2 Corinthians 12:20
New International Version
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 Living Translation
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.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
For I am afraid that when I come, I may not find you as I wish, and you may not find me as you wish. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, rage, rivalry, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.

Berean Literal Bible
For I fear lest perhaps having come, I may not find you such as I wish, and I might be found by you such as you do not wish; lest perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, contentions, slander, gossip, conceit, disorder;

King James Bible
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 King James Version
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 American Standard Bible
For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish, and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, selfishness, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances;

NASB 1995
For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances;

NASB 1977
For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there may be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances;

Legacy Standard Bible
For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances.

Amplified Bible
For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you not to be as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder;

Christian Standard Bible
For I fear that perhaps when I come I will not find you to be what I want, and you may not find me to be what you want. Perhaps there will be quarreling, jealousy, angry outbursts, selfish ambitions, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For I fear that perhaps when I come I will not find you to be what I want, and I may not be found by you to be what you want; there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.

American Standard Version
For I fear, lest by any means, when I come, I should find you not such as I would, and should myself be found of you such as ye would not; lest by any means there should be strife, jealousy, wraths, factions, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For I fear lest I come to you and shall not find you as I like, and I may be found by you also as you do not like, lest there be fighting, envy, rage, contention, slander, murmuring, insolence and tumult,

Contemporary English Version
I am afraid when I come, we won't be pleased with each other. I fear that some of you may be arguing or jealous or angry or selfish or gossiping or insulting each other. I even fear that you may be proud and acting like a mob.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For I fear lest perhaps when I come I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found by you such as you would not. Lest perhaps contentions, envyings, animosities, dissensions, detractions, whisperings, swellings, seditions, be among you.

English Revised Version
For I fear, lest by any means, when I come, I should find you not such as I would, and should myself be found of you such as ye would not; lest by any means there should be strife, jealousy, wraths, factions, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
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.

Good News Translation
I am afraid that when I get there I will find you different from what I would like you to be and you will find me different from what you would like me to be. I am afraid that I will find quarreling and jealousy, hot tempers and selfishness, insults and gossip, pride and disorder.

International Standard Version
I am afraid that I may come and somehow find you not as I want to find you, and that you may find me not as you want to find me. Perhaps there will be quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly conduct.

Literal Standard Version
for I fear lest, having come, I may not find you such as I wish, and I may be found by you such as you do not wish, lest there be strifes, envyings, wraths, revelries, slanders, whisperings, puffings up, insurrections,

Majority Standard Bible
For I am afraid that when I come, I may not find you as I wish, and you may not find me as you wish. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, rage, rivalry, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.

New American Bible
For I fear that when I come I may find you not such as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish; that there may be rivalry, jealousy, fury, selfishness, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.

NET Bible
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.

New Revised Standard Version
For I fear that when I come, I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish; I fear that there may perhaps be quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.

New Heart English Bible
For I am afraid that by any means, when I come, I might find you not the way I want to, and that I might be found by you as you do not desire; that by any means there would be strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, whisperings, proud thoughts, riots;

Webster's Bible Translation
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, swellings, tumults:

Weymouth New Testament
For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may not find you to be what I desire, and that you may find me to be what you do not desire; that perhaps there may be contention, jealousy, bitter feeling, party spirit, ill-natured talk, backbiting, undue eulogy, unrest;

World English Bible
For I am afraid that perhaps when I come, I might find you not the way I want to, and that I might be found by you as you don’t desire, that perhaps there would be strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, whisperings, proud thoughts, or riots,

Young's Literal Translation
for I fear lest, having come, not such as I wish I may find you, and I -- I may be found by you such as ye do not wish, lest there be strifes, envyings, wraths, revelries, evil-speakings, whisperings, puffings up, insurrections,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Concern for the Corinthians
19Have you been thinking all along that we were making a defense to you? We speak before God in Christ, and all of this, beloved, is to build you up. 20For I am afraid that when I come, I may not find you as I wish, and you may not find me as you wish. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, rage, rivalry, 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 their acts of impurity, sexual immorality, and debauchery.…

Cross References
Romans 1:29
They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips,

Romans 1:30
slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful. They invent new forms of evil; they disobey their parents.

Romans 2:8
But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow wickedness, there will be wrath and anger.

1 Corinthians 1:11
My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.

1 Corinthians 3:3
for you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and dissension among you, are you not worldly? Are you not walking in the way of man?

1 Corinthians 4:6
Brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us not to go beyond what is written. Then you will not take pride in one man over another.

1 Corinthians 4:18
Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you.


Treasury of Scripture

For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found to you such as you would not: lest there be debates, contentions, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, arrogance, tumults:

I shall not.

2 Corinthians 12:21
And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.

2 Corinthians 13:9
For we are glad, when we are weak, and ye are strong: and this also we wish, even your perfection.

and that.

2 Corinthians 1:23,24
Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth…

2 Corinthians 2:1-3
But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness…

2 Corinthians 10:2,6,8,9
But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh…

debates.

1 Corinthians 1:11
For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

1 Corinthians 3:3,4
For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? …

1 Corinthians 4:6-8,18
And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another…

whisperings.

Psalm 41:7
All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt.

Proverbs 16:28
A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.

Romans 1:29
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

swellings.

2 Peter 2:18
For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.

Jude 1:16
These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.

Jump to Previous
Afraid Anger Angry Arrogance Backbiting Bitter Conceit Desire Disorder Disputes Disturbances Envyings Factions Fear Feeling Find Found Gossip Ill-Natured Jealousy Means Outbursts Party Proud Quarreling Riots Selfishness Slander Slanders Spirit Strife Strifes Talk Thoughts Tumults Undue Unrest Want Way Wish Wraths
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Afraid Anger Angry Arrogance Backbiting Bitter Conceit Desire Disorder Disputes Disturbances Envyings Factions Fear Feeling Find Found Gossip Ill-Natured Jealousy Means Outbursts Party Proud Quarreling Riots Selfishness Slander Slanders Spirit Strife Strifes Talk Thoughts Tumults Undue Unrest Want Way Wish Wraths
2 Corinthians 12
1. For commending of his apostleship, though he might glory of his wonderful revelations,
9. yet he rather chooses to glory of his infirmities;
11. blaming the Corinthians for forcing him to this vain boasting.
14. He promises to come to them again; but yet altogether in the affection of a father;
20. although he fears he shall to his grief find many offenders, and public disorders there.














(20) For I fear, lest, when I come . . .--Something of the old anxiety which had led him to postpone his visit (2Corinthians 1:23; 1Corinthians 4:21) comes back upon his spirit. He and some of those Corinthians are likely to meet under very unfavourable conditions, neither of them acceptable to the other, severity meeting with open or masked resistance.

Lest there be debates . . . .--The list that follows forms a suggestive parallelism of contrast to that in 2Corinthians 7:11, the ethical imagination of the Apostle, with its keen perception of the shades of human character, dwelling now on the manifold forms of opposition, as before it had dwelt on the manifold fruits of repentance. It will be worth while to attempt to fix the exact significance of each word somewhat more accurately than is done in the Authorised version. "Debates," rather strifes or quarrels, had in older English a darker shade of meaning than it has now. Men spoke of a "deadly debate" between friends. Chapman's Homer makes Achilles complain that he has cast his life into "debates past end" (Iliad, ii. 331). "Envyings" better jealousies, another Greek word being appropriated for "envy" in the strict sense. The word, like "jealousy," is capable of a good sense, as in 2Corinthians 7:11; 2Corinthians 9:2; 2Corinthians 11:2. It is well, perhaps, to notice how closely allied are the qualities which the word expresses, how soon "zeal" (2Corinthians 7:11; Philippians 3:6) passes into "jealousy" in a good sense, and that again into "jealousy" in a bad sense. "Wrath." The passion so described is treated by great ethical writers (Aristotle, Eth. Nicom. iii. 8) as almost inseparable from true courage. In the New Testament it is always used either of human wrath in its evil aspects (Luke 4:28; Acts 19:28; Hebrews 11:27), or--but only in the Apocalypse, where it occurs in this sense frequently--of the wrath of God (Revelation 14:10; Revelation 14:19; Revelation 15:1; Revelation 15:7; Revelation 16:1; Revelation 16:19). There is, therefore, no need to alter the English here. The three words occur in the same connection in Galatians 5:20, a nearly contemporary Epistle. . . .

Verse 20. - Such as ye would not (see 1 Corinthians 4:21). Debates. "Discords," "quarrels." Strifes. "Party intrigues," "factious and emulous rivalries" (Romans 2:8). Backbiting. Detractions, talkings against one another. Swellings. Inflated conceit pompous egotism (1 Corinthians 4:6, 18, 19; Colossians 2:18). Tumults. Disorderly excitement (2 Corinthians 6:5; 1 Corinthians 14:33; comp. 1 Corinthians 13:2, 10).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
For
γὰρ (gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.

I am afraid
φοβοῦμαι (phoboumai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 5399: From phobos; to frighten, i.e. to be alarmed; by analogy, to be in awe of, i.e. Revere.

[that]
μή (mē)
Adverb
Strong's 3361: Not, lest. A primary particle of qualified negation; not, lest; also (whereas ou expects an affirmative one) whether.

when I come,
ἐλθὼν (elthōn)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2064: To come, go.

I may not find
εὕρω (heurō)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2147: A prolonged form of a primary heuro, which heureo is used for it in all the tenses except the present and imperfect to find.

you
ὑμᾶς (hymas)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

as
οἵους (hoious)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3634: Probably akin to ho, hos, and hosos; such or what sort of; especially the neuter with negative, not so.

I wish,
θέλω (thelō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2309: To will, wish, desire, be willing, intend, design.

and
κἀγὼ (kagō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2504: To also, I too, but I. From kai and ego; so also the dative case kamoi, and accusative case kame and I, me.

you
ὑμῖν (hymin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

may not find {me}
εὑρεθῶ (heurethō)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2147: A prolonged form of a primary heuro, which heureo is used for it in all the tenses except the present and imperfect to find.

as
οἷον (hoion)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3634: Probably akin to ho, hos, and hosos; such or what sort of; especially the neuter with negative, not so.

you wish.
θέλετε (thelete)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 2309: To will, wish, desire, be willing, intend, design.

[I fear]
μή (mē)
Adverb
Strong's 3361: Not, lest. A primary particle of qualified negation; not, lest; also (whereas ou expects an affirmative one) whether.

that there may be
πως (pōs)
Adverb
Strong's 4459: Adverb from the base of pou; an interrogative particle of manner; in what way?; also as exclamation, how much!

quarreling,
ἔρις (eris)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2054: Contention, strife, wrangling. Of uncertain affinity; a quarrel, i.e. wrangling.

jealousy,
ζῆλος (zēlos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2205: From zeo; properly, heat, i.e. 'zeal' (figuratively, of God), or an enemy, malice).

rage,
θυμοί (thymoi)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2372: An outburst of passion, wrath. From thuo; passion.

rivalry,
ἐριθεῖαι (eritheiai)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Plural
Strong's 2052: Perhaps as the same as erethizo; properly, intrigue, i.e. faction.

slander,
καταλαλιαί (katalaliai)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Plural
Strong's 2636: Evil-speaking, backbiting, detraction, slander. From katalalos; defamation.

gossip,
ψιθυρισμοί (psithyrismoi)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5587: A whispering, secret slandering. From a derivative of psithos; whispering, i.e. Secret detraction.

arrogance,
φυσιώσεις (physiōseis)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Plural
Strong's 5450: A puffing up, pride, swelling. From phusioo; inflation, i.e. haughtiness.

[and] disorder.
ἀκαταστασίαι (akatastasiai)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Plural
Strong's 181: From akatastatos; instability, i.e. Disorder.


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NT Letters: 2 Corinthians 12:20 For I am afraid that by any (2 Cor. 2C iiC 2Cor ii cor iicor)
2 Corinthians 12:19
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