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:
• 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;
• 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 to you and I sent our brother with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit? 19Have 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. 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. 21I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged.

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 will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged.
• 2 Corinthians 13:9We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is that you may be fully restored.
• 2 Corinthians 1:23I call God as my witness—and I stake my life on it—that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth.
• 2 Corinthians 2:1So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you.
• 2 Corinthians 10:2I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.
• 2 Corinthians 13:2I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time. I now repeat it while absent: On my return I will not spare those who sinned earlier or any of the others,
• 1 Corinthians 4:18Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you.
• 1 Corinthians 5:3For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this.
• 1 Corinthians 1:11My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.
• 1 Corinthians 3:3You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?
• 1 Corinthians 4:6Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other.
• 1 Corinthians 6:7The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?
• 1 Corinthians 11:16If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.
• 1 Corinthians 14:36Or did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached?
• Galatians 5:15If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
• Galatians 5:26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying 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