2 Corinthians 12:16 (YLT)

Passage

And be it <FI>so<Fi> , I--I did not burden you, but being crafty, with guile I did take you;

Nearby Context

2 Corinthians 12:14 Lo, a third time I am ready to come unto you, and I will not be a burden to you, for I seek not yours, but you, for the children ought not for the parents to lay up, but the parents for the children,

2 Corinthians 12:15 and I most gladly will spend and be entirely spent for your souls, even if, more abundantly loving you, less I am loved.

2 Corinthians 12:16 And be it <FI>so<Fi> , I--I did not burden you, but being crafty, with guile I did take you;

2 Corinthians 12:17 any one of those whom I have sent unto you--by him did I take advantage of you?

2 Corinthians 12:18 I entreated Titus, and did send with <FI>him<Fi> the brother; did Titus take advantage of you? in the same spirit did we not walk? --did we not in the same steps?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "i--i", "burden", "crafty", "guile", and "take". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "i--i" and "burden", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "and I most gladly will spend and..." into verse 17's "any one of those whom I have...", so "i--i" and "burden" belong inside that flow. In 2 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "i--i" and "burden" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.