A Song of God’s Majesty and Love

^(A)A Praise of David.

Christian Graces; Final Greetings

4 Masters,^(A) give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

Christian Graces

^2 (B)Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it ^(C)with thanksgiving; ^3 (D)meanwhile praying also for us, that God would ^(E)open to us a door for the word, to speak ^(F)the ^[a]mystery of Christ, ^(G)for which I am also in chains, ⁴ that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

^5 (H)Walk in ^(I)wisdom toward those who are outside, ^(J)redeeming the time. ⁶ Let your speech always be ^(K)with grace, ^(L)seasoned with salt, ^(M)that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Final Greetings^(N)

^7 (O)Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. ^8 (P)I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that ^[b]he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts, ⁹ with ^(Q)Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you all things which are happening here.

^10 (R)Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with ^(S)Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him), ¹¹ and Jesus who is called Justus. These are my only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are of the circumcision; they have proved to be a comfort to me.

^12 (T)Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always ^(U)laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand ^(V)perfect and ^[c]complete in all the will of God. ¹³ For I bear him witness that he has a great ^[d]zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis. ^14 (W)Luke the beloved physician and ^(X)Demas greet you. ¹⁵ Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and ^[e]Nymphas and ^(Y)the church that is in ^[f]his house.

Closing Exhortations and Blessing

¹⁶ Now when ^(Z)this epistle is read among you, see that it is read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea. ¹⁷ And say to ^(AA)Archippus, “Take heed to ^(AB)the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.”

^18 (AC)This salutation by my own hand—Paul. ^(AD)Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Amen.

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, ¹⁰ and ^(P)to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us ^(Q)from the wrath to come.

Paul’s Conduct^(R)

2 For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. ² But ^[b]even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at ^(S)Philippi, as you know, we were ^(T)bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict. ^3 (U)For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit.

⁴ But as ^(V)we have been approved by God ^(W)to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, ^(X)not as pleasing men, but God ^(Y)who tests our hearts. ⁵ For ^(Z)neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a ^[c]cloak for covetousness—^(AA)God is witness. ^6 (AB)Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when ^(AC)we might have ^(AD)made demands ^(AE)as apostles of Christ. ⁷ But ^(AF)we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. ⁸ So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased ^(AG)to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also ^(AH)our own lives, because you had become dear to us. ⁹ For you remember, brethren, our ^(AI)labor and toil; for laboring night and day, ^(AJ)that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.

^10 (AK)You are witnesses, and God also, ^(AL)how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; ¹¹ as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and ^[d]charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, ^12 (AM)that you would walk worthy of God ^(AN)who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

Their Conversion

¹³ For this reason we also thank God ^(AO)without ceasing, because when you ^(AP)received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it ^(AQ)not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively ^(AR)works in you who believe. ¹⁴ For you, brethren, became imitators ^(AS)of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For ^(AT)you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, ^15 (AU)who killed both the Lord Jesus and ^(AV)their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God ^(AW)and are ^[e]contrary to all men, ^16 (AX)forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always ^(AY)to fill up the measure of their sins; ^(AZ)but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.

Longing to See Them

¹⁷ But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time ^(BA)in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. ¹⁸ Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but ^(BB)Satan hindered us. ¹⁹ For ^(BC)what is our hope, or joy, or ^(BD)crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the ^(BE)presence of our Lord Jesus Christ ^(BF)at His coming? ²⁰ For you are our glory and joy.

Concern for Their Faith

3 Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, ² and sent ^(BG)Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith, ^3 (BH)that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that ^(BI)we are appointed to this. ^4 (BJ)For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know. ⁵ For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, ^(BK)lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and ^(BL)our labor might be in vain.

Encouraged by Timothy

^6 (BM)But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always have good remembrance of us, greatly desiring to see us, ^(BN)as we also to see you— ⁷ therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress ^(BO)we were comforted concerning you by your faith. ⁸ For now we live, if you ^(BP)stand fast in the Lord.

⁹ For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God, ¹⁰ night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face ^(BQ)and perfect what is lacking in your faith?

Prayer for the Church

¹¹ Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, ^(BR)direct our way to you. ¹² And may the Lord make you increase and ^(BS)abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, ¹³ so that He may establish ^(BT)your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

Plea for Purity

4 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus ^(BU)that you should abound more and more, ^(BV)just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; ² for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

³ For this is ^(BW)the will of God, ^(BX)your sanctification: ^(BY)that you should abstain from sexual immorality; ^4 (BZ)that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, ^5 (CA)not in passion of lust, ^(CB)like the Gentiles ^(CC)who do not know God; ⁶ that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord ^(CD)is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. ⁷ For God did not call us to uncleanness, ^(CE)but in holiness. ^8 (CF)Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, ^(CG)who^[f] has also given us His Holy Spirit.

A Brotherly and Orderly Life

⁹ But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for ^(CH)you yourselves are taught by God ^(CI)to love one another; ¹⁰ and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, ^(CJ)that you increase more and more; ¹¹ that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, ^(CK)to mind your own business, and ^(CL)to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, ^12 (CM)that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

The Comfort of Christ’s Coming

¹³ But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen ^[g]asleep, lest you sorrow ^(CN)as others ^(CO)who have no hope. ¹⁴ For ^(CP)if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him ^(CQ)those who ^[h]sleep in Jesus.

¹⁵ For this we say to you ^(CR)by the word of the Lord, that ^(CS)we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are ^[i]asleep. ¹⁶ For ^(CT)the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with ^(CU)the trumpet of God. ^(CV)And the dead in Christ will rise first. ^17 (CW)Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them ^(CX)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus ^(CY)we shall always be with the Lord. ^18 (CZ)Therefore comfort one another with these words.