2 Corinthians 12:20

Contextual Overview

¹¹ I have been talking like a fool, but you made me do it. You people are the ones who should say good things about me. I am worth nothing, but those "super apostles" are not worth any more than I am! ¹¹ I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these superlative apostles, even though I am nothing. ¹¹ I am made a fole in bostynge my silfe. Ye have copelled me: I ought to have bene comeded of you. For in nothinge was I inferior vnto ye chefe apostels Though I be nothynge ¹¹ I have become foolish in boasting. You compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for in nothing was I behind the very best apostles, though I am nothing. ¹¹ I have become foolish; you yourselves compelled me. Actually I should have been commended by you, since I was in no respect inferior to the most eminent apostles, even though I am a nobody. ¹¹ I have been talking like a fool, but you made me do it. You are the ones who should say good things about me. I am worth nothing, but those "great apostles" are not worth any more than I am! ¹¹ I have become foolish: you compelled me; for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing was I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I am nothing. ¹¹ I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended by you: for in nothing am I behind the very greatest apostles, though I am nothing. ¹¹ I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. ¹¹ I have become foolish in boasting. You compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for in nothing was I behind the very best apostles, though I am nothing.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I shall not: 2 Corinthians 12:21, 2 Corinthians 13:9

and that: 2 Corinthians 1:23, 2 Corinthians 1:24, 2 Corinthians 2:1-3, 2 Corinthians 10:2, 2 Corinthians 10:6, 2 Corinthians 10:8, 2 Corinthians 10:9, 2 Corinthians 13:2, 2 Corinthians 13:10, 1 Corinthians 4:18-21, 1 Corinthians 5:3-5

debates: 1 Corinthians 1:11, 1 Corinthians 3:3, 1 Corinthians 3:4, 1 Corinthians 4:6-8, 1 Corinthians 4:18, 1 Corinthians 6:7, 1 Corinthians 6:8, 1 Corinthians 11:16-19, 1 Corinthians 14:36, 1 Corinthians 14:37, Galatians 5:15, Galatians 5:19-21, Galatians 5:26, Ephesians 4:31, Ephesians 4:32, James 3:14-16, James 4:1-5, 1 Peter 2:1

whisperings: Psalms 41:7, Proverbs 16:28, Romans 1:29

swellings: 2 Peter 2:18, Jude 1:16

Reciprocal: Psalms 31:20 - the strife Proverbs 17:19 - loveth Proverbs 25:23 - so Ezekiel 18:24 - and doeth Matthew 13:47 - and gathered 1 Corinthians 4:21 - shall 1 Corinthians 5:8 - neither 1 Corinthians 5:11 - fornicator 1 Corinthians 13:4 - envieth 2 Corinthians 1:7 - our 2 Corinthians 7:5 - fears 2 Corinthians 10:11 - such 2 Corinthians 11:3 - I fear 2 Corinthians 13:6 - General Galatians 4:11 - am Philippians 1:15 - even Philippians 2:3 - nothing Philippians 2:14 - disputings Colossians 2:18 - fleshly Colossians 3:8 - anger Titus 3:2 - speak Titus 3:3 - living Revelation 3:15 - I would

Cross-References

Genesis 12:6
Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.

Genesis 12:6
And Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.

Genesis 12:6
Abram traveled through that land as far as the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. The Canaanites were living in the land at that time.

Genesis 12:6
Abram traveled through the land as far as the oak tree of Moreh at Shechem. (At that time the Canaanites were in the land.)

Genesis 12:6
And Abram passed through the land to the place of Sichem, to the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite [was] then in the land.

Genesis 12:6
Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. The Canaanite was then in the land.

Genesis 12:6
Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the [great] terebinth (oak) tree of Moreh. Now the Canaanites were in the land at that time.

Genesis 12:6
Abram passide thorou the lond til to the place of Sichem, and til to the noble valey. Forsothe Chananei was thanne in the lond.

Genesis 12:6
And Abram passeth over into the land, unto the place Shechem, unto the oak of Moreh; and the Canaanite [is] then in the land.

Genesis 12:6
Abram traveled through the land to the site of the Oak of Moreh at Shechem. And at that time the Canaanites were in the land.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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, quite contrary to that of the Gospel:

strifes: law suits before heathen magistrates; contentions in the church who shall be greatest; or about lesser matters of religion, or things indifferent, vain, and trifling, and kept up merely for the sake of victory:

backbitings; speaking evil of one another, detracting from, hurting, or taking away each other's character and good name:

whisperings; secretly sowing discords among friends, and privately suggesting evil things of each other:

swellings; with pride and conceit of themselves, because of their riches, learning, and eloquence, and looking with disdain upon others:

tumults; at church meetings, interrupting one another, going into parties, and making rents and schisms.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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, and all offences removed; that everything might be pleasant when he should come; see 1 Corinthians 4:21; compare note on 2 Corinthians 10:2.

Lest there be debates - I fear that there may be existing there debates, etc., which will require the interposition of the authority of an apostle. On the meaning of the word “debate,” see the note on Romans 1:29.

Envyings - see the note on 1 Corinthians 3:3.

Wraths - Anger or animosities between contending factions, the usual effect of forming parties.

Strifes - Between contending factions; see note on 1 Corinthians 3:3.

Backbitings - see the note on Romans 1:30.

Whisperings - see the note on Romans 1:29.

Swellings - Undue elation; being puffed up (see the notes on 2 Corinthians 8:1; 1 Corinthians 4:6, note; 1 Corinthians 4:18-19, note; 1 Corinthians 5:2, note) - such as would be produced by vain self-confidence.

Tumults - Disorder and confusion arising from this existence of parties. Paul, deeply sensible of the evil of all this, had endeavored in this correspondence to suppress it, that all things might be pleasant when he should come among them.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

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. If this verse be understood in this way, all difficulty will vanish; otherwise, what is here said does seem to contradict what is said, 2 Corinthians 7:6; 2 Corinthians 7:16, c. as well as many things both in the eighth and ninth chapters.

Debates, envyings — From these different expressions, which are too plain to need interpretation, we see what a distracted and divided state the Church at Corinth must have been in. Brotherly love and charity seem to have been driven out of this once heavenly assembly. These debates, &c., are precisely the opposites to that love which the apostle recommends and explains by its different properties in the 13th chapter of his first epistle.

Mr. Wakefield translates the original thus: strifes, rivalries, passions, provocations, slanders, whisperings, swellings, quarrels.