<p>7:11 <i>For observe this very thing: you sorrowed in a Godly manner, and what diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication In all things you proved yourselves to be pure in the matter- </i>See on 7:7. This diligence and zeal after repentance must be squared with 12:20,21: &quot;I fear, lest by any means, when I come, I should find you not as I would wish, and should myself be found by you such as you would not wish. Lest by any means there should be quarrelling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality and sensuality that they have practiced&quot;. It could be argued that Paul is thrilled at their obedience over &quot;the matter&quot;, some specific point of obedience. But the overall tenor of chapter 7 is that he is thrilled with them and has complete confidence in them &quot;in everything&quot; (:16). The comparison with 12:20,21 and similar passages leaves me concluding that Paul here is carried away with a loving positivity about the Corinthians. In 13:5 he seems to doubt whether they are really &quot;in the faith&quot;; yet here he speaks so positively of their Godly zeal. Their &quot;indignation&quot; and 'vehemence' may well have been indignation that Paul had asked them to separate from the immoral brother. But Paul now likes to interpret that as part of their Godly zeal. &quot;You proved yourselves to be pure&quot; sounds like they may have given some reason excusing them for not having previously separated from the immoral brother (1 Cor. 5); and Paul accepts that explanation as he understands it from Titus. Their 'clearing of themselves',<i> apologia</i>, self defence,sounds like self justification- doubtless giving excuses as to why they had not initially removed the immoral brother, and had now done so, in apparent obedience to Paul's demand they do so. Paul wishes to understand their indignant self-justification as Godly sorrow.</p><p>The Greek word <i>zelos</i> means both zeal in a good sense (2 Cor. 7:11,12; 9:2; 11:2)- and also it&rsquo;s translated jealousy, strife, envying (Rom. 13:13; 1 Cor. 3:3; 2 Cor. 12:20). Likewise,<i> thumos</i> is used both about righteous anger, and also fits of anger which are sinful. It&rsquo;s clear enough from these linguistic facts, quite apart from our practical experience, that zeal turns into strife far too often and far too easily. The problem is, we so easily defend the strife, the jealousy, the anger&hellip; as righteous zeal, Godly anger. The line seems to us very fine, although it isn&rsquo;t in God&rsquo;s eyes. I observe too often brethren who appear so full of anger, but never reveal it openly&hellip; until it comes to some matter connected with their religious life. And then, wow, they let it all rip on some poor person, feeling they are justified.</p>