After the apostle Paul wrote his first letter to the assembly at Corinth telling them that they did not take seriously the sin by the man in their midst (1 Corinthians 5:2) and that they should put him out of fellowship. A year later he wrote again telling them to receive him back into fellowship, and also telling them how he knew that they had judged their sin and were humbled:

“For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter” (2 Corinthians 7:11).