Yes — Paul wrote with tears because the Corinthians' carnality and sin grieved him deeply, and his tears flowed from abundant love rather than anger.
Les Feldick explains that Paul wrote this letter instead of coming to Corinth in person because he did not want to arrive in heaviness and sorrow — things were happening in the church that would make him sorry from believers who ought to have made him rejoice (2 Corinthians 2:1–3; Clip 0). The Corinthians were the most carnal and fleshly-minded of all the churches, constantly tempted to return to idolatry and immorality, and plagued with all kinds of sin (Clips 1, 2, 5). And 2 Corinthians 2:4 says Paul wrote out of much anguish of heart with many tears — not to grieve them, but to let them know his abundant love.
2 Corinthians 2:4 — This is the verse where Paul explicitly says he wrote to the Corinthians with many tears, making it the direct scriptural foundation for the question.
The Bible shows that Paul deliberately determined not to come again to Corinth 'in heaviness.' He reasoned that if he made them sorrowful, no one would make him glad — a human response he knew he would not enjoy. So he wrote this same thing to them, 'lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice,' while still expressing confidence in them all that his joy is the joy of them all (2 Corinthians 2:1–3). The emotional heart of the matter appears in the very next verse: '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' (2 Corinthians 2:4). The tears were not sent to shame them; they were the overflow of a heart grieved by their condition and yet full of love. Scripture also explains why such sorrow was warranted: Paul could not speak to the Corinthians as spiritual people but as carnal, 'even as unto babes in Christ' (1 Corinthians 3:1).
Les Feldick explains that Paul deliberately chose the process of writing a letter rather than coming personally to Corinth. Paul had determined 'that I would not come again to you in heaviness, or in much sorrow.' Les points out that if Paul had come down on these people too hard and made them sorry, that kind of response would not have brought him any gladness. Instead, Paul wrote this same thing to them, 'lest when I came, I should have sorrow, or would grieve, from them of whom I ought to rejoice' — he was hearing about things in the church that made him sorry rather than joyful, and his whole mental concept concerned this carnal church at Corinth (Clip 0). Les repeatedly stresses how carnal the Corinthians were. He calls them 'weak, carnal, fleshly believers' who were still beset with every kind of problem. They were constantly tempted to go back into idolatry and immoral practices; they lined up behind favorite teachers — Paul, Apollos, even Christ — and they sued one another in pagan courts. The little congregation was plagued with malice and wickedness, a leaven that permeated the group. Les says that of all the churches Paul dealt with, none were as carnal and fleshly-minded as the church at Corinth (Clips 1, 2, 4, 5). Les also gives the mitigating context: these were probably a few dozen people who had just recently come out of a pagan background, with no moral foundations, so they could not all of a sudden become spiritual giants. They had written to Paul with a series of questions, and he was answering them one by one. Yet rather than giving up on them, God kept them in a place of growing, and Les believes Paul eventually came to the place where he was proud of the Corinthians (Clips 2, 3, 7).
The Corinthian believers were, in Les Feldick's words, 'weak, carnal, fleshly believers' — but they were believers. They were constantly tempted to go back into idolatry and immoral practices (Clip 1). The congregation was plagued with malice and other forms of wickedness, a leaven that permeated the little group (Clip 2). They picked personalities — some said they followed Paul, others Apollos, others Christ — and they took their disputes to pagan courts (Clip 4). Les says none of the churches Paul dealt with were as carnal and fleshly-minded as Corinth (Clip 5), and unlike the Philippians and Thessalonians who were the joy of the apostle, Corinth was still beset with these problems (Clip 6). Part of the explanation is that they had just recently come out of a pagan background and could not all of a sudden become spiritual giants (Clip 7). Scripture itself sums up their condition: Paul could not speak to them as spiritual but as carnal, as babes in Christ (1 Corinthians 3:1).
Paul determined, as he tells the Corinthians, that he 'would not come again to you in heaviness' (2 Corinthians 2:1). Les Feldick brings out the logic: if Paul made the Corinthians sorry by coming down on them too hard, who would make him glad? The human response would be sorrow on both sides — not joy. So Paul wrote this same thing to them, 'lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice' (2 Corinthians 2:2–3). Les concludes that Paul's whole mental concept in writing concerned this carnal church at Corinth (Clip 0).
No. Scripture is explicit that Paul wrote 'out of much affliction and anguish of heart' with 'many tears' — and his goal was 'not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you' (2 Corinthians 2:4). Les Feldick reflects that same hopeful spirit: God did not give up on that little congregation — He kept them in a place of growing and growing, and Les says Paul came to the place where one day he was proud of the Corinthians (Clip 2).
Les Feldick points out that Paul was responding to a letter the Corinthians had written to him asking how to deal with these things, and under Holy Spirit inspiration Paul was 'just unloading.' But the urgency of the letter is timeless: the things that were a problem in Corinth in A.D. 60 are still the same today, because the human race doesn't change. That is why we still have the same problems in our churches and in our personal lives as the Corinthians did (Clip 3).
Paul's reason for writing instead of visiting
Les teaches that Paul chose to write because he did not want to come to Corinth in heaviness and sorrow; he had heard of things in the church that would make him sorry instead of joyful.
The Corinthians' pull toward idolatry and immorality
Les stresses that Paul constantly had to address the Corinthians' behavioral problems — they were always tempted to slide back into idolatry and immoral practices, the very conduct that grieved Paul.
A congregation plagued with sin yet growing
Les describes the Corinthian congregation as plagued with almost every sin — malice, wickedness, and a leaven that permeated the group — yet God kept them growing rather than giving up on them.
The same problems today
Les notes that the problems Paul 'unloaded' on in Corinth in A.D. 60 are exactly the same ones churches and individuals face today because the human race doesn't change.
Carnal babes with divisions and lawsuits
Les shows that the Corinthians were weak, carnal, fleshly believers who took sides over teachers and sued one another in pagan courts — issues Paul had to correct.
The most carnal of all Paul's churches
Les emphasizes that none of the churches Paul dealt with were as carnal and fleshly-minded as Corinth, so Paul had to back into the situation carefully to keep from flaring up their anger.
Corinth contrasted with Paul's joyful churches
Les contrasts Corinth with Philippi and Thessalonica — churches that were the joy of the apostle — while Corinth was still beset with problems and hang-ups.
Recent converts out of paganism
Les explains that the Corinthians were a small band of recent converts out of a pagan background who could not suddenly become spiritual giants, which helps explain their ongoing carnality.
2 Corinthians 2:1: But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.
Paul states his deliberate decision not to visit Corinth again in a state of heaviness — the backdrop to his choice to write instead.
2 Corinthians 2:2: For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me?
Paul reasons that making the Corinthians sorry would not bring him gladness.
2 Corinthians 2:3: And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.
Paul explains that he wrote so that his coming would not bring sorrow from those who ought to bring him joy.
2 Corinthians 2:4: 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.
This is the direct statement that Paul wrote with many tears, motivated not by a desire to grieve but by abundant love.
1 Corinthians 3:1: And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
Paul describes the Corinthians' carnal condition, which is the root of the sorrow he expresses in his letters.
Yes — in 2 Corinthians 2:4 Paul says, '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.' Les Feldick connects those tears to the carnality and persisting problems in the church — things Paul heard about that made him sorry instead of joyful (2 Corinthians 2:3; Clip 0).
The Corinthians were the most carnal and fleshly-minded of all the churches Paul dealt with. They were constantly tempted to return to idolatry and immoral practices, and the congregation was plagued with malice, wickedness, and divisions over teachers. Les notes they were recent converts out of paganism who could not instantly become spiritual giants, yet their conduct still grieved Paul (Clips 1, 2, 4, 5, 7).
Paul had determined that he would not come again to Corinth in heaviness. Les explains that if Paul had come down hard on the congregation, they would only be made sorry, and that would not make Paul glad. So he wrote the letter instead, hoping that when he finally came he would have joy and not sorrow from them (2 Corinthians 2:1–3; Clip 0).
No. Paul's tears were not sent to grieve the Corinthians but to let them know the love he had more abundantly toward them (2 Corinthians 2:4). Les also shows that God never gave up on that little congregation — He kept them growing until Paul could one day be proud of them (Clip 2).
Watch the Teaching: What It Means to Be Sealed by the Holy Spirit — 2 Corinthians 1:21-22