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 urged Titus to visit you and I sent our brother along with him. Titus did not take advantage of you, did he? Did we not conduct ourselves in the same spirit? Did we not behave in the same way? 19Have you been thinking all this time that we have been defending ourselves to you? We are speaking in Christ before God, and everything we do, dear friends, is to build you up. For I am afraid that somehow when I come I will not find you what I wish, and you will find me not what you wish. I am afraid that somehow there may be quarreling, jealousy, intense anger, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder. 21I am afraid that when I come again, my God may humiliate me before you, and I will grieve for many of those who previously sinned and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and licentiousness that they have practiced.

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 am afraid that when I come again, my God may humiliate me before you, and I will grieve for many of those who previously sinned and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and licentiousness that they have practiced.
• 2 Corinthians 13:9For we rejoice whenever we are weak, but you are strong. And we pray for this: that you may become fully qualified.
• 2 Corinthians 1:23Now I appeal to God as my witness, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth.
• 2 Corinthians 2:1So I made up my own mind not to pay you another painful visit.
• 2 Corinthians 10:2now I ask that when I am present I may not have to be bold with the confidence that (I expect) I will dare to use against some who consider us to be behaving according to human standards.
• 2 Corinthians 13:2I said before when I was present the second time and now, though absent, I say again to those who sinned previously and to all the rest, that if I come again, I will not spare anyone,
• 1 Corinthians 4:18Some have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you.
• 1 Corinthians 5:3For even though I am absent physically, I am present in spirit. And I have already judged the one who did this, just as though I were present.
• 1 Corinthians 1:11For members of Chloe’s household have made it clear to me, my brothers and sisters, that there are quarrels among you.
• 1 Corinthians 3:3for you are still influenced by the flesh. For since there is still jealousy and dissension among you, are you not influenced by the flesh and behaving like unregenerate people?
• 1 Corinthians 4:6I have applied these things to myself and Apollos because of you, brothers and sisters, so that through us you may learn “not to go beyond what is written,” so that none of you will be puffed up in favor of the one against the other.
• 1 Corinthians 6:7The fact that you have lawsuits among yourselves demonstrates that you have already been defeated. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?
• 1 Corinthians 11:16If anyone intends to quarrel about this, we have no other practice, nor do the churches of God.
• 1 Corinthians 14:36Did the word of God begin with you, or did it come to you alone?
• Galatians 5:15However, if you continually bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.
• Galatians 5:26Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, being jealous of 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

• 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