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I. Address

Chapter 1

Greeting.[a] Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:(A) grace to you and peace from God [our] Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving. [b]We ought to thank God always for you, brothers, as is fitting, because your faith flourishes ever more, and the love of every one of you for one another grows ever greater.(B) Accordingly, we ourselves boast of you in the churches of God regarding your endurance and faith in all your persecutions and the afflictions you endure.

This is evidence of the just judgment of God, so that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God for which you are suffering.(C) For it is surely just on God’s part to repay with afflictions those who are afflicting you, and to grant rest along with us to you who are undergoing afflictions, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his mighty angels, in blazing fire, inflicting punishment on those who do not acknowledge God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.(D) These will pay the penalty of eternal ruin, separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power,(E) 10 when he comes to be glorified among his holy ones[c] and to be marveled at on that day among all who have believed, for our testimony to you was believed.(F)

Prayer. 11 To this end, we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith,(G) 12 [d]that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him,(H) in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.

Footnotes

  1. 1:1–2 On the address, see note on Rom 1:1–7 and cf. 1 Thes 1:1.
  2. 1:3–12 On the thanksgiving, see note on Rom 1:8 and cf. 1 Thes 1:2–10. Paul’s gratitude to God for the faith and love of the Thessalonians (2 Thes 1:3) and his Christian pride in their faithful endurance (2 Thes 1:4–5) contrast with the condemnation announced for those who afflict them, a judgment to be carried out at the parousia (2 Thes 1:6–10), which is described in vivid language drawn from Old Testament apocalyptic. A prayer for the fulfillment of God’s purpose in the Thessalonians (2 Thes 1:11–12) completes the section, as is customary in a Pauline letter (cf. 1 Thes 1:2–3).
  3. 1:10 Among his holy ones: in the Old Testament, this term can refer to an angelic throng (cf. also Jude 14), but here, in parallel with among all who have believed, it can refer to the triumphant people of God.
  4. 1:12 The grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ: the Greek can also be translated, “the grace of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

(A)From Paul, Silas, and Timothy—

To the people of the church in Thessalonica, who belong to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

The Judgment at Christ's Coming

Our friends, we must thank God at all times for you. It is right for us to do so, because your faith is growing so much and the love each of you has for the others is becoming greater. That is why we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God. We boast about the way you continue to endure and believe through all the persecutions and sufferings you are experiencing.

All of this proves that God's judgment is just and as a result you will become worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. God will do what is right: he will bring suffering on those who make you suffer, and he will give relief to you who suffer and to us as well. He will do this when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven with his mighty angels, with a flaming fire, to punish those who reject God and who do not obey the Good News about our Lord Jesus. (B)They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and from his glorious might, 10 when he comes on that Day to receive glory from all his people and honor from all who believe. You too will be among them, because you have believed the message that we told you.

11 That is why we always pray for you. We ask our God to make you worthy of the life he has called you to live. May he fulfill by his power all your desire for goodness and complete your work of faith. 12 In this way the name of our Lord Jesus will receive glory from you, and you from him, by the grace of our God and of the Lord[a] Jesus Christ.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Thessalonians 1:12 our God and of the Lord; or our God and Lord.

Salutation

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace to you and peace from God our[a] Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving

We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters,[b] as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith during all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are enduring.

The Judgment at Christ’s Coming

This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, and is intended to make you worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering. For it is indeed just of God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to the afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes to be glorified by his saints and to be marveled at on that day among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. 11 To this end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy of his call and will fulfill by his power every good resolve and work of faith, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Thessalonians 1:2 Other ancient authorities read the
  2. 2 Thessalonians 1:3 Gk brothers

Giving Thanks for Faith and Perseverance

(A)Paul, (B)Silvanus, and (C)Timothy,

To the (D)church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: (E)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We ought always (F)to give thanks to God for you, (G)brothers and sisters, as is only fitting, because your faith is increasing abundantly, and the (H)love of each and every one of you toward one another grows ever greater. As a result, we ourselves (I)speak proudly of you among (J)the churches of God for your [a]perseverance and faith [b](K)in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. This is [c]a (L)plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be (M)considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you indeed are suffering. [d]For after all (N)it is only right [e]for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted, along with us, [f](O)when the Lord Jesus will be revealed (P)from heaven (Q)with [g]His mighty angels (R)in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who (S)do not know God, and to those who (T)do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These people will pay the penalty of (U)eternal destruction, (V)away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes to be (W)glorified among His [h]saints on that (X)day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—because our (Y)testimony to you was believed. 11 To this end also we (Z)pray for you always, that our God will (AA)consider you worthy of your (AB)calling, and fulfill every desire for (AC)goodness and the (AD)work of faith with power, 12 so that the (AE)name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, in accordance with the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Thessalonians 1:4 Or steadfastness
  2. 2 Thessalonians 1:4 Or during all
  3. 2 Thessalonians 1:5 Or proof of
  4. 2 Thessalonians 1:6 Lit If indeed
  5. 2 Thessalonians 1:6 Or in the sight of
  6. 2 Thessalonians 1:7 Lit at the revelation of the Lord Jesus
  7. 2 Thessalonians 1:7 Lit the angels of His power
  8. 2 Thessalonians 1:10 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people

Paul, Silas[a](A) and Timothy,(B)

To the church of the Thessalonians(C) in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.(D)

Thanksgiving and Prayer

We ought always to thank God for you,(E) brothers and sisters,[b] and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.(F) Therefore, among God’s churches we boast(G) about your perseverance and faith(H) in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.(I)

All this is evidence(J) that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy(K) of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. God is just:(L) He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you(M) and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven(N) in blazing fire(O) with his powerful angels.(P) He will punish(Q) those who do not know God(R) and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.(S) They will be punished with everlasting destruction(T) and shut out from the presence of the Lord(U) and from the glory of his might(V) 10 on the day(W) he comes to be glorified(X) in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.(Y)

11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you,(Z) that our God may make you worthy(AA) of his calling,(AB) and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness(AC) and your every deed prompted by faith.(AD) 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,(AE) and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.[c]

Footnotes

  1. 2 Thessalonians 1:1 Greek Silvanus, a variant of Silas
  2. 2 Thessalonians 1:3 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 2:1, 13, 15; 3:1, 6, 13.
  3. 2 Thessalonians 1:12 Or God and Lord, Jesus Christ