People did not think it was important to have a true knowledge of God. So God left them and allowed those people to have their own worthless thinking. And so those people do the things that they should not do.
I do this because I am afraid that when I come you will not be what I want you to be. And I am afraid that I will not be what you want me to be. I am afraid that \{in your group\} there may be arguing, jealousy, anger, selfish fighting, evil talk, gossip, pride, and confusion.
I’m writing these things while I’m not with you. I’m writing so that when I come I will not have to use my power to punish you. The Lord gave me that power to make you stronger, not to destroy you.
Look closely at yourselves. Test yourselves to see if you are \{living\} in the faith. You know that Christ Jesus is in you. But if you fail the test (are not living in the faith), then Christ is not living in you.
We pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. It is not important that people see that we have passed the test. But it is important that you do what is right, even if \{people think\} that we have failed the test.