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;
2 Corinthians 12:18 I exhorted Titus, and I sent the brother with him. Did Titus take any advantage of you? walked we not in the same spirit? [walked we] not in the same steps?
2 Corinthians 12:19 Ye think all this time that we are excusing ourselves unto you. In the sight of God speak we in Christ. But all things, beloved, [are] for your edifying.
2 Corinthians 12:20 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;
2 Corinthians 12:21 lest again when I come my God should humble me before you, and I should mourn for many of them that have sinned heretofore, and repented not of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they committed.
The verse centers on "fear", "lest", "means", "come", "should", "find", and "such". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "fear" and "lest", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 19's "Ye think all this time that we..." into verse 21's "lest again when I come my God...", so "fear" and "lest" belong inside that flow. In 2 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "fear" and "lest" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.