1 Thessalonians 3–4

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.