Beginning

Thanksgiving for These Believers

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

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

^2 (F)We give thanks to God always for all of you, ^(G)making mention of you in our prayers; ³ constantly bearing in mind your ^(H)work of faith and labor of ^(I)love and ^[a](J)steadfastness of hope ^[b]in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of ^(K)our God and Father, ⁴ knowing, ^(L)brethren beloved by God, ^(M)His choice of you; ⁵ for our ^(N)gospel did not come to you in word only, but also ^(O)in power and in the Holy Spirit and with ^(P)full conviction; just as you know ^(Q)what kind of men we ^[c]proved to be among you for your sake. ⁶ You also became ^(R)imitators of us and of the Lord, ^(S)having received ^(T)the word in much tribulation with the ^(U)joy of the Holy Spirit, ⁷ so that you became an example to all the believers in ^(V)Macedonia and in ^(W)Achaia. ⁸ For ^(X)the word of the Lord has ^(Y)sounded forth from you, not only in ^(Z)Macedonia and ^(AA)Achaia, but also ^(AB)in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. ⁹ For they themselves report about us what kind of a ^[d](AC)reception we had ^[e]with you, and how you ^(AD)turned to God ^(AE)from ^[f]idols to serve ^[g](AF)a living and true God, ¹⁰ and to ^(AG)wait for His Son from ^[h]heaven, whom He ^(AH)raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who ^(AI)rescues us from ^(AJ)the wrath to come.

Paul’s Ministry

2 For you yourselves know, brethren, that our ^[i](AK)coming to you ^(AL)was not in vain, ² but after we had already suffered and been ^(AM)mistreated in ^(AN)Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God ^(AO)to speak to you the ^(AP)gospel of God amid much ^[j](AQ)opposition. ³ For our ^(AR)exhortation does not come from ^(AS)error or ^(AT)impurity or ^[k]by way of ^(AU)deceit; ^4 (AV)but just as we have been approved by God to be ^(AW)entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, ^(AX)not as pleasing men, but God who ^[l](AY)examines our hearts. ⁵ For we never came ^[m]with flattering speech, as you know, nor with ^(AZ)a pretext for greed—^(BA)God is witness— ⁶ nor did we ^(BB)seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as ^(BC)apostles of Christ ^[n]we might have ^[o]asserted our authority. ⁷ But we ^[p]proved to be ^[q](BD)gentle ^[r]among you, ^(BE)as a nursing mother ^[s]tenderly cares for her own children. ⁸ Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to ^(BF)impart to you not only the ^(BG)gospel of God but also our own ^[t]lives, because you had become ^[u]very dear to us.

⁹ For you recall, brethren, our ^(BH)labor and hardship, how ^(BI)working night and day so as not to be a ^(BJ)burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the ^(BK)gospel of God. ¹⁰ You are witnesses, and so is ^(BL)God, ^(BM)how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we ^[v]behaved toward you ^[w]believers; ¹¹ just as you know how we were ^(BN)exhorting and encouraging and ^[x](BO)imploring each one of you as ^(BP)a father would his own children, ¹² so that you would ^(BQ)walk in a manner worthy of the God who ^(BR)calls you into His own kingdom and ^(BS)glory.

¹³ For this reason we also constantly ^(BT)thank God that when you received the ^(BU)word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it ^(BV)not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, ^(BW)which also performs its work in you who believe. ¹⁴ For you, brethren, became ^(BX)imitators of ^(BY)the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are ^(BZ)in Judea, for ^(CA)you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, ^(CB)even as they did from the Jews, ^15 (CC)who both killed the Lord Jesus and ^(CD)the prophets, and ^[y]drove us out. ^[z]They are not pleasing to God, ^[aa]but hostile to all men, ^16 (CE)hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles ^(CF)so that they may be saved; with the result that they always ^(CG)fill up the measure of their sins. But ^(CH)wrath has come upon them ^[ab]to the utmost.

¹⁷ But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a ^[ac]short while—^(CI)in ^[ad]person, not in ^[ae]spirit—were all the more eager with great desire ^(CJ)to see your face. ^18 [af]For ^(CK)we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, ^[ag](CL)more than once—and yet ^(CM)Satan ^(CN)hindered us. ¹⁹ For who is our hope or ^(CO)joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His ^[ah](CP)coming? ²⁰ For you are ^(CQ)our glory and joy.

Encouragement of Timothy’s Visit

3 Therefore ^(CR)when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at ^(CS)Athens alone, ² and we sent ^(CT)Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, ³ so that no one would be ^[ai]disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that ^(CU)we have been destined for this. ⁴ For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; ^[aj](CV)and so it came to pass, ^[ak]as you know. ⁵ For this reason, ^(CW)when I could endure it no longer, I also ^(CX)sent to ^[al]find out about your faith, for fear that ^(CY)the tempter might have tempted you, and ^(CZ)our labor would be in vain.

⁶ But now that ^(DA)Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of ^(DB)your faith and love, and that you always ^(DC)think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, ⁷ for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; ⁸ for now we really live, if you ^(DD)stand firm in the Lord. ⁹ For ^(DE)what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, ¹⁰ as we ^(DF)night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may ^(DG)see your face, and may ^(DH)complete what is lacking in your faith?

^11 (DI)Now may ^(DJ)our God and Father ^(DK)Himself and Jesus our Lord ^(DL)direct our way to you; ¹² and may the Lord cause you to increase and ^(DM)abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you; ¹³ so that He may ^(DN)establish your hearts ^(DO)without blame in holiness before ^(DP)our God and Father at the ^[am](DQ)coming of our Lord Jesus ^(DR)with all His ^[an]saints.

Sanctification and Love

4 ^(DS)Finally then, ^(DT)brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to ^[ao](DU)walk and ^(DV)please God (just as you actually do ^[ap]walk), that you ^(DW)excel still more. ² For you know what commandments we gave you ^[aq]by the authority of the Lord Jesus. ³ For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you ^(DX)abstain from ^[ar]sexual immorality; ⁴ that ^(DY)each of you know how to ^[as]possess his own ^[at](DZ)vessel in sanctification and ^(EA)honor, ⁵ not in ^[au](EB)lustful passion, like the Gentiles who ^(EC)do not know God; ⁶ and that no man transgress and ^(ED)defraud his brother ^(EE)in the matter because ^(EF)the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also ^(EG)told you before and solemnly warned you. ⁷ For ^(EH)God has not called us for ^(EI)the purpose of impurity, but ^[av]in sanctification. ⁸ So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who ^(EJ)gives His Holy Spirit to you.

⁹ Now as to the ^(EK)love of the brethren, you ^(EL)have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are ^(EM)taught by God to love one another; ¹⁰ for indeed ^(EN)you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to ^(EO)excel still more, ¹¹ and to make it your ambition ^(EP)to lead a quiet life and ^(EQ)attend to your own business and ^(ER)work with your hands, just as we commanded you, ¹² so that you will ^[aw](ES)behave properly toward ^(ET)outsiders and ^[ax](EU)not be in any need.

Those Who Died in Christ

¹³ But ^(EV)we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who ^(EW)are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do ^(EX)the rest who have ^(EY)no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, ^(EZ)even so God will bring with Him ^(FA)those who have fallen asleep ^[ay]in Jesus. ¹⁵ For this we say to you ^(FB)by the word of the Lord, that ^(FC)we who are alive ^[az]and remain until ^(FD)the coming of the Lord, will not precede ^(FE)those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord ^(FF)Himself ^(FG)will descend from heaven with a ^[ba](FH)shout, with the voice of ^(FI)the archangel and with the ^(FJ)trumpet of God, and ^(FK)the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then ^(FL)we who are alive ^[bb]and remain will be ^(FM)caught up together with them ^(FN)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always ^(FO)be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore comfort one another with these words.

The Day of the Lord

5 Now as to the ^(FP)times and the epochs, brethren, you ^(FQ)have no need of anything to be written to you. ² For you yourselves know full well that ^(FR)the day of the Lord ^[bc]will come ^(FS)just like a thief in the night. ³ While they are saying, “^(FT)Peace and safety!” then ^[bd](FU)destruction ^[be]will come upon them suddenly like ^(FV)labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. ⁴ But you, brethren, are not in ^(FW)darkness, that the day would overtake you ^[bf](FX)like a thief; ⁵ for you are all ^(FY)sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of ^(FZ)darkness; ⁶ so then let us not ^(GA)sleep as ^[bg](GB)others do, but let us be alert and ^[bh](GC)sober. ⁷ For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get ^(GD)drunk at night. ⁸ But since ^(GE)we are of the day, let us ^(GF)be ^[bi]sober, having put on the ^(GG)breastplate of ^(GH)faith and love, and as a ^(GI)helmet, the ^(GJ)hope of salvation. ⁹ For God has not destined us for ^(GK)wrath, but for ^(GL)obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ^10 (GM)who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. ¹¹ Therefore ^[bj]encourage one another and ^(GN)build up one another, just as you also are doing.

Christian Conduct

¹² But we request of you, brethren, that you ^[bk](GO)appreciate those ^(GP)who diligently labor among you, and ^(GQ)have charge over you in the Lord and give you ^[bl]instruction, ¹³ and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. ^(GR)Live in peace with one another. ¹⁴ We urge you, brethren, admonish ^(GS)the ^[bm]unruly, encourage ^(GT)the fainthearted, help ^(GU)the weak, be ^(GV)patient with everyone. ¹⁵ See that ^(GW)no one repays another with evil for evil, but always ^(GX)seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. ^16 (GY)Rejoice always; ^17 (GZ)pray without ceasing; ¹⁸ in everything ^(HA)give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ^19 (HB)Do not quench the Spirit; ²⁰ do not despise ^(HC)prophetic ^[bn]utterances. ²¹ But ^(HD)examine everything carefully; ^(HE)hold fast to that which is good; ²² abstain from every ^[bo]form of evil.

²³ Now ^(HF)may the God of peace ^(HG)Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your ^(HH)spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, ^(HI)without blame at ^(HJ)the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ^24 (HK)Faithful is He who ^(HL)calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.

²⁵ Brethren, ^(HM)pray for us^[bp].

^26 (HN)Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. ²⁷ I adjure you by the Lord to ^(HO)have this letter read to all the ^(HP)brethren.

^28 (HQ)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.