Greeting

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything.

For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,

and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit.

Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ.

Their Conversion

For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.

For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans,

Longing to See Them

But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire.

Encouraged by Timothy

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, as we also to see you—

Plea for Purity

Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

Abstain from every form of evil.