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Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.
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We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
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You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
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The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it,
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who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone
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For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?
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For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.
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Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you.
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May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.
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May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
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Living to Please God
As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.
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For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
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and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before.
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According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
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For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
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After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
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The Day of the Lord
Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you,
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for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
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For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Final Instructions
Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you.
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May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.
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The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
