2 Corinthians 12:21

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

New American Standard Bible (1995)
I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and not repented of the impurity, immorality and sensuality which they have practiced.

Legacy Standard Bible
I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality which they have practiced.

Simplified Cowboy Version
I really am afraid that when I get there, God is going to humble me because y'all have done nothing you were supposed to. My tears will flow down my cheeks because you have given up your ride for the brand for a life of sin again. You have not rode off from your evil lies, sexual immorality, and sorry ways. I'm afraid you just hid them in a closet, not repented and rode off from them.

Bible in Basic English
And that when I come again, my God may put me to shame among you, and I may have grief for those who have done wrong before and have had no regret for their unclean ways, and for the evil desires of the flesh to which they have given way.

Darby Translation
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.

Christian Standard Bible®
I fear that when I come my God will again humiliate me in your presence, and I will grieve for many who sinned before and have not repented of the moral impurity, sexual immorality, and promiscuity they practiced.

World English Bible
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.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
and I should mourn over many of them who had sinned before, and have not repented of the uncleanness, and fornication, and lasciviousness, which they have committed.

Weymouth's New Testament
and that upon re-visiting you I may be humbled by my God in your presence, and may have to mourn over many whose hearts still cling to their old sins, and who have not repented of the impurity, fornication, and gross sensuality, of which they have been guilty.

King James Version (1611)
And least when I come againe, my God will humble mee among you, and that I shall bewaile many which haue sinned alreadie, and haue not repented of the vncleannesse, and fornication, and lasciuiousnesse which they haue committed.

Literal Translation
that it not be , in my having come again my God may humble me with you, and I shall mourn many of those having previously sinned and not having repented over the uncleanness and fornication and lustful acts which they have practiced.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
lest whan I come agayne, God bringe me lowe amoge you & lest I be constrayned to bewayle many of the yt haue synned before, & haue not repented ouer ye vnclennesse and whordome, and wantonnes, which they haue comytted.

Mace New Testament (1729)
and I am afraid, God will humble me when I come again among you, and I shall bewail many who have formerly sinned, and have not yet repented of their impurity, their fornication, and dissoluteness.

Amplified Bible
I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality and decadence which they formerly practiced.

American Standard Version
lest again when I come my God should humble me before you, and I should mourn for many of them that have sinned heretofore, and repented not of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they committed.

Revised Standard Version
I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned before and have not repented of the impurity, immorality, and licentiousness which they have practiced.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
I feare lest when I come agayne God brynge me lowe amoge you and I be constrayned to bewayle many of the which have synned all redy and have not repented of the vnclennes fornicacion and wantanes which they haue committed.

Update Bible Version
lest again when I come my God should humble me before you, and I should mourn for many of those that have sinned before, and didn't repent of the impurity and fornication and sexual immorality which they committed.

Webster's Bible Translation
[And] lest, when I come again, my God may humble me among you, and I shall bewail many who have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness, and lewdness, and lasciviousness, which they have committed.

Young's Literal Translation
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.

New Century Version
I am afraid that when I come to you again, my God will make me ashamed before you. I may be saddened by many of those who have sinned because they have not changed their hearts or turned from their sexual sins and the shameful things they have done.

New English Translation
I am afraid that when I come again, my God may humiliate me before you, and I will grieve for many of those who previously sinned and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and licentiousness that they have practiced.

Berean Standard Bible
I am afraid that when I come again, my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of their acts of impurity, sexual immorality, and debauchery.

Contemporary English Version
I am afraid God will make me ashamed when I visit you again. I will feel like crying because many of you have never given up your old sins. You are still doing things that are immoral, indecent, and shameful.

Complete Jewish Bible
I am afraid that when I come again, my God may humiliate me in your presence, and that I will be grieved over many of those who sinned in the past and have not repented of the impurity, fornication and debauchery that they have engaged in.

English Standard Version
I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.

Geneva Bible (1587)
I feare least when I come againe, my God abase me among you, and I shall bewaile many of them which haue sinned already, and haue not repented of the vncleannesse, and fornication, and wantonnesse which they haue committed.

George Lamsa Translation
Perhaps when I come to you, my God will humble me, and I will mourn over many who have sinned, and who have not repented of the impurity, immorality, and lasciviousness which they have committed.

Hebrew Names Version
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.

International Standard Version
I am afraid that when I come my God may again humble me before you and that I may have to grieve over many who formerly lived in sin and have not repented of their impurity, sexual immorality, and promiscuity that they once practiced.1 Corinthians 5:1; 2 Corinthians 2:1,4; 13:2;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
and lest, when I come to you, my God may humiliate me, and I may have to lament over many who have sinned, and have not repented of the uncleanness and of the fornication and of the lasciviousness which they have committed.

Murdock Translation
lest, when I come to you, my God should humble me; and I should mourn over many, who have sinned, and have not repented of the impurity, the whoredom, and the lasciviousness, which they have committed.

New King James Version
lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced.

New Living Translation
Yes, I am afraid that when I come again, God will humble me in your presence. And I will be grieved because many of you have not given up your old sins. You have not repented of your impurity, sexual immorality, and eagerness for lustful pleasure.

New Life Bible
I am afraid when I get there God will take all the pride away from me that I had for you. I will not be happy about many who have lived in sin and done sex sins and have had a desire for such things and have not been sorry for their sins and turned from them.

English Revised Version
lest, when I come again, my God should humble me before you, and I should mourn for many of them that have sinned heretofore, and repented not of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they committed.

New Revised Standard
I fear that when I come again, my God may humble me before you, and that I may have to mourn over many who previously sinned and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and licentiousness that they have practiced.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Lest, when I again come, my God should humble me in regard to you, - and I should grieve over many who had before sinned, and not repented of the impurity, and fornication, and wantonness which they had committed.

Douay-Rheims Bible
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.

King James Version
And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.

Lexham English Bible
I am afraid lest when I come again my God will humiliate me in your presence, and I will grieve over many of those who sinned previously and have not repented because of their impurity and sexual immorality and licentiousness that they have practiced.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And that when I come agayne, my God bryng me lowe among you, and I shall bewayle many of the which haue sinned alredy, and haue not repented of the vncleannesse, and fornication, and wantonnes, which they haue comitted.

Easy-to-Read Version
I am afraid that when I come to you again, my God will make me humble before you. I may have to cry over the loss of some who sinned before. Many of them have still not changed their hearts to be sorry for their evil lives, their sexual sins, and the shameful things they have done.

New American Standard Bible
I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and indecent behavior which they have practiced.

Good News Translation
I am afraid that the next time I come my God will humiliate me in your presence, and I shall weep over many who sinned in the past and have not repented of the immoral things they have done—their lust and their sexual sins.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and lest eftsoone whanne Y come, God make me low anentis you, and Y biweile many of hem, that bifor synneden, and diden not penaunce on the vnclennesse, and fornicacioun, and vnchastite, that thei han don.

Contextual Overview

¹¹Well, now I've done it! I've made a complete fool of myself by going on like this. But it's not all my fault; you put me up to it. You should have been doing this for me, sticking up for me and commending me instead of making me do it for myself. You know from personal experience that even if I'm a nobody, a nothing, I wasn't second-rate compared to those big-shot apostles you're so taken with. All the signs that mark a true apostle were in evidence while I was with you through both good times and bad: signs of portent, signs of wonder, signs of power. Did you get less of me or of God than any of the other churches? The only thing you got less of was less responsibility for my upkeep. Well, I'm sorry. Forgive me for depriving you. ¹⁴Everything is in readiness now for this, my third visit to you. But don't worry about it; you won't have to put yourselves out. I'll be no more of a bother to you this time than on the other visits. I have no interest in what you have—only in you. Children shouldn't have to look out for their parents; parents look out for the children. I'd be most happy to empty my pockets, even mortgage my life, for your good. So how does it happen that the more I love you, the less I'm loved? ¹⁶And why is it that I keep coming across these whiffs of gossip about how my self-support was a front behind which I worked an elaborate scam? Where's the evidence? Did I cheat or trick you through anyone I sent? I asked Titus to visit, and sent some brothers along. Did they swindle you out of anything? And haven't we always been just as aboveboard, just as honest? ¹⁹ I hope you don't think that all along we've been making our defense before you, the jury. You're not the jury; God is the jury—God revealed in Christ—and we make our case before him. And we've gone to all the trouble of supporting ourselves so that we won't be in the way or get in the way of your growing up. ²⁰I do admit that I have fears that when I come you'll disappoint me and I'll disappoint you, and in frustration with each other everything will fall to pieces—quarrels, jealousy, flaring tempers, taking sides, angry words, vicious rumors, swelled heads, and general bedlam. I don't look forward to a second humiliation by God among you, compounded by hot tears over that crowd that keeps sinning over and over in the same old ways, who refuse to turn away from the pigsty of evil, sexual disorder, and indecency in which they wallow.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

my God: 2 Corinthians 12:7, 2 Corinthians 8:24, 2 Corinthians 9:3, 2 Corinthians 9:4

that I: 2 Corinthians 2:1-4, Exodus 32:31, Deuteronomy 9:15, Deuteronomy 9:25, 1 Samuel 15:35, Ezra 9:3, Ezra 10:1, Psalms 119:136, Jeremiah 9:1, Jeremiah 13:17, Luke 9:41, Luke 9:42, Romans 9:2, Philippians 3:18, Philippians 3:19

sinned: 2 Corinthians 13:2

and have not: 2 Corinthians 2:5-11, 2 Corinthians 7:9-11, 2 Corinthians 10:6, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Revelation 22:20

uncleanness: Romans 13:13, 1 Corinthians 5:1, 1 Corinthians 5:9-11, 1 Corinthians 6:15-18, Galatians 5:19, Ephesians 5:5, Ephesians 5:6, Colossians 3:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7, Hebrews 13:4, 1 Peter 4:2, 1 Peter 4:3, 2 Peter 2:10-14, 2 Peter 2:18, Jude 1:7, Jude 1:23, Revelation 21:8, Revelation 22:15

Reciprocal: Psalms 119:53 - horror Psalms 119:59 - turned Proverbs 7:26 - General Jeremiah 13:27 - thine adulteries Ezekiel 9:4 - that sigh Ezekiel 18:24 - and doeth Matthew 13:47 - and gathered Matthew 22:10 - both Acts 15:20 - fornication 1 Corinthians 4:21 - shall 1 Corinthians 5:2 - mourned 1 Corinthians 5:8 - not 1 Corinthians 5:11 - fornicator 2 Corinthians 2:3 - lest 2 Corinthians 7:5 - fears 2 Corinthians 7:10 - repentance 2 Corinthians 11:3 - I fear 2 Corinthians 12:20 - I shall not 2 Corinthians 13:10 - I write Galatians 4:11 - am Ephesians 5:3 - fornication Philippians 4:19 - God Hebrews 12:16 - any fornicator 1 John 3:4 - committeth Revelation 2:22 - except Revelation 9:20 - yet Revelation 9:21 - nor of their fornication Revelation 16:9 - and they

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And lest when I come again,.... Another thing which he feared would be the case when he came again to them, that he himself should be afflicted and distressed, seeing them in a disorderly and dissolute course of life, be obliged to punish them, which would be an humiliation and matter of grief to him:

my God will humble me; instead of rejoicing in the fruit of his labours, that they were not in vain, he signifies that he should have great sorrow of heart; and whereas he had promised himself much pleasure and comfort in visiting them, it would be the reverse; and inasmuch as he had boasted of them to others, he should be ashamed:

and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, or "before"; not before conversion, but before the writing of this or the former epistle; for nothing was more grieving, and occasioned more sorrow and humiliation to the apostle, than the unbecoming walk of professors; and nothing more sensibly affects a faithful minister of the Gospel:

and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication, and lasciviousness, which they have committed. The city of Corinth was famous, or rather infamous, for unclean practices; as fornication, adultery, lasciviousness in words and deeds, and other unnatural lusts; "Corinthian whores" was a common proverb; nor was it proper for persons to go to Corinth, there were so many snares for lust and uncleanness; there were said to be above a thousand prostitutes in the temple of Venus there k; hence the very great impurities and wickedness, which many of the members of this church were guilty of, may be accounted for; some of them had repented, others not, which was the great concern of the apostle: and from hence we may learn, that gracious souls may be suffered to fall into great sins; and that when they are truly brought to repentance, they ought to be restored to communion with the church; but impenitent ones are to be cut off, and remain so, till brought to a due sense of their evils.

k Alex. ab Alex. Genial Dier. l. 4. c. 13. & 5. 15. & 6. 26.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me ... - Lest I should be compelled to inflict punishment on those whom I suppose to have been converted under my ministry. I had rejoiced in them as true converts: I had counted them as among the fruit of my ministry. Now to be compelled to inflict punishment on them as having no religion would mortify me and humble me. The infliction of punishment on members of the church is a sort of punishment to him who inflicts it as well as to him who is punished. Members of the church should walk uprightly, lest they overwhelm the ministry in shame.

And that I shall bewail many ... - If they repented of their sin he could still rejoice in them. If they continued in their sin until he came, it would be to him a source of deep lamentation. It is evident from the word “many” here that the disorders had prevailed very extensively in the church at Corinth. The word rendered “have sinned already” means “who have sinned before,” and the idea is, that they were old offenders, and that they had not yet repented.

The uncleanness - see note, Romans 1:24.

And fornication and lasciviousness ... - see the notes on 1 Corinthians 5:1; 1 Corinthians 6:18. This was the sin to which they were particularly exposed in Corinth, as it was the sin for which that corrupt city was particularly distinguished. See the introduction to the First Epistle. Hence, the frequent cautions in these epistles against it; and hence, it is not to be wondered at that some of those who had become professing Christians had fallen into it. It may be added that it is still the sin to which converts from the corruptions and licentiousness of paganism are particularly exposed.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Corinthians 12:21. Lest, when I come again — And even after all that has been done for you, I fear that when I do come-when I pay you my second visit, my God will humble me-will permit me to be affected with deep sorrow through what I may see among you; as I have been by the buffetings of the apostle of Satan, who has perverted you. Humiliation is repeatedly used for affliction, and here ταπεινωση has certainly that meaning.

Have sinned already — προημαρτηκοτων. Who have sinned before; who were some of the first offenders, and have not yet repented.

Of the uncleanness, c.] There must have been a total relaxation of discipline, else such abominations could not have been tolerated in the Christian Church. And although what is here spoken could only be the ease of a few yet the many were ill disciplined, else these must have been cast out. On the whole, this Church seems to have been a composition of excellences and defects, of vices and virtues; and should not be quoted as a model for a Christian Church.

1. FROM St. Paul we receive two remarkable sayings of our Lord, which are of infinite value to the welfare and salvation of man; which are properly parts of the Gospel, but are not mentioned by any evangelist. The first is in Acts 20:35: I have showed you, the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE. Every liberal heart feels this in bestowing its bounty; and every poor man, who is obliged to receive help, and whose independency of spirit is still whole in him, feels this too. To the genuine poor, it is more burdensome to receive a kindness, than it is to the generous man who gives it. The second is recorded in the ninth verse of this chapter 2 Corinthians 12:9: He said unto me, MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR THEE; FOR MY STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS. Of these two most blessed sayings, St. Paul is the only evangelist. This last is of general application. In all states and conditions of life God's grace is sufficient for us. If in any case we miscarry, it is because we have not sought God earnestly. Let no man say that he is overcome by sin through want of grace; God's grace was sufficient for him, but he did not apply for it as did St. Paul, and therefore he did not receive it. Men often lay the issue of their own infidelity to the charge of God, they excuse their commission of sin through their scantiness of grace; whereas the whole is owing to their carelessness, and refusal to be saved in God's own way; and in this way alone will God save any man, because it is the only effectual way.

2. The apostle must have been brought into a blessed state of subjection to God, when he could say, I take pleasure in infirmities; that is, in afflictions and sufferings of different kinds. Though this language was spoken on earth, we may justly allow, with one, that he learned it in HEAVEN.

3. St. Paul preached the Gospel without being burdensome. In every case the labourer is worthy of his hire. He who labours for the cause of God should be supported by the cause of God; but wo to that man who aggrandizes himself and grows rich by the spoils of the faithful! And to him especially who has made a fortune out of the pence of the poor! In such a man's heart the love of money must have its throne. As to his professed spirituality, it is nothing; he is a whited sepulchre, and an abomination in the sight of the Lord. If a man will love the world, (and he does love it who makes a fortune by the offerings of the poor,) the love of the Father is not in him.