SEV Biblia, Chapter 12:21
para que cuando volviere, no me humille Dios entre vosotros, y haya de llorar por muchos de los que antes habrn pecado, y no se han enmendado de la inmundicia y fornicacin y deshonestidad que han cometido.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 2 Corinthians 12:21
Verse 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 tapeinwsh has certainly that meaning. Have sinned already] prohmarthkotwn? 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 xx. x25: 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 : 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.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 21. And lest when I come again , etc..] 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 f154 ; 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.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 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 a 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 amon professors of religion. Falls and misdeeds are humbling to a minister and God sometimes takes this way to humble those who might be tempte to be lifted up. These vast verses show to what excesses the fals teachers had drawn aside their deluded followers. How grievous it is that such evils should be found among professors of the gospel! Ye thus it is, and has been too often, and it was so even in the days of the apostles __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
μη 3361 PRT-N παλιν 3825 ADV ελθοντα 2064 5631 V-2AAP-ASM με 3165 P-1AS ταπεινωση 5013 5661 V-AAS-3S ο 3588 T-NSM θεος 2316 N-NSM μου 3450 P-1GS προς 4314 PREP υμας 5209 P-2AP και 2532 CONJ πενθησω 3996 5692 V-FAI-1S πολλους 4183 A-APM των 3588 T-GPM προημαρτηκοτων 4258 5761 V-RAP-GPM και 2532 CONJ μη 3361 PRT-N μετανοησαντων 3340 5660 V-AAP-GPM επι 1909 PREP τη 3588 T-DSF ακαθαρσια 167 N-DSF και 2532 CONJ πορνεια 4202 N-DSF και 2532 CONJ ασελγεια 766 N-DSF η 3739 R-DSF επραξαν 4238 5656 V-AAI-3P
Vincent's NT Word Studies
21. Among you (prov umav). Better, as Rev., before. In my relation to you.Shall bewail (penqhsw). Lament with a true pastor's sorrow over the sin.
Many (pollouv). With special reference to the unchaste.
Sinned - already (prohmarthkotwn). Rev., heretofore. Only here and ch. xiii. 2. The perfect tense denotes the continuance of the sin. Heretofore probably refers to the time before his second visit.
Have not repented (mh metanohsantwn). The only occurrence of the verb in Paul's writings. Metanoia repentance, occurs only three times: Rom. ii. 4; 2 Cor. vii. 9, 10.
Of the uncleanness (epi th akaqarsia). Connect with bewail, not with repent. There are no examples in the New Testament of the phrase metanoein ejpi to repent over, though such occur in the Septuagint. Lasciviousness (aselgeia). See on Mark vii. 22.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
12:21 {When I come again} (palin elqontos mou). Genitive absolute. Paul assumes it as true. {Lest my God humble me} (me tapeinwsei me ho qeos mou). Negative final clause (me and first aorist active subjunctive), going back to foboumai in #20. He means a public humiliation as his fear. The conduct of the church had been a real humiliation whether he refers to a previous visit or not. {That have sinned heretofore} (twn proemartekotwn). Genitive plural of the articular perfect active participle of proamartanw to emphasize continuance of their sinful state as opposed to me metanoesantwn (did not repent) in the aorist tense.
