1 Thessalonians 3–4

Chapter 3

Encouragement of Timothy’s Visit

¹Therefore ^awhen we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at ^bAthens alone,

²and we sent ^aTimothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith,

³so that no one would be ¹disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that ^awe have been destined for this.

⁴For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; ^1aand so it came to pass, ²as you know.

⁵For this reason, ^awhen I could endure it no longer, I also ^bsent to ¹find out about your faith, for fear that ^cthe tempter might have tempted you, and ^dour labor would be in vain.

⁶But now that ^aTimothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of ^byour faith and love, and that you always ^cthink kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you,

⁷for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith;

⁸for now we really live, if you ^astand firm in the Lord.

⁹For ^awhat thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account,

¹⁰as we ^anight and day keep praying most earnestly that we may ^bsee your face, and may ^ccomplete what is lacking in your faith?

^11aNow may ^bour God and Father ^cHimself and Jesus our Lord ^ddirect our way to you;

¹²and may the Lord cause you to increase and ^aabound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you;

¹³so that He may ^aestablish your hearts ^bwithout blame in holiness before ^cour God and Father at the ^1dcoming of our Lord Jesus ^ewith all His ²saints.

Chapter 4

Sanctification and Love

^1aFinally then, ^bbrethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to ^1cwalk and ^dplease God (just as you actually do walk), that you ^eexcel still more.

²For you know what commandments we gave you ¹by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

³For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you ^aabstain from ¹sexual immorality;

⁴that ^aeach of you know how to ¹possess his own ^2bvessel in sanctification and ^chonor,

⁵not in ^1alustful passion, like the Gentiles who ^bdo not know God;

⁶and that no man transgress and ^adefraud his brother ^bin the matter because ^cthe Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also ^dtold you before and solemnly warned you.

⁷For ^aGod has not called us for ^bthe purpose of impurity, but ¹in sanctification.

⁸So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who ^agives His Holy Spirit to you.

⁹Now as to the ^alove of the brethren, you ^bhave no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are ^ctaught by God to love one another;

¹⁰for indeed ^ayou do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to ^bexcel still more,

¹¹and to make it your ambition ^ato lead a quiet life and ^battend to your own business and ^cwork with your hands, just as we commanded you,

¹²so that you will ^1abehave properly toward ^boutsiders and ^2cnot be in any need.

Those Who Died in Christ

¹³But ^awe do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who ^bare asleep, so that you will not grieve as do ^cthe rest who have ^dno hope.

¹⁴For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, ^aeven so God will bring with Him ^bthose who have fallen asleep ¹in Jesus.

¹⁵For this we say to you ^aby the word of the Lord, that ^bwe who are alive ¹and remain until ^cthe coming of the Lord, will not precede ^dthose who have fallen asleep.

¹⁶For the Lord ^aHimself ^bwill descend from heaven with a ^1cshout, with the voice of ^dthe archangel and with the ^etrumpet of God, and ^fthe dead in Christ will rise first.

¹⁷Then ^awe who are alive ¹and remain will be ^bcaught up together with them ^cin the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always ^dbe with the Lord.

¹⁸Therefore comfort one another with these words.