2 Corinthians 6:11-13 meaning

In 2 Corinthians 6:11-13, Paul moves away from his defense of his ministry and his apostleship and he focuses on his relationship to the Corinthians and their relationship to him: Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart it is opened wide (v. 11). 

When Paul says he has spoken freely to you he wanted the Corinthians to know how clearly and boldly he came to them with the gospel message. As he wrote to the Ephesians, “that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel” (Ephesians 6:19).

He has already reminded the Corinthians of this in 2 Corinthians 3:12, “Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech.”

At the same time, he is reminding them of the openness and vulnerability that he has shown among them,

“For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you.”
(2 Corinthians 2:4)

Paul says O Corinthians, our heart it is opened wide. Including O Corinthians emphasizes a personal appeal. Paul loves these people. They are his spiritual children (1 Corinthians 4:14, 9:2). The phrase is opened wide translates a single Greek word “platyno.” It means to enlarge or broaden. Paul’s heart is full of affection and desirous of seeking benefit toward his Corinthian children in the faith.

He then follows by saying, You are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own affections (v. 12). 

Paul is declaring that he has held nothing back in his openness and love for the Corinthians, but they have not reciprocated in the same way. They are restrained in their ability to return Paul’s love. The Greek word translated restrained carries the idea of being hemmed in or trapped in a small space. It is not Paul hemming them in and constraining them. Rather but you are restrained in your own affections. 

The Greek word translated affections literally means “bowels” as in Acts 1:18 where it is translated “intestines.” In this case it applies to the seat of emotion, particularly compassion or mercy, as in Luke 1:17 where the term is translated “of the tender.” Paul then exhorts the Corinthians to reciprocate his affection Now in a like exchange—I speak as to children—open wide to us also (v. 13). 

The Greek word translated open wide to us is also “platyno” just as in verse 11 where it is translated as is opened wide. Paul’s heart is full of affection and love toward the Corinthians. He only seeks their best. Here he exhorts them to return his love toward him. It is not Paul stopping them from reciprocating; that is something they are choosing themselves in their own affections. 

Perhaps they are withholding their affections toward him because of the negative charges made against him by his enemies. Perhaps they are withholding their affections toward him because they don’t like being corrected by him (2 Corinthians 10:10). But Paul’s correction is given only out of love.

Paul is not tickling their ears seeking to gain affection and fleece them for money, as apparently are many of his competing ministers (2 Corinthians 2:17). He is seeking to lead them into a path that is for their best. That is his heart toward them. Paul desires that they have the same heart toward him. However, Paul’s love for them is too great to begin seeking their favor. That would be self-seeking. Rather, Paul will continue to strive to lead them to see the truth and seek alignment with God’s ways, which is “dikaiosyne” or “righteousness.”