What Does 2 Corinthians 6:12 Mean?

Ye are not straitened in us (οὐ στενοχωρεῖσθε ἐν ἡμῖν, ou stenochōreisthe en hēmin)—Stenochōreō means to be constricted, cramped, or restricted (from stenos, 'narrow,' and chōra, 'space'). Paul insists the problem isn't on his side—he hasn't withdrawn affection or narrowed his heart toward the Corinthians. His love provides ample space for them. The present tense indicates an ongoing state: you are not (and continue not to be) restricted by us.

But ye are straitened in your own bowels (στενοχωρεῖσθε δὲ ἐν τοῖς σπλάγχνοις ὑμῶν, stenochōreisthe de en tois splanchnois hymōn)—Splanchna literally means intestines or inner organs, metaphorically the seat of emotions and affections (translated 'bowels' in KJV, better rendered 'hearts' or 'affections' in modern English). The constriction exists in their hearts, not Paul's. They have narrowed their affections toward him, withdrawing emotionally due to criticism, misunderstanding, or wounded pride.

Paul diagnoses the relational problem with surgical precision: the Corinthians experience emotional constriction, but they've misidentified the source. They blame Paul for distance they themselves have created. This is the psychology of projection—attributing one's own attitudes to another. Paul's appeal invites them to recognize and remedy their own hardness of heart.