Note 10 at 2 Cor. 12:16: Some people interpret this passage as being another sarcastic statement from Paul (see note 13 at 2 Cor. 11:8, p. 1035; see note 5 at 2 Cor. 11:21, p. 1037). They believe Paul is not speaking the truth but is expressing the accusations of his critics. Others had accused him of being deceitful and using hypocrisy to trick the Corinthians into obeying him. That certainly was not so.

However, it is possible that Paul is communicating something different here. The word "crafty" was translated from the Greek word "panourgos," meaning "adroit, shrewd." Shrewd means "1. discerning; astute; 2. artful; cunning." The word "guile" was translated from the Greek word "dolos," which means "to decoy, a trick (bait)." Paul could be saying that it was very clever on his part to preach the gospel to the Corinthians free of charge. This took away their arguments and caught them in his trap so that they embraced the gospel.