2 Corinthians 12:20 (YLT)

Passage

for I fear lest, having come, not such as I wish I may find you, and I--I may be found by you such as ye do not wish, lest there be strifes, envyings, wraths, revelries, evil-speakings, whisperings, puffings up, insurrections,

Nearby Context

2 Corinthians 12:18 I entreated Titus, and did send with <FI>him<Fi> the brother; did Titus take advantage of you? in the same spirit did we not walk? --did we not in the same steps?

2 Corinthians 12:19 Again, think ye that to you we are making defence? before God in Christ do we speak; and the all things, beloved, <FI>are<Fi> for your up-building,

2 Corinthians 12:20 for I fear lest, having come, not such as I wish I may find you, and I--I may be found by you such as ye do not wish, lest there be strifes, envyings, wraths, revelries, evil-speakings, whisperings, puffings up, insurrections,

2 Corinthians 12:21 lest again having come, my God may humble me in regard to you, and I may bewail many of those having sinned before, and not having reformed concerning the uncleanness, and whoredom, and lasciviousness, that they did practise.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "fear", "lest", "having", "come", "such", "wish", "find", and "i--i". 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 "Again think ye that to you we..." into verse 21's "lest again having come my God may...", 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.