Their Faith in Christ

^3 (A)We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, ^4 (B)since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of ^(C)your love for all the saints; ⁵ because of the hope ^(D)which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, ⁶ which has come to you, ^(E)as it has also in all the world, and ^(F)is bringing forth ^[a]fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew ^(G)the grace of God in truth; ⁷ as you also learned from ^(H)Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is ^(I)a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, ⁸ who also declared to us your ^(J)love in the Spirit.

Preeminence of Christ

^9 (K)For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask ^(L)that you may be filled with ^(M)the knowledge of His will ^(N)in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; ^10 (O)that you may walk worthy of the Lord, ^(P)fully pleasing Him, ^(Q)being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the ^(R)knowledge of God;

Greeting

1 Paul, ^(A)Silvanus, and Timothy,

To the church of the ^(B)Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

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

Their Good Example

^2 (C)We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, ³ remembering without ceasing ^(D)your work of faith, ^(E)labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, ⁴ knowing, beloved brethren, ^(F)your election by God. ⁵ For ^(G)our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, ^(H)and in the Holy Spirit ^(I)and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.

⁶ And ^(J)you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, ^(K)with joy of the Holy Spirit, ⁷ so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. ⁸ For from you the word of the Lord ^(L)has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also ^(M)in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. ⁹ For they themselves declare concerning us ^(N)what manner of entry we had to you, ^(O)and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,