1 Thessalonians 1–4

Greeting

1Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace.

Thanksgiving for the Thessalonian Believers

²We give thanks to God always concerning all of you, making mention constantly in our prayers, ³because we^* remember your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, ⁴knowing, brothers dearly loved by God, that he has chosen you^a, ⁵because our gospel did not come to you with word only, but also with power and with the Holy Spirit and with much certainty, just as you know what sort of people we became among you for your sake. ⁶And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, receiving the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, ⁷so that you became an example to all those who believe in Macedonia and in Achaia, ⁸for from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia,^b but in every place your faith toward God has gone out, so that we have no need to say anything. ⁹For they themselves report about us, what sort of welcome we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, ¹⁰and to await his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, the one who delivers us from the coming wrath.

Paul’s Approach to Ministry in Thessalonica

2For you yourselves know, brothers, our reception with you, that it was not in vain, ²but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, just as you know, we had the courage in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition. ³For our exhortation is not from error or from impurity or with deceit, ⁴but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, thus we speak, not as pleasing people but God, who examines our hearts. ⁵For never^a did we come with a word of flattery, just as you know, nor with a pretext of greediness (God is witness), ⁶nor seeking glory from people, neither from you nor from others. ⁷Although we could have insisted on our own importance^b* as apostles of Christ, yet we became infants in your midst, like a nursing mother cherishes her own children. ⁸Longing for you in this way, we determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own souls, because you had become dear to us.

⁹For you remember, brothers, our labor and hardship: working by night and day in order not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. ¹⁰You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and righteously and blamelessly we became to you who believe, ¹¹just as you know how we treated each one of you, like a father his own children, ¹²exhorting and consoling you and insisting that you live in a manner worthy of God, who calls you to his own kingdom and glory.

The Thessalonians’ Response to Paul’s Message

¹³And because of this we also give thanks to God constantly, that when you^* received God’s word that you heard^c from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God, which also is at work in you who believe. ¹⁴For you became imitators, brothers, of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus, because you also suffered the same things at the hands of your own people, just as they themselves did also at the hands of the Jews, ¹⁵who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and who persecuted us, and who are not pleasing to God and are opposed to all people, ¹⁶hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles in order that they may be saved, so that they always fill up their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the end.^d

Paul’s Desire to Revisit the Thessalonians

¹⁷But when^* we were made orphans by separation from you, brothers, for a short time^e (in face, not in heart), we were even more eager with great desire to see your face, ¹⁸because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, on more than one occasion^f—and Satan hindered us. ¹⁹For who is our hope or joy or crown of boasting? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming? ²⁰For you are our glory and joy.

Paul Sends Timothy to Thessalonica

3Therefore when we^* could bear it no longer, we determined to be left behind in Athens alone, ²and we sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God in the gospel of Christ, in order to strengthen and to encourage you about your faith, ³so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are appointed for this, ⁴for indeed when we were with you we told you beforehand that we were about to be afflicted, just as indeed it happened, and you know. ⁵Because of this, I also, when I^* could endure it no longer, sent in order to know your faith, lest somehow the tempter tempted you and our labor should be in vain.

Timothy’s Positive Report

⁶But now, because^* Timothy has come to us from you and has brought good news to us of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us^a, desiring to see us just as also we desire to see you, ⁷because of this, brothers, we have been comforted because of you in all our distress and affliction through your faith, ⁸because now we live, if you stand firm in the Lord. ⁹For what thanks can we repay to God concerning you, because of all the joy with which we rejoice because of you before our God, ¹⁰night and day praying beyond all measure that we may see your face and complete what is lacking in your faith?

¹¹Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you, ¹²and may the Lord cause you to increase and to abound in love for one another and for all, just as also we do for you, ¹³so that your hearts may be established blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.^b

Appeal for Continuing Sanctification

4Finally therefore, brothers, we ask you and appeal to you in the Lord Jesus that, just as you have received from us how it is necessary for you to live and to please God, just as indeed you are living, that you progress even more. ²For you know what commands we gave to you through the Lord Jesus. ³For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; ⁴that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, ⁵not in lustful passion, just as also the Gentiles who do not know God; ⁶not to transgress and to exploit his brother in the matter, because the Lord is the one who avenges concerning all these things, just as also we told you beforehand and testified solemnly. ⁷For God did not call us to impurity, but in holiness. ⁸Therefore the one who rejects this is not rejecting man, but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Affirmation of Continuing Love

⁹But concerning brotherly love, I do not have need to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another, ¹⁰for indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers in all of Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to progress even more, ¹¹and to aspire to live a quiet life, and to attend to your own business,^a and to work with your hands,^b just as we commanded you, ¹²so that you may live decently toward those outside, and may have need of nothing.

The Comfort of the Lord’s Return

¹³Now we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you will not grieve as also the rest, who have no hope. ¹⁴For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, thus also God will bring those who have fallen asleep through Jesus together with him. ¹⁵For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who remain until the Lord’s coming, will not possibly precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷Then we who are alive, who remain, will be snatched away at the same time together with them in the clouds for a meeting with the Lord in the air, and thus we will be together with the Lord always. ¹⁸Therefore comfort one another with these words.