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.
2 Corinthians 12:18 I desired Titus: and I sent with him a brother. Did Titus overreach you? Did we not walk with the same spirit? Did we not in the same steps?
2 Corinthians 12:19 Of old, think you that we excuse ourselves to you? We speak before God in Christ: but all things, my dearly beloved, for your edification.
2 Corinthians 12:20 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.
2 Corinthians 12:21 Lest again, when I come, God humble me among you: and I mourn many of them that sinned before and have not done penance for the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness that they have committed.
The verse centers on "fear", "lest", "perhaps", "come", "shall", "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 "Of old think you that we excuse..." into verse 21's "Lest again when I come God humble...", 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.