Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

1 ¶ Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, unto the congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} of the Thessalonians congregated in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

² ¶ We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers,

³ remembering without ceasing the work of your faith and labour and charity and of waiting with the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,

⁴ being certain, beloved brethren, that you are chosen of God.

⁵ For our gospel did not come unto you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and in full assurance as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

⁶ ¶ And ye were made imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word with much tribulation, with joy of the Holy Spirit:

⁷ So that ye have become examples to all that have believed in Macedonia and Achaia.

⁸ For through you the word of the Lord has been divulged not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith, which is in God, has become extended, so that we have no need to say anything.

⁹ For they themselves tell of us what an entrance we had unto you and in what manner ye were converted to God from idols to serve the living and true God

¹⁰ and to wait for his Son from the heavens, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come.

2 ¶ For you yourselves, brethren, know that our entrance unto you was not vain,

² but having suffered before and having been shamefully treated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to announce unto you the gospel of God with much diligence.

³ For our exhortation was not of error nor of uncleanness nor in guile,

⁴ but because we have been approved of God that he might entrust us with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, who tries our hearts.

⁵ For we were never flatterers in the word, as ye know, nor tainted with covetousness, God is witness,

⁶ nor did we seek glory of men neither of you nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome unto you as the apostles of Christ.

⁷ ¶ But we were gentle among you, as a mother feeding and caring for her children,

⁸ loving you so much, that we were willing to give unto you, not only the gospel of God, but even our own souls, because ye are dear unto us.

⁹ For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail, for labouring night and day, not to be a burden unto any of you, we preached among you the gospel of God.

¹⁰ Ye are witnesses, and God also, of how holy and just and irreprehensible our behaviour was among you that believe,

¹¹ as ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father with his children,

¹² that ye would walk worthy of God, who has called you unto his kingdom and glory.

¹³ ¶ For this cause also we thank God without ceasing, that having received from us the word to hear from God, ye received it not as the word of men, (but as it is in truth) the word of God, which effectually works in you that believe.

¹⁴ For ye, brethren, have been imitators in Christ Jesus of the congregations {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} of God which are in Judaea, for ye also have suffered like things of your own nation, even as they have of the Jews,

¹⁵ who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets and have persecuted us, and they do not please God and are contrary to all men,

¹⁶ forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up the measure of their sins always, for the wrath of God has come upon them to the uttermost.

¹⁷ ¶ But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly with great desire to see your face.

¹⁸ Therefore we would have come unto you, even I, Paul, once and again, but Satan hindered 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 For ye are our glory and joy.

3 ¶ Therefore when we could wait no longer, we agreed to remain in Athens alone

² and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of the Christ, to confirm you and to exhort you in your faith,

³ that no one should be moved in these tribulations, for you know that we are appointed for this.

⁴ For even when we were with you, we told you in advance that we must pass through tribulations, even as it has come to pass, and ye know.

⁵ For this cause I, also, not waiting any longer, have sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter has tempted you and our labour is in vain.

⁶ ¶ But now when Timothy came from you unto us and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you.

⁷ Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our tribulation and need by your faith;

⁸ for now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.

⁹ For what thanks can we render to God again for you for all the joy with which we joy for your sakes before our God,

¹⁰ night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face and might complete that which is lacking in your faith?

¹¹ ¶ Now may God himself and our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way unto you.

¹² And the Lord make you to multiply and make charity to abound among you and toward all men, even as it is with us toward you,

¹³ that your hearts may be confirmed in holiness, irreprehensible before God, even our Father, for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.