II Corinthians 12:16

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“But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile.”

How could Paul, a Christian, use guile (craft or trickery) to gain advantage or prove a point to others? The most likely explanations are: (1) He was possibly quoting something that the Corinthians had been saying, or (2) he was being sarcastic because he might have been previously accused of this (recall chapter 10 and notice that he defends his office in II Cor 12:11), or (3) there are times when a deeply converted person, one who knows their true motives, could employ godly psychology to “win souls” (Prov. 11:30)—or to point out the error of another person.

An example of the latter is Nathan the prophet using psychology to help David see the evil that he had done to Uriah the Hittite (II Sam. 12:1-9). Also, when it is properly understood, the entire book of Philemon is seen to be a detailed study in converted psychology used by Paul to win Philemon.

No suggested reading.