Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.
Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own affections.
ye are not straitened in us, and ye are straitened in your own bowels,
Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your affections;
2 Corinthians — Paul's most personal letter. A defense of gospel ministry under pressure — comfort and conflict, giving and glory, weakness and power — with the tone shifting markedly at chapter 10.
Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread — the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.
The verses this one reaches10
Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one.
Should it be said, O house of Jacob, “Is the Spirit of the LORD impatient? Are these the things He does?” Do not My words bring good to him who walks uprightly?
And for the sake of your souls, I will most gladly spend my money and myself. If I love you more, will you love me less?
God is my witness how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
And his affection for you is even greater when he remembers that you were all obedient as you welcomed him with fear and trembling.
Indeed, He drew you from the jaws of distress to a spacious and broad place, to a table full of richness.
If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?
I am torn between the two. I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better indeed.
Better what the eye can see than the wandering of desire. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; when you run, you will not stumble.
Voices7
Then he shows that they have no contrary example from the Apostle, saying, You are not restricted by us [straightened]. As if to say: from the fact that we show you the largeness of our heart, you do not have an example or a reason …
Ye are not straitened in us,....
John Gill· Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748)reformed
Ye are not straitened in us - That is, Ye have not a narrow place in our affections: the metaphor here is taken from the case of a person pent up in a small or narrow place, where there is scarcely room to breathe. Ye are straitened in your own bowels - I have not the same place in your affections which you have in mine. The bowels are used in Scripture to denote the most tender affections. See the note on Mat 9:36.
Adam Clarke· Commentary on the Bible, 1832evangelical
Any constraint ye feel towards me, or narrowness of heart, is not from want of largeness of heart on my part towards you, but from want of it on your part towards me. bowels--that is, affections (compare 2Co 12:15). not straitened in us--that is, for want of room in our hearts to take you in.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown· Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, 1871reformed
Ye are not straitened in us - Our heart is wide enough to receive you all. But ye are straitened in your own bowels - Your hearts are shut up, and so not capable of the blessings ye might enjoy.
John Wesley· Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament, 1755evangelical
Though the apostle was happy in a great fluency of expressions, yet he seemed to want words to express the warm affections he had for these Corinthians.
Matthew Henry· Commentary on the Whole Bible, 1710puritan
In these verses we have an account of the apostle's general errand and exhortation to all to whom he preached in every place where he came, with the several arguments and methods he used. The errand or exhortation itself, namely, to comply with the gospel offers of reconciliation--that, being favoured with the gospel, they would not receive this grace of God in vain,
Matthew Henry· Commentary on the Whole Bible, 1710puritan
The walk8
Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first — the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.
Through
1 John 3:17If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?
leads to
And do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
Isn’t it to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your home, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to turn away from your own…
If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
If there is a poor man among your brothers within any of the gates in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, then you are not to harden your heart or…
Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.
Through
Job 36:16Indeed, He drew you from the jaws of distress to a spacious and broad place, to a table full of richness.
leads to
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered and set me free.
Through
Philippians 1:8God is my witness how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
leads to
God, whom I serve with my spirit in preaching the gospel of His Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you
The whole web at once: see the Arc.
