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 don’t desire; that by any means there would be strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, whisperings, proud thoughts, riots;
2 Corinthians 12:18 I exhorted Titus, and I sent the brother with him. Did Titus take any advantage of you? Didn’t we walk in the same spirit? Didn’t we walk in the same steps?
2 Corinthians 12:19 Again, do you think that we are excusing ourselves to you? In the sight of God we speak in Christ. But all things, beloved, are for your edifying.
2 Corinthians 12:20 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 don’t desire; that by any means there would be strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, whisperings, proud thoughts, riots;
2 Corinthians 12:21 that again when I come my God would humble me before you, and I would mourn for many of those who have sinned before now, and not repented of the uncleanness and sexual immorality and lustfulness which they committed.
The verse centers on "afraid", "means", "come", "might", "find", "want", and "found". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "afraid" and "means", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 19's "Again do you think that we are..." into verse 21's "that again when I come my God...", so "afraid" and "means" 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 "afraid" and "means" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.