Homilies on Second Corinthians

“For behold,” he says, “this self-same thing, that you were made sorry after a godly sort, what earnest care it wrought in you.” 'For not only,' he says, 'did your sorrow not cast you into that condemning of yourselves, as having acted idly in so doing; but it made you even more careful.' Then he speaks of the certain tokens of that carefulness;

“Yea,” what “clearing of yourselves,” towards me. “Yea, what indignation” against him that had sinned. “Yea, what fear.” For so great carefulness and very speedy reformation was the part of men who feared exceedingly. And that he might not seem to be exalting himself, see how quickly he softened it by saying,

“Yea, what longing,” that towards me. “Yea, what zeal,” that on God's behalf. “Yea, what avenging:” for you also avenged the laws of God that had been outraged.

“In every thing ye approved yourselves to be pure in the matter.” Not only by not having perpetrated, for this was evident before, but also by not consenting unto it. For since he said in the former Epistle, “and you are puffed up;” he also says here, 'you have cleared yourselves of this suspicion also; not only by not praising, but also by rebuking and being indignant.'