2CO 12:11-21

Paulʼs Concern for the Corinthians

11I have become a fool — you have compelled me! For I ought to have been commended by you, for I am in no way inferior to the most eminent apostles, though I am nothing.

12The signs of an apostle were performed among you with all endurance — signs, wonders, and miracles.

13For in what way were you treated worse than the rest of the assemblies, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!

14Here I am, ready to come to you a third time, and I will not be a burden; for I am not seeking what is yours but you yourselves. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.

15And I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I to be loved less?

16But be that as it may; I did not burden you. But being crafty, I took you by deceit — so they say!

17Did I take advantage of you through any of those I sent to you?

18I urged Titus, and I sent the brother along with him. Titus did not take advantage of you, did he? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps?

19Have you been thinking all along that we are defending ourselves before you? Before God we speak in Christ; and all things, beloved, are for your building up.

20For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I will not find you as I want, and I will be found by you as you do not want — that there will be strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, slanders, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.

21I am afraid that when I come again, my God will humble me before you, and I will mourn over many of those who sinned before and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and licentiousness that they practiced.

In the world it was spoken into

In this passage, Paul addresses the Corinthian community, which was deeply embedded in the Roman patronage system and honor-shame culture. The Corinthians, influenced by Greco-Roman values, likely expected Paul to assert his authority through financial dependence or displays of power, as was customary for leaders seeking honor. Paul’s refusal to burden them financially would have been countercultural, as it defied the expectation that a leader would rely on his followers for support. His mention of 'most eminent apostles' critiques those who boasted excessively, a practice common in Roman rhetoric but contrary to Paul’s ethos of humility. The 'signs, wonders, and miracles' he references align with Jewish expectations of divine validation for a true apostle, yet Paul emphasizes perseverance over spectacle. His concern about 'selfish ambition' reflects the factionalism and political maneuvering prevalent in Corinthian society. Paul’s approach challenges the Corinthians’ cultural assumptions about leadership and community dynamics.

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How other translations render this

2CO 12:11

KJV: I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.
BSB: I have become a fool, but you drove me to it. In fact, you should have commended me, since I am in no way inferior to those “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing.
Koinōnos: I have become a fool — you have compelled me! For I ought to have been commended by you, for I am in no way inferior to the most eminent apostles, though I am nothing.

2CO 12:12

KJV: Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.
BSB: The marks of a true apostle—signs, wonders, and miracles—were performed among you with great perseverance.
Koinōnos: The signs of an apostle were performed among you with all endurance — signs, wonders, and miracles.

2CO 12:13

KJV: For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong.
BSB: In what way were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!
Koinōnos: For in what way were you treated worse than the rest of the assemblies, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!

2CO 12:14

KJV: Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.
BSB: See, I am ready to come to you a third time, and I will not be a burden, because I am not seeking your possessions, but you. For children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.
Koinōnos: Here I am, ready to come to you a third time, and I will not be a burden; for I am not seeking what is yours but you yourselves. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.

2CO 12:15

KJV: And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.
BSB: And for the sake of your souls, I will most gladly spend my money and myself. If I love you more, will you love me less?
Koinōnos: And I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I to be loved less?

2CO 12:16

KJV: But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile.
BSB: Be that as it may, I was not a burden to you; but crafty as I am, I caught you by trickery.
Koinōnos: But be that as it may; I did not burden you. But being crafty, I took you by deceit — so they say!

2CO 12:17

KJV: Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you?
BSB: Did I exploit you by anyone I sent you?
Koinōnos: Did I take advantage of you through any of those I sent to you?

2CO 12:18

KJV: I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps?
BSB: I urged Titus to visit you, and I sent our brother with him. Did Titus exploit you in any way? Did we not walk in the same Spirit and follow in the same footsteps?
Koinōnos: I urged Titus, and I sent the brother along with him. Titus did not take advantage of you, did he? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps?

2CO 12:19

KJV: Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying.
BSB: Have you been thinking all along that we were making a defense to you? We speak before God in Christ, and all of this, beloved, is to build you up.
Koinōnos: Have you been thinking all along that we are defending ourselves before you? Before God we speak in Christ; and all things, beloved, are for your building up.

2CO 12:20

KJV: 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:
BSB: For I am afraid that when I come, I may not find you as I wish, and you may not find me as you wish. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, rage, rivalry, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.
Koinōnos: For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I will not find you as I want, and I will be found by you as you do not want — that there will be strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, slanders, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.

2CO 12:21

KJV: 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.
BSB: 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.
Koinōnos: I am afraid that when I come again, my God will humble me before you, and I will mourn over many of those who sinned before and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and licentiousness that they practiced.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

2CO 12:11

to those:The word translated 'to those' here carries the sense of being excessively arrogant or overweening, implying a puffed-up pride that looks down on others.

2CO 12:13

did burden:The term used here for 'did burden' originally meant to grow numb or torpid, and in this context, it implies becoming a financial burden or a drain on resources.

2CO 12:16

crafty:The word translated 'crafty' suggests someone who is ready to do anything to achieve their ends, often implying a knavish or wicked cunning.

2CO 12:20

contentions:The word translated 'contentions' refers specifically to selfish ambition or factious intrigue, often associated with seeking public office or personal gain.