English Standard Version
2 Corinthians 12:20
20For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.
2 Corinthians 12:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:
- New International Version (NIV)For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish, and that I shall be found by you such as you do not wish; lest there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults;
- New Living Translation (NLT)For I am afraid that when I come I won’t like what I find, and you won’t like my response. I am afraid that I will find quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly behavior.
Context of 2 Corinthians 12:20
18I urged Titus to go, and sent the brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not act in the same spirit? Did we not take the same steps? 19Have 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. For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. 21I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.
Read all of 2 Corinthians 122 Corinthians 12:20 word by word
φοβοῦμαι γὰρ μή πως ἐλθὼν οὐχ οἵους θέλω εὕρω ὑμᾶς, κἀγὼ εὑρεθῶ ὑμῖν οἷον οὐ θέλετε, μή πως ἔρις, ζῆλος, θυμοί, ἐριθείαι, καταλαλιαί, ψιθυρισμοί, φυσιώσεις, ἀκαταστασίαι,Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- I fearφοβέωphobeō · to fearG5399
- lestμήπωςmēpōs mē pōs · so thatG3381
- when I comeἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
- I shallεὑρίσκωheuriskō · to find/meetG2147
- notοὐou · noG3756
- youσύsu · youG4771
- such asοἷοςoios · such asG3634
- I wouldθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
- andκἀγώkagō kamoi kame · and IG2504
- debatesἔριςeris · quarrelG2054
- envyingsζῆλοςzēlos · zealG2205
- wrathsθυμόςthumos · wrathG2372
- strifesἐριθείαeritheia · rivalryG2052
- backbitingsκαταλαλιάkatalalia · slanderG2636
- whisperingsψιθυρισμόςpsithurismos · gossipG5587
- swellingsφυσίωσιςphusiōsis · arroganceG5450
- tumultsἀκαταστασίαakatastasia · disorderG181
Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 12:20
- 2 Corinthians 12:21I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.
- 2 Corinthians 13:9For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for.
- 2 Corinthians 1:23But I call God to witness against me—it was to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth.
- 2 Corinthians 2:1For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you.
- 2 Corinthians 10:2I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh.
- 2 Corinthians 13:2I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them—
- 1 Corinthians 4:18Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you.
- 1 Corinthians 5:3For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing.
- 1 Corinthians 1:11For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers.
- 1 Corinthians 3:3for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?
- 1 Corinthians 4:6I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.
- 1 Corinthians 6:7To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?
- 1 Corinthians 11:16If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God.
- 1 Corinthians 14:36Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached?
- Galatians 5:15But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
- Galatians 5:26Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 12:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20I fear, lest, when I come - I think the present time is used here for the past; the apostle seems most evidently to be giving them the reason why he had not come to them according to his former purposes, and why he sent Titus and his companion. He was afraid to come at that time lest he should have found them perverted from the right way, and he be obliged to make use of his apostolical rod, and punish the offenders; but, feeling towards them the heart of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20For I fear, lest, when I come - see 2 Corinthians 12:14. I shall not find you such as I would - That is, walking in the truth and order of the gospel. He had feared that the disorders would not be removed, and that they would not have corrected the errors which prevailed, and for which he had rebuked them. It was on this account that he had said so much to them. His desire was that all these disorders might be removed, and that he might be saved from the…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. 20-21Paul worried about facing rebellion and resistance during his upcoming visit. He feared the Corinthians had returned to their old ways. you may not find me as you wish: If necessary, Paul would respond firmly to obvious sinners (compare 1:23–2:17; 1 Corinthians 4:21).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. For--Assigning cause why they needed to be thus spoken to "for their edification"; namely, his fear that at his coming he should find them "not such as he would," and so he should be found by them "such as they would not" like, namely, severe in punishing misconduct. debates--Greek, "strifes," "contentions." envyings--The oldest manuscripts read "envying," singular. strifes--"factions," "intrigues," "factious schemes" [Wahl]. Ambitious self-seeking…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Corinthians 12:20
In the dictionaries
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
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