1 Thessalonians 1

Paul, Silas^a 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

We always thank God for all of you^a and continually mention you in our prayers.^b We remember before our God and Father^c your work produced by faith,^d your labor prompted by love,^e and your endurance inspired by hope^f in our Lord Jesus Christ.

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