2You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you^d was not without results.^e ²We 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 ³For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives,ⁱ nor are we trying to trick you.^j ⁴On 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 ⁵You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greedⁿ—God is our witness.^o ⁶We 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 ⁷Instead, we were like young children^a among you.

Just as a nursing mother cares for her children,^s ⁸so 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 ⁹Surely 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 ¹²encouraging, 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 ¹⁸For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan^o blocked our way.^p ¹⁹For 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 ²We 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 ⁴In 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 ⁵For 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 ⁷Therefore, 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 ¹⁰Night 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

Read in Logos

Footnotes

aSome manuscripts were gentle
bOr them fully

Cross references

d 1 Th 1:5, 9
e 2 Th 1:10
f Ac 14:19; 16:22; Php 1:30
gSee Ac 16:12
h Ac 17:1–9
i 2 Co 2:17
j 2 Co 4:2
k Gal 2:7; 1 Ti 1:11
lSee Ro 2:29
mSee Rev 2:23
nSee Ac 20:33
over 10; See Ro 1:9
p Jn 5:41, 44
q 1 Co 9:1, 2
r 2 Co 11:7–11
sSee ver 11
tSee Ro 1:1
u 2 Co 12:15; 1 Jn 3:16
vSee Ac 18:3
wSee 2 Co 11:9; 2 Th 3:8
x 1 Th 1:5
yver 5; See Ro 1:9
z 2 Co 1:12
aver 7; 1 Co 4:14; Gal 4:19; See 1 Ti 1:2; Phm 10; See 1 Jn 2:1
bSee Eph 4:1
cSee Ro 8:28
d 1 Th 1:2; See Ro 1:8
eSee Heb 4:12
f 1 Th 1:6
g Gal 1:22
h Ac 17:5; 2 Th 1:4
i Lk 24:20; Ac 2:23
jSee Mt 5:12
k Ac 13:45, 50; 17:5; See 20:3; 21:27; 24:9
l Mt 23:32
m 1 Co 5:3; Col 2:5
n 1 Th 3:10
oSee Mt 4:10
p Ro 1:13; 15:22
q Isa 62:3; Php 4:1
r 2 Co 1:14
sSee Mt 16:27; See Lk 17:30; See 1 Co 1:7; 4:5; 1 Th 3:13; 2 Th 1:8–10; 1 Pe 1:7; 1 Jn 2:28; See Rev 1:7
t 2 Co 1:14
uver 5
vSee Ac 17:15
wSee Ac 16:1
xSee 1 Co 3:9
ySee 2 Co 2:12
z Mk 4:17; Jn 16:33; Ro 5:3; 2 Co 1:4; 4:17; 2 Ti 3:12
aSee Ac 9:16; 14:22
b 1 Th 2:14
cver 1
dver 2
e Mt 4:3
f Gal 2:2; Php 2:16
gSee Ac 16:1
h Ac 18:5
i 1 Th 1:3
j 1 Th 2:17, 18
kSee 1 Co 16:13
l 1 Th 1:2
m 1 Th 2:19, 20
n 2 Ti 1:3
o 1 Th 2:17
pver 13; See Php 4:20
q Php 1:9; 1 Th 4:9, 10; 2 Th 1:3
r Ps 15:2; 1 Co 1:8; Php 2:15; 1 Th 5:23; 1 Ti 6:14; 2 Pe 3:14
sver 11; See Php 4:20
tSee 1 Th 2:19
u Mt 25:31; 2 Th 1:7