1 Thessalonians

Chapter 1

¹ Dear Brothers and Sisters in the faith in Thessalonica, that is you who are already one with God the Father and our Lord Christ Jesus:

Greetings from Paul, Silas, and Timothy.

My prayer is that God our Father will always be kind to each of you and watch over you so that you live calmly under His protection!

The example of the church in Thessalonica in fully believing in Christ

² Each time we remember you in our prayers, we always give thanks to God for all of you. ³ We always especially thank God the Father remembering what you’ve done because you fully believe in Christ and because of your acts of love and also that you really hope in the coming of our Lord Christ Jesus. That hope is what strengthens you so that you can endure suffering.

⁴ Brothers and Sisters whom God loves, we know that He has chosen each of you to become His own possession. ⁵ For when we came bringing the Good News about Christ, you didn’t receive that news as just ordinary news but as the powerful Word of God. And the Holy Spirit gave full assurance to you that this news is true. Of course you remember how our lives also became a testimony among you that this news is true. ⁶ And we know that God chose each one of you because you’ve followed our example and the example of the Lord Jesus Himself. I mean that when other people made it difficult for you because you fully believed in Jesus, you still accepted those teachings of ours with joy from the Holy Spirit.

⁷ In that way, Brothers and Sisters, you’ve become examples for all the believers in the provinces of Macedonia and Achaia. ⁸ For the news about the salvation of the Lord has spread from you not only to those two provinces, but your faith in God has become well-known in every place that we’ve gone. So Silas, Timothy and I don’t need to tell others about you anymore. ⁹ For they’re the ones who first told us how well you received us when we were with you, Brothers and Sisters, and about how you stopped worshiping idols and turned to serve the one God who is the only true and living God. ¹⁰ And they also told how you wait for the coming of God’s Son from heaven, that is Jesus, whom He made alive again after death. This Jesus is the one who’ll save us from the wrath of God which will soon be revealed when God punishes the sinners of this world.

Chapter 2

The work of Paul in Thessalonica

¹ Brothers and Sisters, you already know how it turned out that our visit to you in Thessalonica wasn’t for nothing. ² You also know that before we came, we were insulted and persecuted when we told the Good News from God in Philippi. Inspite of that, God made us remain bold to tell the same Good News to you, even though there were also those in your city who strongly opposed us. ³ So you can see that we urged you to believe that Good News, not for false or impure reasons and not to deceive you either. ⁴ But instead, we spoke as people who were considered worthy by God and entrusted as His messengers. So we didn’t speak to please the hearts of men but to please the heart of God who tests what’s in each of our hearts. ⁵ You’ve seen and God is also a witness, that this is true, we never tried to influence you with sweet talk, and we never taught you for the purpose of getting money. ⁶ And we also never served to seek praise from man, either from you or from other people.

⁷ Of course, as apostles of Christ we have the right to order you to show respect to us. But we didn’t want to burden you. Instead when we were in your midst, we treated you with gentleness, ^[1] just like a mother caring for her children. ⁸ We dearly loved you to the point that we weren’t just willing to share the Good News from God, but we even surrendered ourselves fully to help you. ⁹ Brothers and Sisters, surely you still remember how we worked hard day and night to meet our own needs. We did that so that we wouldn’t become a burden to you while we were with you. ¹⁰ You are witnesses, and so is God Himself, that we lived holy, righteously and without fault before you who believe in Christ. ¹¹ You know that we lived among all of you just like a father lives with his own children, ¹² advising, encouraging and urging you to live well in God’s sight, who has called you to enter His kingdom and enjoy His glory.

¹³ When you heard the news of salvation from us, you each received it as the Word of God, and not as the words of man. This has also made us thank God without stopping! And your reaction was totally correct, for the Word of God lives and is powerful in each of us who believe in Christ. ¹⁴ Brothers and Sisters, you’ve proven to be people who believe because you were forced to follow the example of your brothers and sisters in Judea, those who are one with Christ Jesus along with you. For the members of the church there were really tortured by the Jews who don’t believe, just as you were also persecuted by your own people group. ¹⁵ Those Jews had already killed the prophets and the Lord Jesus, then they persecuted our brothers and sisters to the point that some were forced to run away from Judea. They hurt the heart of God and opposed everyone. ¹⁶ The way they opposed everyone was by trying to stop us from telling the news of salvation to you who aren’t Jews. They didn’t want you to be saved! In that way, they kept adding to their sin way beyond the limit. And because of that God has already begun to pour out His wrath on them.

Paul longs to return to visit Thessalonica

¹⁷ Brothers and Sisters, we were separated from you for a short time in a physical way that was really forced on us. But our hearts desire has always been to return to you again. So because we really miss you, we have tried hard many times to be able to visit you again. ¹⁸ We long to return, of course. I Paul, especially, have tried many times to be able to visit you. But the devil keeps preventing us. ¹⁹ Don’t be surprised that we really long to visit you because you’re our pride and joy! For we’re certain that you’ll remain faithful to our Lord Christ Jesus. And when He returns to this earth, we’ll proudly say to Him that you’re the result of our ministry. ²⁰ In all honesty, you’re our pride and joy!

Chapter 3

^1-2 When the three of us could no longer wait to visit you again, we finally decided to send Timothy, our brother in the faith, back to you. While the two of us ^[1] remained in the city of Athens, he was the one who would encourage you and urge you to continue to fully believe in Jesus. He works together with us to serve God in telling the Good News about Christ. ³ We sent him because we didn’t want any of you to give up because of the trouble and persecution that we’re now experiencing. For you yourselves know that God is actually the one who allows us to experience those difficult situations. ⁴ For we had already told you that when we were with you. And of course you still remember that soon after that we actually were persecuted. ⁵ So because I felt that I couldn’t stand to go without news from you any longer, I quickly sent Timothy to you so that I could hear if each of you still continue to fully believe in Jesus. I didn’t want the devil, The Tempter, to try to tempt you so that all of our hard work among you would be for nothing.

⁶ But now Timothy has returned bringing very pleasing news that you still fully believe in Christ and continue to love each other. He told us that you always remember us and have compassion for us and long to meet us again, just like we also long to meet with you. ⁷ So Brothers and Sisters, in all of the suffering and troubles that we’re experiencing, we now feel comforted because we know that you still hold on to your faith in Jesus. ⁸ Now our lives are truly refreshed again because you still remain firmly one with the Lord. ⁹ We’re truly very thankful to God for you! For when we pray to Him and pray for you, our hearts are always filled with joy. ¹⁰ We sincerely pray day and night that we may see you again and that we may teach the things you need so that your faith keeps getting stronger.

¹¹ Our hope and prayer is that God the Father and our Lord Jesus open the way for us to see you again. ¹² And our prayer is that the Lord Jesus will make your love grow more and more among your brothers and sisters in the faith and for all people. So I pray that God works in your hearts just as He has engraved your names on our hearts. ¹³ And also we ask our Lord Jesus to encourage your hearts so that you become holy and without stains or wrong before God our Father on the day when Jesus comes back with all the people He has purified.

Chapter 4

The way to live that’s pleasing to God

¹ So Brothers and Sisters, because we’re one with the Lord Jesus, we really urge each of you once again like we’ve previously taught you to live in a way that’s pleasing to God. Of course you are living to please God, but we urge you to become more and more pleasing to Him. ² Surely you still remember the teaching that we told you as messengers of the Lord Jesus, ³ which was that God wants you to live more and more holy and to distance yourselves from the sin of immorality. ⁴ God also wants each of us to know how to control ourselves, especially controlling sexual desires so that we keep living in a holy and honorable way before all people. ^{[1] 5} So don’t allow your sexual desires to control you like the lifestyle of people who don’t know God. ⁶ In regard to sexual lust, don’t do wrong to your brother in the faith! What I mean is don’t let any brother in the faith commit adultery with the wife of another brother in the faith. For in the past we taught you clearly that the Lord will punish everyone who’s immoral like that. ⁷ For God called us to live holy, not to live immorally. ⁸ So whoever rejects this teaching doesn’t reject man but rejects God who gives us His Spirit, which is holy.

⁹ Well now, regarding loving our brothers and sisters in the faith, we obviously don’t need to urge you any more because God has already taught you how to love each other. ¹⁰ This is what you’re obviously doing for the brothers and sisters in the faith in all of Macedonia. Even so Brothers and Sisters, we urge you to love each other even more.

¹¹ Try to live calmly and don’t get involved in other people’s affairs. Work diligently to meet your daily needs, like we’ve already taught you. ¹² If all of you live like that and no longer need to depend on other people, then each of you will give a good testimony to people who don’t yet know Christ.

The coming of the Lord Jesus

¹³ Brothers and Sisters, don’t let there be anyone who doesn't know the answer to this question, “What happens to our brothers and sisters in the faith who’ve died?” For we don’t want you to mourn like other people who don’t yet have hope that there’s life again after death. ¹⁴ For we believe that Jesus has died and has come back to life. So because of that, we also believe that when the Lord Jesus comes again, God will bring all of our brothers and sisters in the faith who have died back to this earth.

¹⁵ We're giving this message directly from the Lord Jesus Himself. When the Lord returns, we, along with all the believers who are still alive, won’t meet the Lord before the believers who have died. ¹⁶ For the moment the Lord Himself descends from heaven together with the angels, He will command that everyone who has died come back to life with a piercing voice. Then the leader of the angels will cry out with a loud voice and a heavenly trumpet sound will be heard, then everyone who has died in oneness with Christ will come back to life first. ¹⁷ Then those who are still alive at that time will be taken up together with us into the clouds in heaven to meet the Lord. Then we’ll live with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ So you should motivate and comfort each other with this teaching.

Chapter 5

Be ready to welcome the return of the Lord

¹ But Brothers and Sisters, we don’t need to explain more to you in this letter regarding the time and moment when that will happen. ² For you already know clearly that the day of the Lord’s return will come in a sudden way, like a thief who comes in the night. ³ At that time there will certainly be people who say, “Everything is peaceful and orderly”, but at that very moment they will suddenly perish and no one can run away. Everyone will suddenly realize the danger, like a woman who suddenly experiences pain when she’s going to give birth.

⁴ But Brothers and Sisters, we don’t live in the darkness so that day won’t take us by surprise, like when a thief comes. ⁵ For we’ve all become children of the light and our lives are enlightened by the Lord. We aren’t children of the darkness who walk in the dark night. ⁶ So let’s not be like other people who aren’t aware, like those who are sleeping. But we should keep on guard and control ourselves. ⁷ For people who live unaware can be illustrated by people who are sleeping soundly at night and also by people who are drunk at night. ⁸ But we’re children of the light so we should control ourselves. For we’re fighting against the devil. And we should use the weapons of war that we have. May our faith in Jesus, and our love for the brothers and sisters in the faith, be like an iron vest which protects our hearts. And let our confidence of being saved be like a war helmet.

⁹ For as people chosen by God, we weren’t chosen to be punished according to His wrath, but He chose us to be saved through our Lord Christ Jesus. ¹⁰ Jesus has died for us. For that reason He’s the one who guarantees us that whether we’ve already died or are still live when He returns we’ll live with Him. ¹¹ So you should continue to urge each other and encourage each other’s hearts with this teaching, just like you’re doing now.

Final instructions and greetings

¹² Brothers and Sisters, we ask each of you to appreciate the Lord’s servants among you who work to lead and advise you with much difficulty. ¹³ Honor and love them sincerely because you remember everything they do for the church.

 

     Live in peace with each other

     ¹⁴ We also urge you, Brothers and Sisters, to rebuke the members of the church who are lazy about working.

     Encourage the hearts of the brothers and sisters who are afraid to follow Jesus.

     Help those who are weak.

     Be patient with everyone.

     ¹⁵ Pay attention so that none of our members repay evil with evil. But always try to do good to brothers and sisters in the faith and to everyone.

 

     ¹⁶ Be joyful always.

     ¹⁷ Keep on praying.

     ¹⁸ Be thankful to God in every situation because that’s what God wants for us to do as people who are one with Christ Jesus.

¹⁹ Don’t extinguish the fire of the Holy Spirit who works in each of you. ²⁰ For example, when a member of the church prophesies, don’t consider the news that he has delivered to be insignificant. ²¹ But you should test every prophecy first before you receive it. If the message of the prophecy turns out to be from the Lord’s Spirit, then receive it. ²² Don’t get involved in any kind of evil. ²³ Now we entrust you to God, that is to Him who always gives calmness in His protection. Our prayer is that He purify each of you more and more until you’re perfect, so that your whole life remains without fault in the eyes of the Lord, including your spirit, thoughts and deeds, until the moment our Lord Christ Jesus returns. ²⁴ For God is the one who calls each of you, and He can be trusted! He’s the one who’ll make all of that complete in you!

²⁵ Brothers and Sisters, pray for us.

²⁶ As people who are purified by God, give greetings full of love ^[1] to each of the brothers and sisters in the faith who are there.

²⁷ For the sake of our oneness with the Lord, I remind you to read this letter to all of the other brothers and sisters in the faith.

²⁸ My prayer is that the kindness of our Lord Christ Jesus will be with you always.