1 Thessalonians 1–4

1Paul, Silas^aa and Timothy,^b

To the church of the Thessalonians^c in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace and peace to you.^d

Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians’ Faith

²We always thank God for all of you^e and continually mention you in our prayers.^{f 3}We remember before our God and Father^g your work produced by faith,^h your labor prompted by love,ⁱ and your endurance inspired by hope^j in our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴For we know, brothers and sisters^b loved by God,^k that he has chosen you, ⁵because our gospel^l came to you not simply with words but also with power,^m with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You knowⁿ how we lived among you for your sake. ⁶You became imitators of us^o and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering^p with the joy^q given by the Holy Spirit.^{r 7}And so you became a model^s to all the believers in Macedonia^t and Achaia.^{u 8}The Lord’s message^v rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere.^w Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, ⁹for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned^x to God from idols^y to serve the living and true God,^{z 10}and to wait for his Son from heaven,^a whom he raised from the dead^b—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.^c

Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica

2You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you^d was not without results.^{e 2}We had previously suffered^f and been treated outrageously in Philippi,^g as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition.^{h 3}For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives,ⁱ nor are we trying to trick you.^{j 4}On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.^k We are not trying to please people^l but God, who tests our hearts.^{m 5}You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greedⁿ—God is our witness.^{o 6}We were not looking for praise from people,^p not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles^q of Christ we could have asserted our authority.^{r 7}Instead, we were like young children^a among you.

Just as a nursing mother cares for her children,^{s 8}so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God^t but our lives as well.^{u 9}Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked^v night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone^w while we preached the gospel of God to you. ¹⁰You are witnesses,^x and so is God,^y of how holy,^z righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. ¹¹For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,^{a 12}encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy^b of God, who calls^c you into his kingdom and glory.

¹³And we also thank God continually^d because, when you received the word of God,^e which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. ¹⁴For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators^f of God’s churches in Judea,^g which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people^h the same things those churches suffered from the Jews ¹⁵who killed the Lord Jesusⁱ and the prophets^j and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone ¹⁶in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles^k so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit.^l The wrath of God has come upon them at last.^b

Paul’s Longing to See the Thessalonians

¹⁷But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought),^m out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you.^{n 18}For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan^o blocked our way.^{p 19}For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown^q in which we will glory^r in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes?^s Is it not you? ²⁰Indeed, you are our glory^t and joy.

3So when we could stand it no longer,^u we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens.^{v 2}We sent Timothy,^w who is our brother and co-worker^x in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ,^y to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, ³so that no one would be unsettled by these trials.^z For you know quite well that we are destined for them.^{a 4}In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know.^{b 5}For this reason, when I could stand it no longer,^c I sent to find out about your faith.^d I was afraid that in some way the tempter^e had tempted you and that our labors might have been in vain.^f

Timothy’s Encouraging Report

⁶But Timothy^g has just now come to us from you^h and has brought good news about your faith and love.ⁱ He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you.^{j 7}Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. ⁸For now we really live, since you are standing firm^k in the Lord. ⁹How can we thank God enough for you^l in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?^{m 10}Night and day we prayⁿ most earnestly that we may see you again^o and supply what is lacking in your faith.

¹¹Now may our God and Father^p himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. ¹²May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other^q and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. ¹³May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless^r and holy in the presence of our God and Father^s when our Lord Jesus comes^t with all his holy ones.^u

Living to Please God

4As for other matters, brothers and sisters,^v we instructed you how to live^w in order to please God,^x as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. ²For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

³It is God’s will^y that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;^{z 4}that each of you should learn to control your own body^aa in a way that is holy and honorable, ⁵not in passionate lust^b like the pagans,^c who do not know God;^{d 6}and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister.^be The Lord will punish^f all those who commit such sins,^g as we told you and warned you before. ⁷For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.^{h 8}Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.ⁱ

⁹Now about your love for one another^j we do not need to write to you,^k for you yourselves have been taught by God^l to love each other.^{m 10}And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia.ⁿ Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,^{o 11}and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands,^p just as we told you, ¹²so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders^q and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Believers Who Have Died

¹³Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed^r about those who sleep in death,^s so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.^{t 14}For we believe that Jesus died and rose again,^u and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.^{v 15}According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord,^w will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.^{x 16}For the Lord himself will come down from heaven,^y with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel^z and with the trumpet call of God,^a and the dead in Christ will rise first.^{b 17}After that, we who are still alive and are left^c will be caught up together with them in the clouds^d to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord^e forever. ¹⁸Therefore encourage one another^f with these words.