Study Desk

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.

We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention [of you] in our prayers without ceasing,

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

knowing, brothers beloved by God, your election,

For from you has sounded forth 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 don't need to speak anything.

For they themselves report concerning us what manner of entering in we had to you; and how you turned to God from idols, to serve as slaves to a living and true God,

but having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as you know, at Philippi, we waxed bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict.

but even as we have been approved of God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God who proves our hearts.

For neither at any time were we found using words of flattery, as you know, nor in a cloak of greed, God is witness;

even so, being affectionately desirous of you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because you became very dear to us.

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

You are witnesses, and God [also], how holily and righteously and unblamably we behaved ourselves toward you that believe:

exhorting you, and encouraging, and testifying, to the end that you should walk worthily of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

And for this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when you received from us the word of the message, [even the word] of God, you accepted [it] not [as] the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also works in you that believe.

For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus: for you also suffered the same things of your own countrymen, even as they did of the Jews;

who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove out us, and did not please God, and are contrary to all men;

and sent Timothy, our brother and co-worker under God in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort [you] concerning your faith;

For what thanksgiving can we render again to God for you, for all the joy with which we joy for your sakes before our God;

Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you:

to the end he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. Amen.