What does 2 Corinthians 7:12 mean?

This passage continues to describe how the Corinthians responded to a severe letter from Paul. The text of that letter is lost, but we get enough detail in 2 Corinthians to understand the scenario. The letter rebuked the Corinthian church for siding with—or not responding to—one among them who had drastically opposed Paul. He instructed them to discipline the man. Paul's letter brought them grief, which led to repentance. In the previous verse, he praised them for punishing the man, but also for their eagerness to make things right.

Now Paul clarifies his reason for writing the letter. It was not for the sake of the man who opposed him. Nor was it for himself as some victim of the man's opposition. Paul wrote the letter to help the Corinthians to see more clearly how earnest they were to be in a good relationship with Paul. Paul wanted them to know this about themselves in the sight of God. Paul insists that his concern for the Corinthians, above all other reasons, is what motivated him to write his severe letter.

Sometimes a strong rebuke is required to help us clarify what matters most to us. The Corinthians confirmed something from Paul's rebuke and their repentance. They established that maintaining their connection to Paul—and Paul's connection to God—mattered far more than avoiding discipline of one among them who opposed Paul, and, thus, opposed God.