Paul speaks with candid honesty, speaking as a responsible person, about building a culture of peace here.  Can you see the hardship of the strain on this relationship Paul was aware of? Paul widens the lens to be about God’s glory or what God’s sanctification agenda in us is instead.

God here wants the Corinthians Christians to create a climate of redemptive love

to model after Jesus who with his disciples served them regardless of his own circumstances without self pity.  The model of Jesus who served and bore burdens regardless of whether or not the recipients of his service were worthy and who bore burdens regardless of his own stature

At some point when Paul was living in Ephesus when he made up his mind not to make another painful visit to Corinth. The reason he gives is pastoral; he wants to spare them further unnecessary pain. (What that pain was we’re left guessing about.)  The best we can gather about it is that a particular man had caused some sort of conflict in the church. We can surmise that in some way he has been aggressive or immoral or caused some great injustice against someone who was also part of the Corinthian Church.  Our problem is, we just don't know what it was, but whatever it was it was hurtful to the whole church, stained everyone around him

What we do know is that Paul thought the situation bad enough in Corinth that he deemed it necessary to make an unscheduled visit to try and resolve the matter.   The result was it seems that while many in the Corinthian Church agreed with Paul’s views about the painful problem they weren’t prepared to do anything about it. Listen in to how Paul describes it - 2 Corinthians 2:1-2

2:1 So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you. 2 For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved?

Paul the Apostle of Jesus, the man who on the Damascus Road, who personally saw the risen resurrected ascended Christ, and who was set apart to be a missionary to the Gentiles to the ends of the earth. The same Paul who is the evangelist and church planter of the Corinthian Church, whose affections for them ran deep, shows us his pastoral care.  That is, he is not self sufficient but dependent, and so are they.  Paul is transparent and open and seeks restoration in the church and fellowship with the people.  Here Paul acknowledges his growth in grace and in Christ is very much a community experience – widen the lens he tells us, as what he shows us is humility of love.  In humility we have a great capacity to move towards others, showing the same level of grace we ourselves have received.  Paul is aware Jesus had shown to him.  As we read in verses 5-11

5  If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely.  6 The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient.  7 Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.  8 I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.  9 Another reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. 10 Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake,  11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.