⁵ Examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not know this about yourselves: that Jesus Christ is in you—unless perhaps you fail the test? ⁶ But I hope that you will recognize that we are not failing the test.

⁷ We pray to God that you may not do anything evil, not so that we may appear to have passed the test, but so that you may do what is good, even if we may seem like those who are failing to pass the test. ⁸ To be sure, we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth. ⁹ Yes, we rejoice whenever we are weak and you are strong. And we are praying for your complete restoration. ¹⁰ It is for this reason that I am writing these things while I am still absent, so that, when I am present, I may not have to deal harshly with you, using the authority that the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down.