2 Corinthians 12:14-21

New King James Version

Love for the Church

^14 (A)Now for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be burdensome to you; for ^(B)I do not seek yours, but you. ^(C)For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. ¹⁵ And I will very gladly spend and be spent ^(D)for your souls; though ^(E)the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.

¹⁶ But be that as it may, ^(F)I did not burden you. Nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you by cunning! ¹⁷ Did I take advantage of you by any of those whom I sent to you? ¹⁸ I urged Titus, and sent our ^(G)brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps?

^19 (H)Again, ^[a]do you think that we excuse ourselves to you? ^(I)We speak before God in Christ. ^(J)But we do all things, beloved, for your edification. ²⁰ For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish, and that ^(K)I shall be found by you such as you do not wish; lest there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults; ²¹ lest, when I come again, my God ^(L)will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many ^(M)who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, ^(N)fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced.