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Scripture · New Testament

2 Corinthians 12:20

2 Corinthians 12:20 is verse 20 of 2 Corinthians chapter 12, shown here in the Berean Standard Bible.

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.

BSB source and public domain terms

King James Version

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:

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,

Read in context

2 Corinthians 12:18–21 · Berean Standard Bible

18 I urged Titus to visit you, and I sent our brother with him. Did Titus exploit you in any way? Did we not walk in the same Spirit and follow in the same footsteps?

19 Have 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.

20 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.

21 I 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.

Read all of 2 Corinthians 12

Greek words

Data created by STEPBible.org based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

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Cross-references

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge lists these related verses. Scripture text comes from the Berean Standard Bible.

2 Corinthians 12:21

I 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.

2 Corinthians 13:9

In fact, we rejoice when we are weak but you are strong, and our prayer is for your perfection.

2 Corinthians 1:23

I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth.

2 Corinthians 1:24

Not that we lord it over your faith, but we are fellow workers with you for your joy, because it is by faith that you stand firm.

2 Corinthians 2:1

So I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you.

2 Corinthians 2:2

For if I grieve you, who is left to cheer me but those whom I have grieved?

2 Corinthians 2:3

I wrote as I did so that on my arrival I would not be saddened by those who ought to make me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would share my joy.

2 Corinthians 10:2

I beg you that when I come I may not need to be as bold as I expect toward those who presume that we live according to the flesh.

2 Corinthians 10:6

And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, as soon as your obedience is complete.

2 Corinthians 10:8

For even if I boast somewhat excessively about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed.

2 Corinthians 10:9

I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you by my letters.

2 Corinthians 13:2

I already warned you the second time I was with you. So now in my absence I warn those who sinned earlier and everyone else: If I return, I will not spare anyone,

2 Corinthians 13:10

This is why I write these things while absent, so that when I am present I will not need to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.

1 Corinthians 4:18

Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you.

1 Corinthians 4:19

But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only what these arrogant people are saying, but what power they have.

1 Corinthians 4:20

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

1 Corinthians 4:21

Which do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and with a gentle spirit?

1 Corinthians 5:3

Although I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, and I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present.

1 Corinthians 5:4

When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, along with the power of the Lord Jesus,

1 Corinthians 5:5

hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the Day of the Lord.

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 3:4

For when one of you says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men?

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 4:7

For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

1 Corinthians 4:8

Already you have all you want. Already you have become rich. Without us, you have become kings. How I wish you really were kings, so that we might be kings with you!

1 Corinthians 6:7

The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means that you are thoroughly defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?

1 Corinthians 6:8

Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, even against your own brothers!

1 Corinthians 11:16

If anyone is inclined to dispute this, we have no other practice, nor do the churches of God.

1 Corinthians 11:17

In the following instructions I have no praise to offer, because your gatherings do more harm than good.

1 Corinthians 11:18

First of all, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it.

1 Corinthians 11:19

And indeed, there must be differences among you to show which of you are approved.

1 Corinthians 14:36

Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only ones it has reached?

1 Corinthians 14:37

If anyone considers himself a prophet or spiritual person, let him acknowledge that what I am writing you is the Lord’s command.

Galatians 5:15

But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.

Galatians 5:19

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery;

Galatians 5:20

idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions,

Galatians 5:21

and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:26

Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another.

Ephesians 4:31

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice.

Ephesians 4:32

Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.

James 3:14

But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth.

James 3:15

Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

James 3:16

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice.

James 4:1

What causes conflicts and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from the passions at war within you?

James 4:2

You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask.

James 4:3

And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.

James 4:4

You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.

James 4:5

Or do you think the Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to dwell in us yearns with envy?

1 Peter 2:1

Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.

Psalms 41:7

All who hate me whisper against me; they imagine the worst for me:

Proverbs 16:28

A perverse man spreads dissension, and a gossip divides close friends.

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,

2 Peter 2:18

With lofty but empty words, they appeal to the sensual passions of the flesh and entice those who are just escaping from others who live in error.

Jude 1:16

These men are discontented grumblers, following after their own lusts; their mouths spew arrogance; they flatter others for their own advantage.

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