Was Paul exaggerating when he said he wrote with many tears and anguish of heart?
No, Paul was not exaggerating. He wrote out of much affliction and anguish of heart, with many tears, because his heart was broken over what he heard from the Corinthian congregation. His sorrow was real, not overemphasis, as he labored for their growth and joy in Christ.
Les explains that Paul was not stretching or overemphasizing when he described writing with many tears. Paul wrote out of much affliction and anguish of heart. Les notes that an old Bible teacher, Finley, said Paul must have written that letter with a quill dipped in tears. Paul's heart was broken and he was in tears because of what he was hearing from the congregation at Corinth. The early Christians were under pressure from the Jewish element and the pagan element, and few came into the liberty of Christianity. Yet Paul's whole mental concept concerning that carnal church was that they could grow and become real trophies of God's grace, and his joy was their joy.
For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.