2 Corinthians 12:19

2 Corinthians 12:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying.
• New International Version (NIV)Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding, beloved.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Again, do you think that we excuse ourselves to you? We speak before God in Christ. But we do all things, beloved, for your edification.

Context of 2 Corinthians 12:19

17That is not true! When I sent people to you, they never cheated you on my behalf. 18I asked Titus to come and visit you, and I sent another Christian friend with him. But Titus certainly did not deceive you to get anything from you. Both he and I have always been completely honest with you. We both think in the same way. What are you thinking when you read all this? Do you think that we want to show you how good we are? No, we are speaking as people who belong to Christ. God knows us. Everything that we do is to help you. We love you and we want to make you stronger as believers. 20When I come there to visit you, I hope you will be living in a good way. But I am afraid that I will not see what I want to see. Then you will see that I am different from what you want me to be! I am afraid that you may be quarrelling. You may be jealous of each other. You may be very angry with each other. Some of you may just want to please yourselves. You may be insulting one another, or telling lies about one another. You may be proud of how good you are. You may be causing trouble for one another. Yes, I am afraid that all those things may be happening among you. 21I am afraid that I may be very sad when I come back to you. My God may cause me to feel ashamed about you. Some of you may still be doing bad and disgusting things. You may be having sex with people that you are not married to, or in other wrong ways. Those are the bad things that many of you did at one time. If you have not turned away from those bad things, that will make me weep.

2 Corinthians 12:19 word by word

Πάλαι δοκεῖτε ὅτι ὑμῖν ἀπολογούμεθα. κατέναντι θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ λαλοῦμεν. τὰ δὲ πάντα, ἀγαπητοί, ὑπὲρ τῆς ὑμῶν οἰκοδομῆς.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Againπάλινpalin · againG3825
• think yeδοκέωdokeō · to thinkG1380
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• we excuse ourselvesἀπολογέομαιapologeomai · to defend oneselfG626
• unto youσύsu · youG4771
• we speakλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
• beforeκατενώπιονkatenōpion · beforeG2714
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• butδέde · thenG1161
• all thingsπᾶςpas · allG3956
• dearly belovedἀγαπητόςagapētos · belovedG27
• forὑπέρhuper · above/forG5228
• edifyingοἰκοδομήoikodomē · buildingG3619

Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 12:19

• 2 Corinthians 3:1We do not need any more to show that our work is good. Some people need to have letters from other people to say that they do good work. We do not need to show you letters like that. Nor do we need you to write a letter like that for us.
• 2 Corinthians 5:12We are not trying again to make you think that our work is good. But we do want to give you the chance to be proud of us. Then you will be able to show the false teachers that they are wrong. They are proud about what they look like on the outside. They do not think about what they are really like inside themselves.
• 2 Corinthians 11:10The message that I speak about Christ is true. So I will continue to be proud of how I lived among you. Nobody in the whole region of Achaia can stop me doing that.
• Romans 9:1What I am telling you is true. I speak as someone who belongs to Christ. I am not telling lies. God's Holy Spirit rules my thoughts and I am sure that I am right.
• 2 Corinthians 5:13To some people, we may seem to be crazy. That is because we want to serve God. But if we seem to be wise, that is to help you.
• 2 Corinthians 10:8You may think that I am too proud of my authority. But it is the Lord who has given that authority to us apostles. We have that authority so that we can help you become stronger as believers. We do not have it so that we can destroy you! So I am not ashamed to be proud of this.
• 2 Corinthians 13:10That is why I am writing these things to you now, while I am away from you. Then, when I arrive, I will not need to be angry with you. I will not have to use my authority to punish you. The Lord gave that authority to me to help you to become stronger as believers. He did not give it to me so that I could destroy you.
• 1 Corinthians 9:12You agree to help other people who teach God's message to you. So surely we should receive even more help from you! But Barnabas and I have not used our authority to make you help us like that. Instead, we accept all these difficult things patiently. We want the good news about Christ to go everywhere. We do not want to do anything that might stop it.
• 1 Corinthians 10:33Copy my example. Whatever I do, I try to make other people happy. I do not try to do what will help me. Instead, I want to help other people. I live in that way so that God will save many people.
• 1 Corinthians 14:26My Christian friends, this is what you should do when you meet together. Some of you may have a song to praise God. Some of you may have a lesson to teach about God. Other people may have a special thing that God has shown to them. Some people may have a message in a special language. Other people may explain what the message means. Do all these things to help the church become stronger.
• 2 Corinthians 12:15So I will be happy to give everything that I have to you. I will be happy to give myself too, because I want to help you. Perhaps I love you too much! But that should not mean that you will love me less than you should.
• 2 Corinthians 7:1So, my friends, God has promised these things to us. So we must keep ourselves clean from everything that makes our bodies or our spirits unclean. We must respect and obey God. Then we will become more and more like him.
• Romans 12:19My friends, if someone has done bad things to you, do not try to punish them yourselves. Instead, let God be angry and punish them. This is what is written in the Bible: ‘The Lord God says, “When people do something wrong, I am the one who will punish them. I will pay them back.” ’
• 1 Corinthians 10:14So, my friends, keep away from idols. Do not worship them.
• Philippians 4:1My dear Christian friends, I love you very much. I want very much to see you again. You make me very happy. You show that my work among you had good results. Please continue to live in a way that pleases the Lord. This is what I have taught you to do.

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 12:19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19Think ye that we excuse ourselves - ; That we make an apology for our conduct; or, that I have sent Titus and that brother to you because I was ashamed or afraid to come myself? We speak before God in Christ - I have not done so; I speak the truth before God; he is judge whether I was actuated in this way by any sinister or unworthy motive. For your edifying - Whatever I have done in this or any other way, I have done for your edifying; not for any…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? - see the note on 2 Corinthians 5:12. The sense is, Do not suppose that this is said from mere anxiety to obtain your favor, or to ingratiate ourselves into your esteem. This is said doubtless to keep himself from the suspicion of being actuated by improper motives. He had manifested great solicitude certainly in the previous chapter to vindicate his character; but he here says that it was not from a mere…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-21Verses 11-21 We owe it to good men, to stand up in the defence of their reputation; and we are under special obligations to those from whom we have received benefit, especially spiritual benefit, to own them as instruments in God's hand of good to us. Here is an account of the apostle's behaviour and kind intentions; in which see the character of a faithful minister of the gospel. This was his great aim and design, to do good. Here are noticed several…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19Paul is not just defending his actions and motives. He wants to assure his dear friends of his true love and Christian service for the church's well-being.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. Again--The oldest manuscripts read, "This long time ye think that we are excusing ourselves unto you? (Nay). It is before God (as opposed to 'unto you') that we speak in Christ" (2Co 2:17). English Version Greek text was a correction from 2Co 3:1; 5:12.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Corinthians 12:19

• Love
• Minister, Christian
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• God
• Christ, Messiah
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Backbiting
• Crafty
• Excuse
• Gain
• Grace
• Perfect

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings