1 Thessalonians 1:2-10
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Thessalonians’ Faith and Example
2 We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly(A) 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake.(B) 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy from the Holy Spirit,(C) 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia but in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it.(D) 9 For they report about us what kind of welcome we had among you and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God(E) 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.(F)
Read full chapter
1 Thessalonians 1:2-10
New English Translation
Thanksgiving for Response to the Gospel
2 We thank God always for all of you as we mention you constantly[a] in our prayers, 3 because we recall[b] in the presence of our God and Father[c] your work of faith and labor of love and endurance of hope[d] in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 We know,[e] brothers and sisters[f] loved by God, that he has chosen you,[g] 5 in that[h] our gospel did not come to you merely in words,[i] but in power and in the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction (surely you recall the character we displayed when we came among you to help you).[j]
6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, when you received[k] the message with joy that comes from the Holy Spirit, despite great affliction. 7 As a result you became an example[l] to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For from you the message of the Lord[m] has echoed forth not just in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place reports of your faith in God have spread,[n] so that we do not need to say anything. 9 For people everywhere[o] report how you welcomed us[p] and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath.[q]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Thessalonians 1:2 tn Or “mention you in our prayers, because we recall constantly…”
- 1 Thessalonians 1:3 tn Grk “making mention…recalling.” The participle ποιούμενοι (poioumenoi) in v. 2 has been translated as temporal, and μνημονεύοντες (mnēmoneuontes) in v. 3 has been translated as causal.
- 1 Thessalonians 1:3 tn Or the phrase may connect at the end of the verse: “hope…in the presence of our God and Father.”
- 1 Thessalonians 1:3 tn These phrases denote Christian virtues in action: the work produced by faith, labor motivated by love, and endurance that stems from hope in Christ.
- 1 Thessalonians 1:4 tn Grk “knowing.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the participle εἰδότες (eidotes) has been translated as a finite verb and a new sentence started here in the translation.
- 1 Thessalonians 1:4 tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” as here (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelphoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited).
- 1 Thessalonians 1:4 tn Grk “your election.”
- 1 Thessalonians 1:5 tn Or “because.”
- 1 Thessalonians 1:5 tn Or “speech,” or “an act of speaking.”
- 1 Thessalonians 1:5 tn Grk “just as you know what sort of people we were among you for your sakes.” Verse 5 reflects on the experience of Paul and his fellow preachers; v. 6 begins to describe the Thessalonians’ response.
- 1 Thessalonians 1:6 tn Or “after you received.”
- 1 Thessalonians 1:7 tc Most mss (א A C D2 F G Ψ 0278 1175 1241 1505 2464 M al) have the plural τύπους (tupous, “examples”) here, while a few significant witnesses have the singular τύπον (tupon, “example”; B D*,c 6 33 81 104 1739 1881 lat). With ὑμᾶς (humas, “you”) immediately preceding, the plural form looks motivated: Scribes would be expected to change the singular to the plural here. Although the external evidence for the singular reading is not overwhelming, the internal evidence for it is compelling.
- 1 Thessalonians 1:8 tn Or “the word of the Lord.”sn “The word of the Lord” is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rhēma tou kuriou; Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logos tou kuriou; here and in Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:10, 20; 1 Thess 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said. Here the phrase has been translated “the message of the Lord” because of the focus upon the spread of the gospel evident in the passage.
- 1 Thessalonians 1:8 tn Grk “your faith in God has gone out.”
- 1 Thessalonians 1:9 tn Grk “they themselves,” referring to people in the places just mentioned.
- 1 Thessalonians 1:9 tn Grk “what sort of entrance we had to you” (an idiom for how someone is received).
- 1 Thessalonians 1:10 sn The coming wrath. This wrath is an important theme in 1 Thess 5.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.