2 Corinthians 12:18

¹⁶ Be that as it may, I was not a burden to you; but crafty as I am, I caught you by trickery.

¹⁷ Did I exploit you by anyone I sent you?

I urged Titus to visit you, and I sent our brother with him. Did Titus exploit you in any way? Did we not walk in the same Spirit and follow in the same footsteps?

¹⁹ Have you been thinking all along that we were making a defense to you? We speak before God in Christ, and all of this, beloved, is to build you up.

²⁰ For I am afraid that when I come, I may not find you as I wish, and you may not find me as you wish. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, rage, rivalry, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: I urged Titus to visit you, and I sent our brother with him. Did Titus exploit you in any way? Did we not walk in the same Spirit and follow in the same footsteps?
KJV: I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps?
WEB: I exhorted Titus, and I sent the brother with him. Did Titus take any advantage of you? Didn’t we walk in the same spirit? Didn’t we walk in the same steps?
ASV: I exhorted Titus, and I sent the brother with him. Did Titus take any advantage of you? walked we not in the same spirit? [walked we] not in the same steps?
DARBY: I begged Titus, and sent the brother with [him]: did Titus at all make gain of you? have we not walked in the same spirit? [have we] not in the same steps?
BLB: I exhorted Titus [to go], and I sent with [him] the brother. Did Titus take advantage of you⁺? Did we not walk in the same Spirit? Not in the same footsteps?

ÅB: Jeg tilskyndte Titus og sendte vår bror med ham; mon vel Titus søkte vinning av dere? vandret vi ikke i den samme ånd? ikke i de samme spor?
OTB: Jeg oppmuntret Titus til å besøke, og jeg sendte broren med ham. Titus utnyttet dere ikke, gjorde han? Handlet vi ikke med den samme ånd og fulgte den samme vei?
B1930: Jeg tilskyndte Titus og sendte vår bror med ham; mon vel Titus søkte vinning av eder? vandret vi ikke i den samme ånd? ikke i de samme spor?

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

2 Corinthians 8:6
So we urged Titus to help complete your act of grace, just as he had started it.
Read in context
Romans 4:12
And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
Read in context
2 Corinthians 7:6
But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the arrival of Titus,
Read in context
Philippians 2:19–22
Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I learn how you are doing.
Read in context
2 Corinthians 7:2
Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one.
Read in context
Acts 20:33–35
I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.
Read in context
1 Peter 2:21
For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His footsteps:
Read in context
Nehemiah 5:14
Furthermore, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah, from his twentieth year until his thirty-second year (twelve years total), neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor.
Read in context