1 Thessalonians

Chapter 1

¹ Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you. ^[1]

² We always give thanks to God for all of you, continually making mention of you in our prayers, ³ remembering your work of faith, and labor of love, and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ before our God and Father; ⁴ knowing, brothers loved by God, your election, ⁵ because our gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance; just as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. ⁶ And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much hardship with joy of the Holy Spirit. ⁷ As a result, you became an example to all those who believe in Macedonia and in Achaia. ⁸ For from you the word of the Lord has been sounded out, not only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but your faith toward God has gone out into every place. Therefore we do not have need to say anything. ⁹ For they themselves report concerning us what kind of reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from the idols to serve the living and true God, ¹⁰ and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, the one rescuing us from the wrath that is coming.

Chapter 2

¹ For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you has not been in vain. ² But having previously suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, just as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much struggle. ³ For our exhortation was not from error, nor from impurity, nor from deceit, ⁴ but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing to men, but to God, the one who examines our hearts. ⁵ For we did not come at that time in words of flattery, just as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness— ⁶ nor seeking glory from men, either from you or from others, ⁷ having been able to be a burden as apostles of Christ. But we became little children in the midst of you, as if a mother might comfort her own children. ^{[1] 8} Having affection for you in this manner, we were pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own souls. For you had become beloved to us. ⁹ For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil, night and day working, in order not to be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God; ¹⁰ You are witnesses, and so is God, how holy, and righteous, and blameless we became toward you who believe. ¹¹ just as you know as each one of you, as a father his own children, ¹² exhorting you and encouraging and testifying for you to walk worthily of God, who is calling you into his own kingdom and glory.

¹³ And because of this, we also thank God constantly, that having received the word of God heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of man, but just as it truly is, the word of God, which is also working in you who believe. ¹⁴ For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God that are in Judea in Christ Jesus, because the same things you also suffered from your own countrymen, just as they also from the Jews, ¹⁵ who have killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and have persecuted us, and are not pleasing to God, and are hostile to all men, ¹⁶ forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles so that they might be saved, to always fill up their own sins. But wrath has come upon them in the end.

¹⁷ But we, brothers, having been separated from you for the time of an hour, by face, not in heart, became extremely eager to see your faces, in much desire. ¹⁸ For we desired to come to you—indeed I, Paul, both once and twice—but Satan hindered us. ¹⁹ For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of boasting? Is it not even you before our Lord Jesus at his coming? ²⁰ For you are our glory and joy.

Chapter 3

¹ Therefore, enduring it no longer, we thought it good to be left behind at Athens alone, ² and we sent Timothy, our brother and a servant of God in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and to comfort you regarding your faith, ^{[1] 3} that no one be disturbed by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that for this we are appointed. ⁴ For even when we were with you, we were telling you in advance that we were about to suffer affliction, and it happened, just as you also know. ⁵ Because of this, I also no longer enduring it, sent to know about your faith, lest the tempter had somehow tempted you, and our labor might have been in vain. ⁶ But just now Timothy has come to us from you and has brought us the good news of your faith and love, and that you always have good memories of us, longing to see us just as we also, you. ⁷ Because of this, brothers, we were comforted by you because of your faith, in all our distress and affliction. ⁸ For now we live, if you stand firm in the Lord. ⁹ For what thanks are we able to give to God concerning you, for all the joy in which we rejoice before our God because of you, ¹⁰ night and day pleading earnestly to see your face and provide what is lacking in your faith?

¹¹ But may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you. ¹² And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love one for another and toward all people, just as we also toward you; ¹³ to strengthen your hearts, blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. Amen!

Chapter 4

¹ So finally, brothers, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, just as you received from us about how it is necessary for you to walk and to please God, just as also you are walking, so that you might abound even more. ² For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus. ³ For this is the will of God, your sanctification, for you to keep from sexual immorality, ⁴ for each of you to know to possess his own vessel in holiness and honor, ⁵ not in the passion of lust (just as also the Gentiles who do not know God); ⁶ that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, for the Lord is an avenger concerning all these things, just as we also forewarned you and testified. ⁷ For God did not call us to uncleanness, but to holiness. ⁸ Therefore, the one rejecting this rejects not man, but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

⁹ But concerning brotherly love, you have no need to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. ¹⁰ For indeed, you do this to all the brothers who are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, to abound even more, ¹¹ and to strive to live quietly, and to perform your own things, and to work with your own hands, just as we commanded you, ¹² so that you may walk properly before those outside and may have need of nothing.

¹³ But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve just as also the rest who have no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. ¹⁵ For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left behind at the coming of the Lord, may certainly not go before those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left behind, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and in this way we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore, comfort one another with these words.

Chapter 5

¹ And concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that anything be written to you. ² For you yourselves know perfectly well that the day of the Lord is coming in this manner—like a thief in the night. ³ When they may say, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction comes on them like having birth pains in the womb, and they will certainly not escape. ⁴ But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that the day might overtake you like a thief. ⁵ For you are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of the darkness; ⁶ so then, we might not sleep as the rest do, but we might keep watch and be sober. ⁷ For those who are sleeping, sleep at night, and those who are getting drunk, get drunk at night. ⁸ But we, being of the day, might stay sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and of love, and the helmet—the hope of salvation; ⁹ for God did not appoint us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰ the one who died for us so that, whether we might be awake or asleep, we might live together with him. ¹¹ Therefore comfort one another and build up one the other, just as also you are doing.

¹² But we ask you, brothers, to acknowledge those who are laboring among you and leading you in the Lord and admonishing you; ¹³ and to regard them highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴ But we exhort you, brothers: Admonish the disorderly, encourage the discouraged, help the weak, be patient toward all. ¹⁵ See that no one may pay back evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good, both for one another and for all. ¹⁶ Rejoice always. ¹⁷ Pray without ceasing. ¹⁸ In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not despise prophecies. ²¹ Test all things. Hold fast to what is good. ²² Stay away from all appearance of evil.

²³ And may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your entire spirit, and soul, and body be kept blamelessly at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ Faithful is he who calls you, who will also do it.

²⁵ Brothers, pray also for us.

²⁶ Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. ²⁷ I solemnly charge you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.

²⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.