Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica

2 As you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, our visit with you wasn’t a waste of time. ² On the contrary, we had the courage through God to speak God’s good news in spite of a lot of opposition, although we had already suffered and were publicly insulted in Philippi, as you know. ³ Our appeal isn’t based on false information, the wrong motives, or deception. ⁴ Rather, we have been examined and approved by God to be trusted with the good news, and that’s exactly how we speak. We aren’t trying to please people, but we are trying to please God, who continues to examine our hearts. ⁵ As you know, we never used flattery, and God is our witness that we didn’t have greedy motives. ⁶ We didn’t ask for special treatment from people—not from you or from others— ⁷ although we could have thrown our weight around as Christ’s apostles. Instead, we were gentle with you like a nursing mother caring for her own children. ⁸ We were glad to share not only God’s good news with you but also our very lives because we cared for you so much. ⁹ You remember, brothers and sisters, our efforts and hard work. We preached God’s good news to you, while we worked night and day so we wouldn’t be a burden on any of you. ¹⁰ You and God are witnesses of how holy, just, and blameless we were toward you believers. ¹¹ Likewise, you know how we treated each of you like a father treats his own children. ¹² We appealed to you, encouraged you, and pleaded with you to live lives worthy of the God who is calling you into his own kingdom and glory.

How the Thessalonians received God’s message

¹³ We also thank God constantly for this: when you accepted God’s word that you heard from us, you welcomed it for what it truly is. Instead of accepting it as a human message, you accepted it as God’s message, and it continues to work in you who are believers. ¹⁴ Brothers and sisters, you became imitators of the churches of God in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus. This was because you also suffered the same things from your own people as they did from the Jews. ¹⁵ They killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and drove us out. They don’t please God, and they are hostile to the entire human race ¹⁶ when they try to stop us from speaking to the Gentiles so they can be saved. Their sins are constantly pushing the limit.^[a] God’s wrath has caught up with them in the end.

Paul’s desire to visit

¹⁷ Brothers and sisters, we were separated from you for a while physically but not in our hearts. We made every effort in our desire to see you again face-to-face. ¹⁸ We wanted to come to you—I, Paul, tried over and over again—and Satan stopped us. ¹⁹ What is our hope, joy, or crown that we can brag about in front of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Isn’t it all of you? ²⁰ You are our glory and joy!

3 So when we couldn’t stand it any longer, we thought it was a good idea to stay on in Athens by ourselves, ² and we sent you Timothy, who is our brother and God’s coworker in the good news about Christ. We sent him to strengthen and encourage you in your faithfulness. ³ We didn’t want any of you to be shaken by these problems. You know very well that we were meant to go through this. ⁴ In fact, when we were with you, we kept on predicting that we were going to face problems exactly like what happened, as you know. ⁵ That’s why I sent Timothy to find out about your faithfulness when I couldn’t stand it anymore. I was worried that the tempter might have tempted you so that our work would have been a waste of time.

Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians

⁶ Now Timothy has returned to us from you and has given us good news about your faithfulness and love! He says that you always have good memories about us and that you want to see us as much as we want to see you. ⁷ Because of this, brothers and sisters, we were encouraged in all our distress and trouble through your faithfulness. ⁸ For now we are alive if you are standing your ground in the Lord. ⁹ How can we thank God enough for you, given all the joy we have because of you before our God? ¹⁰ Night and day, we pray more than ever to see all of you in person and to complete whatever you still need for your faith. ¹¹ Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus guide us on our way back to you. ¹² May the Lord cause you to increase and enrich your love for each other and for everyone in the same way as we also love you. ¹³ May the love cause your hearts to be strengthened, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his people. Amen.