Paul to the Thessalonians 1

1 Thessalonians 1

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

2 We thank God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers,

3 incessantly remembering your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope of our Lord Jesus Christ before our God and Father,

4 knowing, brethren beloved of God, your election,

5 because our gospel came not to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance, as you know what sort of persons we were among you for your sake.

6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Spirit,

7 so that you became a pattern to all that believe in Macedonia and in Achaia.

8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything;

9 for they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entrance we had to you, and how you turned to God from the idols, to serve the living and true God,

10 and to await his Son from the heavens, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the coming wrath.

1 Thessalonians 2

1 For yourselves know, brethren, our entrance to you, that it has not been vain;

2 but having suffered before, and having been outraged, as you know, in Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in a great contest.

3 For our exhortation was not from delusion, neither from uncleanness, nor in guile;

4 but as we have been approved by God to be intrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, who proves our hearts.

5 For neither used we at any time words of flattery, as you know; nor a pretext of covetousness. God is witness;

6 neither sought we glory from men, neither from you nor from others, when we could have been burdensome as Christ‘s apostles;

7 but we were gentle in the midst of you, as if a nurse should nourish her own children,

8 so, having strong affection for you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not only the gospel of God, but our own souls also, because you had become dear to us.

9 For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil: working night and day that we might not burden any one of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.

10 You are witnesses, and God, how holily and righteously and blamelessly we conducted ourselves for you that believe,

11 even as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged you, each one of you, as a father his own children,

12 that you should walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

13 And for this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because on receiving from us the word of the message of God, you accepted not the word of men, but as it is in truth the word of God, which also works in you that believe.

14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God that are in Judea in Christ Jesus; for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they have from the Jews,

15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and persecuted us, and please not God, and are opposed to all men,

16 forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as to fill up their sins always. But the wrath has come upon them to completion.

17 But we, brethren, having been bereaved and separated from you for the space of an hour, in presence, not in heart, the more abundantly endeavored to see your face with great desire.

18 Wherefore we wished to come to you, I Paul indeed, both once and again, and Satan hindered us.

19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing, are not even you before our Lord Jesus at his coming?

20 For you are our glory and joy.

1 Thessalonians 3

1 Wherefore, no longer enduring, we thought good to be left behind in Athens alone,

2 and sent Timothy, our brother, and God‘s fellow-workman in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and exhort you concerning your faith,

3 that no one should be moved in these afflictions. For yourselves know that we are appointed to this:

4 for even when we were with you, we told you before that we are to be afflicted, as it also came to pass, and you know.

5 For this reason, I also, no longer enduring, sent to know your faith, lest perhaps the tempter had tempted you, and our toil should have been in vain.

6 But Timothy, having just now come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you have a good remembrance of us always, greatly desiring to see us, even as we also to see you,

7 for this reason we were comforted over you, brethren, in all our distress and affliction through your faith;

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

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

10 night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face, and complete what is lacking in your faith?

11 Now he himself, our God and Father, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you;

12 and the Lord make you increase and abound in love toward one another and toward all, even as we toward you,

13 in order that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones.

1 Thessalonians 4

1 Finally then, brethren, we beseech you and exhort in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and please God, even as you do walk, that you would abound the more.

2 For you know what precepts we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification, that you abstain from lewdness;

4 that each one of you know how to acquire for himself his own vessel in sanctification and honor,

5 not in the passion of desire, even as the Gentiles who know not God;

6 that no one go beyond and defraud in the matter his brother, because the Lord is an avenger for all such things, as we also told you before, and fully testified.

7 For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification.

8 Therefore, he that rejects, rejects not man, but God, who also gave his Holy Spirit to you.

9 But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that I write to you; for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another;

10 for you also do it toward all the brethren that are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brethren, to abound the more,

11 and make it your honor to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we charged you;

12 that you may walk in a becoming manner toward those that are without, and have need of nothing.

13 But we do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those that have fallen asleep, that you sorrow not as the rest also who have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also those that have fallen asleep, will God through Jesus bring with him.

15 For this we say to you in the word of the Lord, that we, the living, who remain over to the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those that have fallen asleep;

16 because the Lord himself, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, shall descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ shall arise first;

17 then we, the living, who remain over, shall, together with them, be caught away in clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we always be with the Lord.

18 So then comfort one another in these words.

1 Thessalonians 5

1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write to you;

2 for yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.

3 When they say: Peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them, as pain upon her that is with child, and they shall not escape.

4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you as a thief;

5 for you all are sons of light and sons of day; we are not of night, neither of darkness:

6 therefore let us not sleep as do also the rest, but let us watch and be sober.

7 For those that sleep, sleep by night, and those that are drunk are drunk by night;

8 but let us, as we are of day, be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation;

9 because God did not appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

10 who died for us that, whether we be awake or asleep, we should live together with him.

11 Wherefore comfort one another, and edify one the other, as you also do.

12 But we beseech you, brethren, to know those that labor among you, and preside over you in the Lord, and admonish you,

13 and to esteem them very highly in love for their work‘s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.

14 But we exhort you, brethren, admonish the disorderly, encourage the fainthearted, assist the weak, be longsuffering toward all.

15 See that no one render evil for evil to any one, but always pursue that which is good, both toward one another and toward all.

16 Rejoice always,

17 pray without ceasing,

18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

19 Quench not the Spirit,

20 despise not prophesyings.

21 But prove all things, hold fast the excellent:

22 abstain from every appearance of evil.

23 But may the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly, and entire may your spirit and soul and body be kept without blame at the coming of our Lore Jesus Christ.

24 Faithful is he that calls you, who will also do it.

25 Brethren, pray for us.

26 Salute all the brethren with a holy kiss.

27 I adjure you by the Lore that the letter be read to all the holy brethren.

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