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, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps? 19Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves to you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edification. For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found by you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults: 21And lest, when I come again, my God may humble me among you, and I shall bewail many who have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and immorality and lasciviousness which they have committed.

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

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• fearφοβέωphobeō · to fearG5399
• lestμήπωςmēpōs mē pōs · so thatG3381
• lestπωςpōs · howG4458
• comeἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• shallεὑρίσκωheuriskō · to find/meetG2147
• notοὐou · noG3756
• youὑμᾶςhumas · youG5209
• asοἷοςoios · such asG3634
• wouldθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
• Iκἀγώkagō kamoi kame · and IG2504
• youὑμῖνhumin · to youG5213
• debatesἔριςeris · quarrelG2054
• envyingsζῆλοςzēlos · zealG2205
• wrathsθυμόςthumos · wrathG2372
• strifesἐριθείαeritheia · rivalryG2052
• backbitingsκαταλαλιάkatalalia · slanderG2636
• whisperingsψιθυρισμόςpsithurismos · gossipG5587
• conceitsφυσίωσιςphusiōsis · arroganceG5450
• tumultsἀκαταστασίαakatastasia · disorderG181

Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 12:20

• 2 Corinthians 12:21And lest, when I come again, my God may humble me among you, and I shall bewail many who have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and immorality and lasciviousness which they have committed.
• 2 Corinthians 13:9For we are glad, when we are weak, and ye are strong: and this also we wish, even your perfection.
• 2 Corinthians 1:23Moreover I call God for a witness upon my soul, that to spare you I have not as yet come to Corinth.
• 2 Corinthians 2:1But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.
• 2 Corinthians 10:2But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, with which I think to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.
• 2 Corinthians 13:2I told you before, and foretell, as if I were present, the second time; and being absent now I write to them who have sinned before, and to all others, that, if I come again, I will not spare:
• 1 Corinthians 4:18Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.
• 1 Corinthians 5:3For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
• 1 Corinthians 1:11For it hath been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by them who are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
• 1 Corinthians 3:3For ye are yet carnal: for though there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
• 1 Corinthians 4:6And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye may learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you on account of one may be puffed up against another.
• 1 Corinthians 6:7Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather allow yourselves to be defrauded?
• 1 Corinthians 11:16But if any man seemeth to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.
• 1 Corinthians 14:36What? came the word of God out from you? or came it to you only?
• Galatians 5:15But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one by another.
• Galatians 5:26Let us not be desirous of vain glory, 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

• 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