What Paul Meant When He Said "the less I be loved"

[hulahoop14]

What do you guys think Paul means when he says in 2 Corinthians 12:15 "And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved." I'm specifically wondering about the last part "though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved." What does this mean? The contextual subject seems to be evidence of his apostleship. Does it have something to do with the sins he was finding in the church in Corinth? Was he lashed out at from those in the church there when he tried to expose, and then as a result he felt less loved? I know he suffered much physically. Just wondering what your thoughts are.

 

[B-A-C]

Sometimes more translations help.

New International Version
So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less?

New Living Translation
I will gladly spend myself and all I have for you, even though it seems that the more I love you, the less you love me.

English Standard Version
I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?

Berean Study Bible
And for the sake of your souls, I will most gladly spend my money and myself. If I love you more, will you love me less?

Berean Literal Bible
Now I will spend most gladly, and will be utterly spent, for your souls. If loving you more abundantly, am I loved less?

New American Standard Bible
I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?

King James Bible
And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I will most gladly spend and be spent for you. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?

International Standard Version
I will be very glad to spend my money and myself for you. Do you love me less because I love you so much?

NET Bible
Now I will most gladly spend and be spent for your lives! If I love you more, am I to be loved less?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But I cheerfully also shall spend and I would even give up my person for the sake of your souls, even though, the more I love you, the less you love me.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I will be very glad to spend whatever I have. I'll even give myself for you. Do you love me less because I love you so much?

New American Standard 1977
And I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If I love you the more, am I to be loved the less?

Jubilee Bible 2000
And I will very gladly spend and be utterly spent for your souls though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.

King James 2000 Bible
And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you, though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.

American King James Version
And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

American Standard Version
And I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved the less?

Douay-Rheims Bible
But I most gladly will spend and be spent myself for your souls; although loving you more, I be loved less.

Darby Bible Translation
Now *I* shall most gladly spend and be utterly spent for your souls, if even in abundantly loving you I should be less loved.

English Revised Version
And I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved the less?

Webster's Bible Translation
And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.

Weymouth New Testament
And as for me, most gladly will I spend all I have and be utterly spent for your salvation.

World English Bible
I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved the less?

Young's Literal Translation
and I most gladly will spend and be entirely spent for your souls, even if, more abundantly loving you, less I am loved.

In this case... the YLT, NLT, WBT, and Aramaic Bible seem to be the closest to the original.

 

[hulahoop14]

Thank you BAC, this is helpful. This also introduces me to some versions I haven't heard of before, so I will have to take a look at them further. So it kind of sounds like they just weren't appreciating what he was doing for them and what he was suffering and had suffered, so they were loving him less.

 

[robaston]

though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

intriguing but maybe paul was intending to be sooo extravagant and selfless with his love, that the returned love will be just be out-done

 

[amadeus2]

Jesus in his early ministry was seemingly loved by nearly everyone. As he continued deeper into his teachings and his life style he insulted and infringed upon the ways of teachers and leaders supposedly of God's people.

In the end of the matter, when a person approaches the Life that Jesus led, they will either be loved or they will be hated for his name. This is you and me, or it should be.

" Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matt 7:14

"If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also." John 15:18-20

 

[hulahoop14]

Yes, amadeus2. Thank you. In terms of practical application, I thought of how when sometimes a more mature Christian addresses something with a less mature Christian to warn them of sin or dangerous behavior, that sometimes the more mature Christian will get a tongue lashing from the less mature one. Maybe there's some conviction in the heart of the less mature Christian, so the person lashes out and no longer likes the mature Christian, even though the mature Christian spoke the truth in love. This is what it brought to my mind, anyway.

 

[Bendito]

intriguing but maybe paul was intending to be sooo extravagant and selfless with his love, that the returned love will be just be out-done

Now there is a worthy goal!