I Thessalonians….
1:1Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the
assembly of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1:2We always give thanks to God for all of
you, mentioning you in our prayers, 1:3remembering without ceasing your work of faith and
labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God
and Father. 1:4We
know, brothers
loved by God, that you are chosen, 1:5and
that our Gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power, and in the
Holy Spirit, and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we showed
ourselves to be among you for your sake. 1:6You became imitators of us, and of the
Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy
Spirit, 1:7so
that you became an example to all who believe in Macedonia and in Achaia. 1:8For from you has sounded
forth the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in
every place your faith toward God has gone forth; so that we need not to say
anything. 1:9For
they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from
you; and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, 1:10and to wait for
his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead-- Jesus, who delivers us
from the wrath to come.
2:1For you yourselves know, brothers, our
visit to you wasn't in vain, 2:2but
having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as you know, at Philippi,
we grew bold in our God to tell you the Gospel of God in much conflict. 2:3For our
exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in deception. 2:4But even as we
have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Gospel, so we speak; not
as pleasing men, but God, who tests our hearts. 2:5For neither were we at any time found
using words of flattery, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness (God is
witness), 2:6nor
seeking glory from men (neither from you nor from others), when we might have
claimed authority as apostles of Christ. 2:7But we were gentle among of you, as
when a nurse cherishes her own children.
2:8Even so, affectionately longing for you,
we were well pleased to impart to you, not the Gospel of God only, but also
our own souls, because you had become very dear to us. 2:9For you remember, brothers, our labor
and travail; for working night and day, that we might not burden any of you,
we preached to you the Gospel of God. 2:10You are witnesses with God, how holy,
righteously, and blamelessly we behaved ourselves toward you who believe. 2:11As you know how
we exhorted, comforted, and implored every one of you, as a father does his
own children, 2:12to
the end that you should walk worthily of God, who calls you into his own
Kingdom and glory. 2:13For
this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when you received from us
the word of the message of God, you accepted it not as the word of men, but,
as it is in truth, the word of God, which also works in you who believe. 2:14For you,
brothers, became imitators of the assemblies of God which are in Judea in
Christ Jesus; for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen,
even as they did from the Jews; 2:15who
killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out, and
didn't please God, and are contrary to all men; 2:16forbidding us to speak to the
Gentiles that they may be saved; to fill up their sins always. But wrath has
come on them to the uttermost.
2:17But we, brothers, being bereaved of you
for a short season, in presence, not in heart, tried even harder to see your
face with great desire, 2:18because
we wanted to come to you--indeed, I, Paul, once and again-- but Satan hindered
us. 2:19For what
is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Isn't it even you, before our
Lord Jesus*
at his coming? 2:20For
you are our glory and our joy.
3:1Therefore, when we couldn't stand it any
longer, we thought it good to be left behind at Athens alone, 3:2and sent Timothy, our brother and
God's servant in the Gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you
concerning your faith; 3:3that
no one be moved by these afflictions. For you know that we are appointed to
this task. 3:4For
most assuredly, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we are to
suffer affliction, even as it happened, and you know. 3:5For this cause I also, when I couldn't
stand it any longer, sent that I might know your faith, for fear that by any
means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor would have been in vain. 3:6But when Timothy
came just now to us from you, and brought us glad news of your faith and
love, and that you have good memories of us always, longing to see us, even
as we also long to see you; 3:7for
this cause, brothers, we were comforted over you in all our distress and
affliction through your faith. 3:8For
now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord. 3:9For what thanksgiving can we render
again to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sakes
before our God; 3:10night
and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face, and may perfect that
which is lacking in your faith? 3:11Now
may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to
you; 3:12and the
Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward
all men, even as we also do toward you, 3:13to the end he may establish your
hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our
Lord Jesus with all his saints.
4:1Finally then, brothers, we beg and exhort
you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and
to please God, that you abound more and more. 4:2For you know what charge we gave you
through the Lord Jesus. 4:3For
this is the will of God: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual
immorality, 4:4that
each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in
sanctification and honor, 4:5not
in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don't know God; 4:6that no one
should take advantage of and wrong a brother or sister in this matter;
because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you
and testified. 4:7For
God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification. 4:8Therefore he who rejects doesn't
reject man, but God, who has also given his Holy Spirit to you.
4:9But concerning brotherly love, you have
no need that one write to you. For you yourselves
are taught by God to love one another, 4:10for indeed you do it toward all the
brothers who are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, that you
abound more and more; 4:11and
that you make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, and to do your own
business, and to work with your own hands, even as we charged you; 4:12that you may
walk properly toward those who are outside, and may have need of nothing.
4:13But we don't want you to be ignorant,
brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you don't grieve
like the rest, who have no hope. 4:14For
if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so those who have fallen
asleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 4:15For this we tell you by the word of
the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left to the coming of the Lord, will
in no way precede those who have fallen asleep. 4:16For the Lord himself will descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God's
trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, 4:17then we who are alive, who are left,
will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the
air. So we will be with the Lord forever. 4:18Therefore comfort one another with
these words.
5:1But concerning the times and the seasons,
brothers, you have no need that anything be written to you. 5:2For you yourselves know well that the
day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. 5:3For when they are saying, "Peace
and safety," then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains
on a pregnant woman; and they will in no way escape. 5:4But you, brothers, aren't in darkness,
that the day should overtake you like a thief. 5:5You are all children of light, and
children of the day. We don't belong to the night, nor to darkness, 5:6so then let's not
sleep, as the rest do, but let's watch and be sober. 5:7For those who sleep, sleep in the
night, and those who are drunken are drunken in the night. 5:8But let us, since we belong to the
day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and, for a
helmet, the hope of salvation. 5:9For
God didn't appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our
Lord Jesus Christ, 5:10who
died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with
him. 5:11Therefore
exhort one another, and build each other up, even as you also do. 5:12But we beg you,
brothers, to know those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord,
and admonish you, 5:13and
to respect and honor them in love for their work's sake.
Be at peace among yourselves. 5:14We exhort you,
brothers, admonish the disorderly, encourage the fainthearted, support the
weak, be patient toward all. 5:15See that no one returns evil for evil
to anyone, but always follow after that which is good, for one another, and
for all.
5:16Rejoice always. 5:17Pray without ceasing. 5:18In everything give thanks, for this
is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you. 5:19Don't quench the Spirit. 5:20Don't despise
prophesies. 5:21Test
all things, and hold firmly that which is good. 5:22Abstain from every form of evil.
5:23May the God of peace himself sanctify you
completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
5:24Faithful is he who calls you, who will
also do it. 5:25Brothers,
pray for us. 5:26Greet
all the brothers with a holy kiss. 5:27I solemnly charge you by the Lord that this letter
be read to all the holy brothers.
5:28The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be
with you. Amen.
Notes:
[1] back to 1:4 The word for "brothers" here and
where context allows may also be correctly translated "brothers and
sisters" or "siblings."
[2] back to
2:19 TR adds "Christ"
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