2 Corinthians 12:20

For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults: FOR - cause why they needed to be thus spoken to "for their edification" - namely, his fear that at his coming he should find them 'not such as he would,' and so be found by them 'such as they would not' like-namely, severe in punishing misconduct. DEBATES - `contentions' [ ereis (G2046)], B Delta G f g, Vulgate. But 'Aleph (') A [ eris (G2054), singular] 'contention.' ENVYINGS. So 'Aleph (') f g, Vulgate. But A B Delta G read 'envying.' STRIFES - `intrigues,' 'factious schemes' ...

20._For I fear _He declares, in what way it tends to their edification, that his integrity should be vindicated, for, on the ground that he had _come _into contempt, many grew wanton, as it were, with loosened reins. Now respect for him would have been a means of leading them to repentance_, _for they would have listened to his admonitions. _I fear, _says he. This _fear _proceeded from love, for, unless he had been concerned as to their welfare, he would very readily have overlooked all this, from which he sought to obtain no personal advantage. For otherwise we are afraid to give occasion of offense, when we foresee that it will be hurtful to ourselves. _And I shall be found by you. _Here is a _second _ground of fear — lest he should be constrained to act with greater severity. Now it is a token not merely of love, but even of indulgence, to shun severity, and have recourse to milder m...

11-21 We owe it to good men, to stand up in the defence of their reputation; and we are under special obligations to those from whom we have received benefit, especially spiritual benefit, to own them as instruments in God's hand of good to us. Here is an account of the apostle's behaviour and kind intentions; in which see the character of a faithful minister of the gospel. This was his great aim and design, to do good. Here are noticed several sins commonly found among professors of religion. Falls and misdeeds are humbling to a minister; and God sometimes takes this way to humble those who might be tempted to be lifted up. These vast verses show to what excesses the false teachers had drawn aside their deluded followers. How grievous it is that such evils should be found among professors of the gospel! Yet thus it is, and has been too often, and it was so even in the days of the apostl...

Verse 20. _I FEAR, LEST, WHEN I COME_] I think the _present time_ is used here for the _past_; the apostle seems most evidently to be giving them the _reason_ why he _had not come_ to them according to his former purposes, and why he sent Titus and his companion. He was afraid to come at that time lest he should have found them perverted from the right way, and he be obliged to make use of his apostolical _rod_, and punish the offenders; but, feeling towards them the heart of a tender _father_, he was unwilling to use the _rod_; and sent the first epistle to them, and the messengers above mentioned, being reluctant to go himself till he had satisfactory evidence that their divisions were ended, and that they had repented for and put away the evils that they had committed; and that he should not be obliged to bewail them who had sinned so abominably, and had not repented for their crimes...

FOR I FEAR, LEST, WHEN I COME - see 2 Corinthians 12:14. I SHALL NOT FIND YOU SUCH AS I WOULD - That is, walking in the truth and order of the gospel. He had feared that the disorders would not be removed, and that they would not have corrected the errors which prevailed, and for which he had rebuked them. It was on this account that he had said so much to them. His desire was that all these disorders might be removed, and that he might be saved from the necessity of exercising severe discipline when he should come among them. AND THAT I SHALL BE FOUND UNTO YOU SUCH AS YE WOULD NOT - That is, that I shall be compelled to administer discipline, and that my visit may not be as pleasant to you as you would desire. For this reason he wished all disorder corrected, a

EXPOSITION The revelations vouchsafed to him (2 Corinthians 12:1). The counteracting "thorn in the flesh" (2 Corinthians 12:7). One more apology for glorying (2 Corinthians 12:11, 2 Corinthians 12:12). His disinterestedness (2 Corinthians 12:13). Indignant refutation of the charge that he had made gain of them through the agency of subordinates (2 Corinthians 12:16)

FOR I FEAR LEST WHEN I COME,.... This fear arose from his fatherly affection for them, and care of them: I SHALL NOT FIND YOU SUCH AS I WOULD; truly penitent for former sins, thoroughly reformed in life and manners, zealous for God, Christ, and the Gospel, and hearty lovers of one another: AND THAT I SHALL BE FOUND UNTO YOU SUCH AS YE WOULD NOT; sharp in his reproofs and admonitions, severe in his corrections and censures, and lawfully using the authority he had from Christ, to punish incorrigible offenders: LEST THERE BE DEBATES; or "strifes", or contentions among them, about words to no profit, or about their ministers, as before; one being for Paul, and another for Apollos, and another for Cephas: ENVYINGS: at each other's gifts, or "jealousies" of one another, and evil surmisings: WRATHS; breaking out into words and actions, which discover hatred of mind, a malignant spirit

2 CORINTHIANS 12:20 e;rij In many witnesses the singular number e;rij (î46 a A 33 1611 1739 2005 syrp arm) has been changed to e;reij (B D F G K L P Y most minuscules it vg syrh copsa, bo goth) so as to conform to the following plurals....

3. REVELATION IN WHICH HE MIGHT GLORY. HIS APOSTLESHIP. CHAPTER 12 _ 1. Caught up to the Third Heaven. (2 Corinthians 12:1)_ 2. The Thorn in the Flesh. (2 Corinthians 12:7) 3. The Marks of His Apostleship. (2 Corinthians 12:11) 4. His Continued Deep Concern. (2 Corinthians 12:16 .) In the previous chapter the apostle gloried in that which in the eyes of man has no glory at all. From the ignominious experience of being let down in a basket he turns to another experience in which he was caught into the third heaven. “I will come to visions

RETROSPECT OF THE BOASTING. This paragraph is marked by rapid oscillation of feeling. Now that he has made and proved his claim, the same doubt seizes him as when he began (2 Corinthians 11:1; 2 Corinthians 11:16). Has he not been foolish? It was the duty of the Corinthians to testify to his legitimate authority. And they had quite sufficient ground for doing so in what they had seen (2 Corinthians 12:12; _cf._ 2 Corinthians 12:6), the signs of an apostle (_cf._ Acts 2:22 *), wrought by Paul. Corinth h