To the church of the Thessaloniansc in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace and peace to you.d
Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians’ Faith
2We always thank God for all of youe and continually mention you in our prayers.f 3We remember before our God and Fatherg your work produced by faith,h your labor prompted by love,i and your endurance inspired by hopej in our Lord Jesus Christ.
4For we know, brothers and sisters2 loved by God,k that he has chosen you, 5because our gospell came to you not simply with words but also with power,m with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You known how we lived among you for your sake. 6You became imitators of uso and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe sufferingp with the joyq given by the Holy Spirit.r 7And so you became a models to all the believers in Macedoniat and Achaia.u 8The Lord’s messagev rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere.w Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turnedx to God from idolsy to serve the living and true God,z 10and to wait for his Son from heaven,a whom he raised from the deadb—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.c
Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica
1You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to youa was not without results.b 2We had previously sufferedc and been treated outrageously in Philippi,d as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition.e 3For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives,f nor are we trying to trick you.g 4On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.h We are not trying to please peoplei but God, who tests our hearts.j 5You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greedk—God is our witness.l 6We were not looking for praise from people,m not from you or anyone else, even though as apostlesn of Christ we could have asserted our authority.o 7Instead, we were like young children1 among you.
Just as a nursing mother cares for her children,p 8so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of Godq but our lives as well.r 9Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we workeds night and day in order not to be a burden to anyonet while we preached the gospel of God to you. 10You are witnesses,u and so is God,v of how holy,w righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,x 12encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthyy of God, who callsz you into his kingdom and glory.
13And we also thank God continuallya because, when you received the word of God,b which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. 14For you, brothers and sisters, became imitatorsc of God’s churches in Judea,d which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own peoplee the same things those churches suffered from the Jews 15who killed the Lord Jesusf and the prophetsg and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone 16in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentilesh so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit.i The wrath of God has come upon them at last.2
Paul’s Longing to See the Thessalonians
17But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought),j out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you.k 18For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satanl blocked our way.m 19For what is our hope, our joy, or the crownn in which we will gloryo in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes?p Is it not you? 20Indeed, you are our gloryq and joy.
1So when we could stand it no longer,a we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens.b 2We sent Timothy,c who is our brother and co-workerd in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ,e to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3so that no one would be unsettled by these trials.f For you know quite well that we are destined for them.g 4In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know.h 5For this reason, when I could stand it no longer,i I sent to find out about your faith.j I was afraid that in some way the tempterk had tempted you and that our labors might have been in vain.l Travel in the Greco-Roman World
Timothy’s Encouraging Report
6But Timothym has just now come to us from youn and has brought good news about your faith and love.o He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you.p 7Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. 8For now we really live, since you are standing firmq in the Lord. 9How can we thank God enough for your in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?s 10Night and day we prayt most earnestly that we may see you againu and supply what is lacking in your faith.
11Now may our God and Fatherv himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. 12May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each otherw and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blamelessx and holy in the presence of our God and Fathery when our Lord Jesus comesz with all his holy ones.a
Living to Please God
1As for other matters, brothers and sisters,a we instructed you how to liveb in order to please God,c as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
3It is God’s willd that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;e 4that each of you should learn to control your own body1,f in a way that is holy and honorable, 5not in passionate lustg like the pagans,h who do not know God;i 6and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister.2,j The Lord will punishk all those who commit such sins,l as we told you and warned you before. 7For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.m 8Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.n
9Now about your love for one anothero we do not need to write to you,p for you yourselves have been taught by Godq to love each other.r 10And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia.s Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,t 11and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands,u just as we told you, 12so that your daily life may win the respect of outsidersv and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
Believers Who Have Died
13Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformedw about those who sleep in death,x so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.y 14For we believe that Jesus died and rose again,z and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.a 15According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord,b will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.c 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven,d with a loud command, with the voice of the archangele and with the trumpet call of God,f and the dead in Christ will rise first.g 17After that, we who are still alive and are lefth will be caught up together with them in the cloudsi to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lordj forever. 18Therefore encourage one anotherk with these words. Jesus’ Teachings as Background in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:11
The Day of the Lord
1Now, brothers and sisters, about times and datesa we do not need to write to you,b 2for you know very well that the day of the Lordc will come like a thief in the night.d 3While people are saying, “Peace and safety,”e destruction will come on them suddenly,f as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.g
4But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darknessh so that this day should surprise you like a thief.i 5You are all children of the lightj and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep,k but let us be awakel and sober.m 7For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.n 8But since we belong to the day,o let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate,p and the hope of salvationq as a helmet.r 9For God did not appoint us to suffer wraths but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.t 10He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.u 11Therefore encourage one anotherv and build each other up,w just as in fact you are doing.
Final Instructions
12Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hardx among you, who care for you in the Lordy and who admonish you. 13Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.z 14And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idlea and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak,b be patient with everyone. 15Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong,c but always strive to do what is good for each otherd and for everyone else.
16Rejoice always,e 17pray continually,f 18give thanks in all circumstances;g for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
19Do not quench the Spirit.h 20Do not treat propheciesi with contempt 21but test them all;j hold on to what is good,k 22reject every kind of evil.
23May God himself, the God of peace,l sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soulm and body be kept blamelessn at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.o 24The one who callsp you is faithful,q and he will do it.r
25Brothers and sisters, pray for us.s 26Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss.t 27I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.u
28The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.v