Solunjanima 1 2
Biblija: suvremeni hrvatski prijevod
Pavlov rad u Solunu
2 Braćo i sestre, vi sami znate da naš boravak kod vas nije bio uzaludan. 2 Kao što znate, u Filipima smo trpjeli i bili vrijeđani, ali uz Božju pomoć hrabro smo vam propovijedali Božju Radosnu vijest, bez obzira na jak otpor. 3 Zaista, ono što propovijedamo ne proizlazi iz zablude ili krivih motiva. Ne pokušavamo nikoga prevariti. 4 Naprotiv, govorimo kao ljudi koje je Bog smatrao dostojnima propovijedanja Radosne vijesti. Ne pokušavamo udovoljiti ljudima, nego Bogu koji preispituje naša srca. 5 Zaista, kao što znate, nismo došli s laskavim riječima niti nam je propovijedanje služilo kao izlika da sakrijemo svoju pohlepu. Bog nam je svjedok u tome! 6 I nismo tražili da nas slave ljudi—niti vi niti itko drugi.
7 A mogli smo to zahtijevati kao Kristovi apostoli. No bili smo blagi među vama,[a] kao majka koja se s ljubavlju brine o svojoj djeci. 8 Prema vama smo osjećali toliku naklonost da smo bili spremni podijeliti s vama, ne samo Božju Radosnu vijest nego i vlastite živote, jer smo vas zavoljeli. 9 Braćo i sestre, prisjetite se našega napora i truda! Radili smo danonoćno da nikome od vas ne budemo na teret dok vam propovijedamo Božju Radosnu vijest.
10 Vi ste nam svjedoci, a i Bog nam je svjedok, da smo prema vama vjernicima nastupili čistih motiva, pravedno i besprijekorno. 11 Prema svakome od vas ponašali smo se poput oca. 12 Hrabrili smo vas, tješili i poticali da živite na način dostojan pripadnosti Bogu koji vas zove u svoje Kraljevstvo i slavu.
13 Također, neprekidno zahvaljujemo Bogu jer ste Božju poruku, koju ste od nas čuli, primili ne kao ljudsku poruku, nego kao onakvu kakva ona doista jest—Božja poruka koja djeluje u vama vjernicima. 14 Vi ste, braćo i sestre, slijedili primjer Božjih crkvi u Isusu Kristu iz Judeje[b]. Trpjeli ste progonstva od svojih zemljaka kao što su i oni od Židova, 15 koji su ubili Isusa Krista i proroke, a i nas protjerali; koji ne udovoljavaju Bogu i suprotstavljaju se svim ljudima, 16 pokušavajući nas spriječiti u propovijedanju nežidovima, da bi se i oni mogli spasiti. Time su prevršili mjeru svojih grijeha i Božji je gnjev konačno pao na njih.
Ponovni susret
17 Što se nas tiče, braćo i sestre, razdvojeni smo od vas za kratko vrijeme; razdvojeni smo tijelom, ali u mislima smo s vama. Silno smo vas željeli vidjeti i to smo na sve načine nastojali postići. 18 Da, htjeli smo doći k vama. Ja, Pavao, pokušavao sam više puta, ali Sotona nas je spriječio u tome. 19 Uostalom, što je naša nada, naša radost i kruna našeg ponosa pred našim Gospodinom Isusom na dan njegovog dolaska? Niste li to vi? 20 Da, vi ste naša slava i naša radost!
1 Thessalonians 2
J.B. Phillips New Testament
The spirit of our visit to you is well known to you all
2 1-2 My brothers, you know from your own experience that our visit to you was no failure. We had, as you also know, been treated abominably at Philippi, and we came on to you only because God gave us courage. We came to tell you the Gospel, whatever the opposition might be.
3-12 Our message to you is true, our motives are pure, our conduct is absolutely above board. We speak under the solemn sense of being trusted by God with the Gospel. We do not aim to please men, but to please God who knows us through and through. No one could ever say, as again you know, that we used flattery to conceal greedy motives, and God himself is witness to our honesty. We made no attempt to win honour from men, either from you or from anybody else, though I suppose as Christ’s own messengers we might have done so. Our attitude among you was one of tenderness, rather like that of a devoted nurse among her babies. Because we loved you, it was a joy to us to give you not only the Gospel of God but our very hearts—so dear did you become to us. Our struggles and hard work, my brothers, must still be fresh in your minds. Day and night we worked so that our preaching of the Gospel to you might not cost you a penny. You are witnesses, as is God himself, that our life among you believers was honest, straightforward and above criticism. You will remember how we dealt with each one of you personally, like a father with his own children, stimulating your faith and courage and giving you instruction. Our only object was to help you to live lives worthy of the God who has called you to share the splendour of his kingdom.
13 And so we are continually thankful that when you heard us preach the word of God you accepted it, not as a mere human message, but as it really is, God’s Word, a power in the lives of you who believe.
You have experienced persecution like your Jewish brothers
14-16 When you suffered at the hands of your fellow-countrymen you were sharing the experience of the Judean Christian churches, who suffered persecution by the Jews. It was the Jews who killed their own prophets, the Jews who killed the Lord Jesus, and the Jews who drove out us, his messengers. Their present attitude is in opposition to both God and man. They refused to let us speak to those who were not Jews, to tell them the news of salvation. Alas, I fear they are completing the full tale of their sins and the wrath of God is over their heads.
Absence has indeed made our hearts grow fonder
17-18 Since we have been physically separated from you, my brothers (though never for a moment separated in heart), we have longed all the more to see you. Yes, I, Paul, have longed to come and see you more than once—but somehow Satan prevented our coming.
19-20 Yet who could take your place as our hope and joy and pride when Jesus comes? Who but you, as you will stand before him at his coming? Yes, you are indeed our pride and joy!
Biblija: suvremeni hrvatski prijevod (SHP) © 2019 Bible League International
The New Testament in Modern English by J.B Phillips copyright © 1960, 1972 J. B. Phillips. Administered by The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England. Used by Permission.