1 Thessalonians 2:1-12

The Voice

2 Brothers and sisters, you yourselves know that our coming to you was not a waste of time. ² You remember how we had just suffered through brutal and insulting attacks in Philippi; but because of God, we boldly stepped into the open to tell you His good news, even though it would likely mean more conflict for us. ³ For we haven’t approached you—or anyone else for that matter—with some error or impure motives or deceitful agenda; ⁴ but as we have been approved by God and entrusted with the good news, that’s how we are telling the world. We aren’t trying to please everybody, but God, the only One who can truly examine our motives. ⁵ As you know, we didn’t sandwich the truth between cunning compliments—we told it straight—and before the eye of God, we never conspired to make a single cent off of you. ⁶ We didn’t come seeking respect from people—not from you or anyone else—although we could have leveraged our position as emissaries^[a] of the Anointed One, the Liberating King. ⁷ Instead, we proved to be gentle among you, like a nursing mother caring for her own children. ⁸ We were so taken by you that we not only eagerly shared with you God’s good news, but we also shared with you our own lives. That’s how much you’ve come to mean to us.

⁹ Don’t you remember, my brothers and sisters, how hard we worked and struggled? We worked day and night so that we wouldn’t be a burden to any of you and so that we could continue to proclaim to you the good news of God. ¹⁰ Both you and God can confirm how well we treated the believers: we were always holy, just, and blameless. ^11-12 As you know, we comforted and consoled each of you as a father soothes his own children, encouraging you to live lives worthy of God—of the One calling you into His own kingdom and into His glory.