Chronological

He thanks God for them, that they are so steadfast in faith & good works, and receive the gospel with such earnestness.  

1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy.

To the congregation of the Thessalonians in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace be with you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

² We give God thanks always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers without ceasing, ³ and call to remembrance your work in the faith and labour in love, and perseverance in the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God our Father, ⁴ because we know, brethren beloved of God, that you are elect. ⁵ For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and also in the Holy Spirit – and in much confidence, as you know how we conducted ourselves among you for your sakes.

⁶ And you became followers of us and of the Lord, and received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, ⁷ so that you were an example to all who believe in Macedonia and Achaia. ⁸ For the word of the Lord sounded out from you – not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but the faith that you have in God went abroad in all quarters, so greatly that it is not necessary for us to say anything at all. ⁹ For people themselves speak of you: what manner of entry we had in to you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, ¹⁰ and to look for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from death; I mean Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.

Paul reminds them of the godly life he led among them when he preached the gospel to them, thanks God that they receive his word so fruitfully, and excuses his absence.

2 For you yourselves know, brethren, of our coming to you, how it was not in vain. ² But even after we had suffered before, and were shamefully treated at Philippi (as you well know), then we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God with much striving. ³ Our exhortation was not to bring you to error, nor yet to uncleanness. Neither was it with guile, ⁴ but as we were approved by God to have the gospel committed to us, even so we speak – not as though we intended to please men, but God, who tries our hearts.

⁵ Neither was our conversation at any time with flattering words, as you well know, nor in cloaked covetousness; God is witness. ⁶ Nor did we seek praise from men: not from you, nor yet from any others, when we might have imposed ourselves upon you as the apostles of Christ. ⁷ But we were tender among you. Even as a nurse-mother cares for her children, ⁸ so was our affection toward you. Our good pleasure was to have given you not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because you were dear to us.

⁹ You remember, brethren, our labour and travail. For we laboured day and night because we did not want to be burdensome to any of you, and preached to you the gospel of God. ¹⁰ You are witnesses, and so is God, how holily and justly and blamelessly we conducted ourselves among you who believe; ¹¹ as you know how we exhorted and comforted and besought every one of you, as a father his children, ¹² to walk worthy of God, who has called you unto his kingdom and glory.

¹³ We thank God without ceasing, because when you received from us the word whereby God was preached, you received it not as the word of man, but even as it was indeed: the word of God, which works in you who believe. ¹⁴ For you, brethren, took after the congregations of God in Judea that are in Christ Jesus. For you have suffered similar things from your countrymen as we ourselves have suffered from the Jews. ¹⁵ As they killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, even so have they persecuted us. And they do not please God, and are contrary to all men, ¹⁶ and oppose us preaching to the Gentiles so that they might be saved, to fulfil their sins always. For the wrath of God has come on them, even to the utmost.

¹⁷ But since, brethren, we have been kept from you for a season (as to bodily presence, but not in the heart), we tried all the more to see you personally, with great desire. ¹⁸ And therefore we would have gone to you – I, Paul, once and again – but Satan withstood us. ¹⁹ For what is our hope or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? ²⁰ Yes, you are our pride and joy.

He tells them how greatly he was moved with joy when Timothy told him of their faith and love.

3 Therefore, since we could bear it no longer, it pleased us to remain at Athens alone, ² and we sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our labour-fellow in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen you and to comfort you over your faith, ³ so that no one would be shaken in these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are even appointed to this. ⁴ For indeed, when I was with you, I warned that we would suffer tribulation, even as it came to pass and as you know. ⁵ For this reason, when I could no longer bear it, I sent to find out about your faith, lest perhaps the tempter had tempted you and our labour had been bestowed in vain.

⁶ But now lately Timothy has come from you to us, and told us about your faith and your love, and that you have good remembrance of us always, desiring to see us as we desire to see you. ⁷ Therefore, brethren, we had consolation in you, in all our adversity and need, through your faith. ⁸ For now we are alive, if you stand steadfast in the Lord. ⁹ For what thanks we can render to God for you, for all the joy that we have on your account before our God, ¹⁰ while we pray very much night and day that we might see you personally, and might make up that which is lacking in your faith.

¹¹ May God himself our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ guide our journey to you. ¹² And may the Lord prosper you, and make you flow over in love toward one another and toward all men, even as we do toward you, ¹³ to make your hearts constant and unblameable in holiness before God our Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

He exhorts them to steadfastness, to keep themselves from sin and unclean conduct, and to love one another. He rebukes idleness, and speaks of the general resurrection.

4 Furthermore, we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, as you learned from us how you ought to walk and please God, so to progress more and more. ² You remember what commandments we gave you in our Lord Jesus Christ. ³ For this is even the will of God: that you should be holy; that you should abstain from fornication; ⁴ that every one of you should know how to keep his vessel in holiness and honour, ⁵ and not in the passion of lust, as do the heathen who do not know God; ⁶ that no one should go too far and defraud his brother in bargaining. For the Lord is an avenger of all such things, as we have forewarned you and testified. ⁷ For God has not called us to uncleanness, but to holiness. ⁸ Whoever therefore rejects this, rejects not man, but God, who has sent his Holy Spirit among you.

⁹ But concerning brotherly love, you do not need me to write to you. For you are taught by God to love one another. ¹⁰ Yea and this you do, showing love to all the brethren who are throughout all Macedonia. We beseech you, brethren, to progress more and more, ¹¹ and to aspire to be quiet and to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we told you, ¹² so that you may conduct yourselves honourably toward those who are outside, and so that nothing be lacking to you.

¹³ I would not, brethren, have you be ignorant concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow like others who have no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so then also those who sleep in Jesus, God will bring again with him. ¹⁵ And this we say to you in the word of the Lord: we who live and are remaining at the coming of the Lord will not precede those who sleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, and the voice of the archangel, and the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will arise first. ¹⁷ Then shall we who live and remain be caught up with them also in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore comfort one another with these words.

He speaks of the day of doom and coming of the Lord. He exhorts them to watch, and to have regard for those who preach God’s word among them.

5 Of the times and seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write to you. ² For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord will come even as a thief in the night. ³ When they say, Peace, and no danger – then comes on them sudden destruction, like the travailing of a woman with child, and they shall not escape.

⁴ But you, brethren, are not in darkness, such that that day should come on you as a thief. ⁵ You are all the children of light, and the children of the day. We are not of the night, nor of darkness. ⁶ Therefore let us not sleep as others do, but let us watch and be sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep in the night, and those who are drunk, are drunk in the night. ⁸ But let us who are of the day be sober, armed with the breastplate of faith and love, and with the hope of salvation as a helmet. ⁹ For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by the means of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰ who died for us so that whether we wake or sleep, we will live together with him. ¹¹ Therefore comfort yourselves together, and strengthen one another, even as you do.

¹² We beseech you, brethren, to recognize those who labour among you, and have the oversight of you in the Lord and give you exhortation – ¹³ to have them the more in love for their work’s sake, and be at peace with them.

¹⁴ We desire you, brethren, to warn those who are unruly, comfort the faint-hearted, bear up the weak, and have continual patience toward all people. ¹⁵ See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves and among all people.

¹⁶ Rejoice always. ¹⁷ Pray continually. ¹⁸ In all things give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

¹⁹ Quench not the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not despise prophesying. ²¹ Examine all things, and keep that which is good. ²² Keep from every appearance of evil. ²³ May the very God of peace sanctify you thoroughly. And I pray God that your whole spirit, soul, and body may be kept faultless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ Faithful is he who called you, who will also do it.

²⁵ Brethren, pray for us. ²⁶ Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.

²⁷ I charge you in the Lord to read this epistle to all the holy brethren. ²⁸ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.  Amen.

The end of the first epistle to
the Thessalonians.
Sent from
Athens.

He thanks God for their faith and love, and prays for the increase of the same.

1 Paul, Sylvanus, and Timothy.

To the congregation of the Thessalonians who are in God our Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ.

² Grace be with you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

³ We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because your faith grows exceedingly, and every one of you swims in love toward another between yourselves, ⁴ so that we ourselves rejoice over you in the congregations of God – over your patience and faith in all the persecutions and tribulations that you suffer, ⁵ which is a sign of the righteous judgment of God, that you are counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer.

⁶ It is surely a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to those who trouble you; ⁷ and to you who are troubled, rest with us when the Lord Jesus shows himself from heaven with his mighty angels, ⁸ in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to those who do not know God, and to those who will not heed the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ These shall be punished with everlasting damnation, separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power, ¹⁰ when he comes to be glorified in his saints and to be made marvelous in all who believe, because our testimony to you was believed even the same day that we preached it.

¹¹ Therefore we pray always for you, that our God would make you worthy of the calling, and would fulfil all pleasure in goodness and the work of faith with power, ¹² so that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in him, through the grace of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul explains that the day of the Lord does not come until the departing from the faith comes first, and therefore he exhorts them not to be deceived, but to stand steadfast in the things that he has taught them.

2 We beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in that we shall assemble unto him, ² not to be suddenly moved from your mind. And be not troubled, neither by spirit nor by words, nor yet by letter which seems to come from us, as though the day of Christ were at hand. ³ Let no man deceive you by any means. For the Lord comes not unless there come a departing first and that sinful man be revealed – the son of perdition, ⁴ who is an adversary, and is exalted above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he shall sit as God in the temple of God and show himself as God.

⁵ Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I told you these things? ⁶ And now you know what withholds, so that he may be manifest at his time. ⁷ For the mystery of that iniquity does he already work, which only locks until it is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then shall that wicked one be exposed, whom the Lord will consume with the Spirit of his mouth, and will destroy with the appearance of his coming – ⁹ namely him whose coming is by the working of Satan, with all lying power, signs, and wonders, ¹⁰ and in all the deceptiveness of unrighteousness among those who are perishing. They perish because they would not receive the love of the truth, so that they might have been saved. ¹¹ And therefore God will send them strong delusion, so that they will believe lies; ¹² so that all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

¹³ But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God has from the beginning chosen you for salvation, through sanctifying by the Spirit and through believing the truth, ¹⁴ to which he called you by our gospel, to obtain the glory that comes of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ Therefore, brethren, stand fast. And keep the ordinances that you have been taught, whether it was by our preaching or by epistle.

¹⁶ May our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father who has loved us, and has given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, ¹⁷ comfort your hearts and establish you in all doctrine and good-doing.

He asks them to pray for him, that the gospel may prosper. He warns them to reprove the idle, and if they will not labour with their hands, they should not eat.

3 Furthermore, brethren, pray for us, that the word of God may have free passage and be glorified, as it is with you, ² and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and evil men. For all do not have faith. ³ But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and keep you from evil. ⁴ We have confidence through the Lord concerning you, that you both do and will do that which we instruct you. ⁵ And may the Lord guide your hearts to the love of God and patience of Christ.

⁶ We require you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to withdraw yourselves from every brother who is disorderly, not walking according to the teaching which you received from us. ⁷ You yourselves know how you ought to follow us. For we were not disorderly amongst you. ⁸ Neither did we take bread from anyone for nothing, but worked with labour and travail night and day, because we did not wish to be burdensome to any of you – ⁹ not that we had no right, but to make ourselves an example for you, to follow us. ¹⁰ For when we were with you, this we warned you of: that if there were any who would not work, the same should not eat.

¹¹ We have heard that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly way, and do not work at all, but are busybodies. ¹² Such people we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ to work with quietness and eat their own bread.

¹³ Brethren, do not be weary of well-doing. ¹⁴ If any man does not heed what we say, send us word of him by a letter; and keep no company with him, so that he may be ashamed. ¹⁵ And count him not as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

¹⁶ May the very Lord of peace give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.

¹⁷ The greeting of me, Paul, with my own hand. This is the distinguishing mark in all epistles – thus I write.

¹⁸ May the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ
be with you
all.
Amen.
Sent from Athens.