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 concerning all of you, making mention of you in our prayers,
³ Remembering unceasingly your work of faith and labor of love and endurance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father;
⁴ Knowing, brothers, beloved of God, your selection;
⁵ For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, even 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 affliction with joy of the Holy Spirit,
⁷ So that you became a pattern to all those who believe in Macedonia and in Achaia.
⁸ For from you the word of the Lord has sounded out; not only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but in every place, your faith toward God has gone out, so that we have no need of saying anything.
⁹ For they themselves report concerning us what kind of entrance we had toward you and how you turned to God from the idols to serve a living and true God
¹⁰ And await His Son from the heavens, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath which is coming.

2

¹ For you yourselves know, brothers, our entrance toward you, that it has not been in vain.
² But having suffered previously and having been outrageously treated, even as you know, in Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much struggle.
³ For our exhortation is not out of deception nor out of uncleanness nor in guile;
⁴ But even as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men but God, who proves our hearts.
⁵ For neither were we found at any time with flattering speech, even as you know, nor with a pretext for covetousness; God is witness.
⁶ Nor did we seek glory from men, neither from you nor from others, though we could have stood on our authority as apostles of Christ.
⁷ But we were gentle in your midst, as a nursing mother would cherish her own children.
⁸ Yearning in this way over you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own souls, because you became beloved to us.
⁹ For you remember, brothers, our labor and travail: While working night and day so as not to be burdensome to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
¹⁰ You are witnesses, as well as God, how in a holy and righteous and blameless manner we conducted ourselves toward you who believe,
¹¹ Just as you know how we were to each one of you, as a father to his own children, exhorting you and consoling you and testifying,
¹² So that you might walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
¹³ And because of this we also thank God unceasingly that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but even as it truly is, the word of God, which also operates in you who believe.
¹⁴ For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus, for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they also from the Jews,
¹⁵ Who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and drove us out; and they are not pleasing to God and are contrary to all men,
¹⁶ In that they forbid us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so that they fill up their sins always. But wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.
¹⁷ But we, brothers, having been bereaved of you for a little while, in presence, not in heart, were more abundantly eager with great desire to see your face.
¹⁸ Therefore we wanted to come to you, indeed I Paul, both once and again, yet Satan hindered us.
¹⁹ For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at His coming? Are not even you?
²⁰ For you are our glory and joy.

3

¹ Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone,
² And we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and encourage you for the sake of your faith,
³ That no one would be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed for this.
⁴ For even when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we are to be afflicted, even as it also came to pass and you know.
⁵ Because of this, when I also could bear it no longer, I sent to find out concerning your faith, lest perhaps the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.
⁶ But Timothy, having just come to us from you and announcing the good news to us of your faith and love and that you have kind remembrance of us always and long to see us, just as we also you,
⁷ Because of this we were comforted because of you, brothers, in all our necessity and affliction, through your faith;
⁸ Because now we live if you stand firm in the Lord.
⁹ For what thanks can we return to God concerning you for all the joy with which we rejoice because of you before our God,
¹⁰ Night and day petitioning exceedingly so that we may see your face and complete the things that are lacking in your faith?
¹¹ Now may our God and Father Himself and our Lord Jesus make straight our path to you;
¹² And the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we also to you,
¹³ So that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.

4

¹ Furthermore, brothers, we ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that even as you received from us how you ought to walk and please God, even as indeed you do walk, that you abound still more.
² For you know what charges we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
³ For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from fornication;
⁴ That each one of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,
⁵ Not in the passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;
⁶ That no one overstep and take advantage of his brother in the matter, because the Lord is the avenger concerning all these things, even as we also said before to you and solemnly charged.
⁷ For God has not called us for uncleanness but in sanctification.
⁸ Consequently, he who rejects, rejects not man but God, who also gives His Holy Spirit to you.
⁹ Now concerning brotherly love, you have no need for me to write to you, for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another;
¹⁰ For you also do this unto all the brothers in the whole of Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, to abound still more
¹¹ And to aspire to be quiet and attend to your own affairs and work with your hands, even as we charged you,
¹² That you may walk becomingly toward those outside and may have need of nothing.
¹³ But we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who are sleeping, that you would not grieve even as also the rest who have no hope.
¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so also those who have fallen asleep through Jesus, God will bring with Him.
¹⁵ For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are living, who are left remaining unto the coming of the Lord, shall by no means precede those who have fallen asleep;
¹⁶ Because the Lord Himself, with a shout of command, 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 living, who are left remaining, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we will be always with the Lord.
¹⁸ Therefore comfort one another with these words.

5

¹ But concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need for anything to be written to you;
² For you yourselves know perfectly well that like a thief in the night, so the day of the Lord comes.
³ When they say, Peace and security, then sudden destruction comes upon them, just as birth pangs to a woman with child; and they shall by no means escape.
⁴ But you, brothers, are not in darkness that the day should overtake you like a thief;
⁵ For you are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.
⁶ So then let us not sleep, as the rest do, but let us watch and be sober.
⁷ For those who sleep, sleep during the night, and those who get drunk are drunk during the night;
⁸ But since we are of the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and a helmet, the hope of salvation.
⁹ For God did not appoint us to wrath but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
¹⁰ Who died for us in order that whether we watch or sleep, we may live together with Him.
¹¹ Therefore comfort one another, and build up each one the other, even as you also do.
¹² Furthermore we ask you, brothers, to acknowledge those who labor among you and take the lead among you in the Lord and admonish you,
¹³ And to regard them most highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
¹⁴ And we exhort you, brothers, Admonish the disorderly, console the fainthearted, sustain the weak, be long-suffering toward all.
¹⁵ See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always pursue what is good both for one another and for all.
¹⁶ Always rejoice,
¹⁷ Unceasingly pray,
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 But prove all things. Hold fast to what is good;
²² Abstain from every kind of evil.
²³ And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
²⁴ Faithful is He who calls you, who also will do it.
²⁵ Brothers, pray also for us.
²⁶ Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
²⁷ I adjure you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.
²⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.