostle shared with the church members in Corinth how he and his companions were, “O you Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged”, and in chapter six and verse twelve of Second Corinthians, Paul told the church members about, “being straightened” where we read:

You are not straitened in us, but you are straitened in your own bowels.

The verse begins, “You are not straitened in us, ...” Paul began with the words, “you are not straightened” which means “the church members were not compressed, cramped, restricted and reduced to distress” “in us” or “within Paul and his companions”. The church members were not “distressed or restricted” by Paul and his companions.

The verse continues, “but you are straitened in your own bowels.” Paul added the word, “but” which is a disassociation conjunction that means what is about to be written takes precedence over what was just stated, “you” or “the Corinthian church members” “are straitened” which means “compressed, cramped, restricted and reduced to distress” “in your own bowels” or “in the church members' heart or the seat of the more violent passions such as anger and love”. Paul shared how the church members were “restricted and distressed” within their own “hearts and souls”.

When we meditate upon these words of Paul, we see how the church members brought “restriction and distress” upon themselves rather than from he and his companions. Paul and his companions “opened their mouths and enlarged their hearts” toward the Corinthians, however, the church members “restricted” themselves and were under “distress” through their own volition. Jesus Christ desires to have an “open” and “heartfelt” relationship with everyone, and when we are “restricted and distressed”, perhaps we should look within to discover the source of our being “straightened”.

Next time Paul shares with the church members about, “a recompense in the same”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then,

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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