2 Corinthians 12:20

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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• 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;

Context of 2 Corinthians 12:20

18I encouraged Titus to visit you, and I sent my friend with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Didn’t we have the same motives and do things the same way? 19Have you been thinking all along that we’re trying to defend ourselves to you? We speak as Christ’s people in God’s sight. Everything we do, dear friends, is for your benefit. I’m afraid that I may come and find you different from what I want you to be, and that you may find me different from what you want me to be. I’m afraid that there may be rivalry, jealousy, hot tempers, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly conduct. 21I’m afraid that when I come to you again, my God may humble me. I may have to grieve over many who formerly led sinful lives and have not changed the way they think and act about the perversion, sexual sins, and promiscuity in which they have been involved.

2 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’m afraid that when I come to you again, my God may humble me. I may have to grieve over many who formerly led sinful lives and have not changed the way they think and act about the perversion, sexual sins, and promiscuity in which they have been involved.
• 2 Corinthians 13:9We’re glad when we are weak and you are strong. We are also praying for your improvement.
• 2 Corinthians 1:23I appeal to God as a witness on my behalf, that I stayed away from Corinth because I wanted to spare you.
• 2 Corinthians 2:1I decided not to visit you again while I was distressed.
• 2 Corinthians 10:2I beg you that when I am with you I won’t have to deal forcefully with you. I expect I will have to because some people think that we are only guided by human motives.
• 2 Corinthians 13:2I already warned you when I was with you the second time, and even though I’m not there now, I’m warning you again. When I visit you again, I won’t spare you. That goes for all those who formerly led sinful lives as well as for all the others.
• 1 Corinthians 4:18Some of you have become arrogant because you think I won’t pay you a visit.
• 1 Corinthians 5:3Although I’m not physically present with you, I am with you in spirit. I have already judged the man who did this as though I were present with you.
• 1 Corinthians 1:11Brothers and sisters, some people from Chloe’s family have made it clear to me that you are quarreling among yourselves.
• 1 Corinthians 3:3because you’re still influenced by your corrupt nature. When you are jealous and quarrel among yourselves, aren’t you influenced by your corrupt nature and living by human standards?
• 1 Corinthians 4:6Brothers and sisters, I have applied this to Apollos and myself for your sake. You should learn from us not to go beyond what is written in Scripture. Then you won’t arrogantly place one of us in opposition to the other.
• 1 Corinthians 6:7You are already totally defeated because you have lawsuits against each other. Why don’t you accept the fact that you have been wronged? Why don’t you accept that you have been cheated?
• 1 Corinthians 11:16If anyone wants to argue about this ⌞they can’t, because⌟ we don’t have any custom like this—nor do any of the churches of God.
• 1 Corinthians 14:36Did God’s word originate with you? Are you the only ones it has reached?
• Galatians 5:15But if you criticize and attack each other, be careful that you don’t destroy each other.
• Galatians 5:26We can’t allow ourselves to act arrogantly and to provoke or envy each other.

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

• Anger
• Backbiting
• Backsliders
• Church
• Envy
• Love
• Slander
• Strife
• Whisperer
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Backbite
• Backbiting
• Crafty
• Excuse
• Gain
• Grace
• Perfect
• Revelation
• Sufficient
• Thorn

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