2 Corinthians 12:19 (DBY)

Passage

Ye have long been supposing that we excuse ourselves to you: we speak before God in Christ; and all things, beloved, for your building up.

Nearby Context

2 Corinthians 12:17 Did I make gain of you by any of those whom I have sent to you?

2 Corinthians 12:18 I begged Titus, and sent the brother with [him]: did Titus at all make gain of you? have we not walked in the same spirit? [have we] not in the same steps?

2 Corinthians 12:19 Ye have long been supposing that we excuse ourselves to you: we speak before God in Christ; and all things, beloved, for your building up.

2 Corinthians 12:20 For I fear lest perhaps coming I find you not such as I wish, and that *I* be found by you such as ye do not wish: lest [there might be] strifes, jealousies, angers, contentions, evil speakings, whisperings, puffings up, disturbances;

2 Corinthians 12:21 lest my God should humble me as to you when I come again, and that I shall grieve over many of those who have sinned before, and have not repented as to the uncleanness and fornication and licentiousness which they have practised.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "all things", "long", "been", "supposing", "excuse", "ourselves", "speak", and "before". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "all things" and "long", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "I begged Titus and sent the brother..." into verse 20's "For I fear lest perhaps coming I...", so "all things" and "long" 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 "all things" and "long" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.