Study Desk

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

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

and continually recalling before our God and Father your work of faith, your labor of love, and your enduring hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Brothers who are beloved by God, we know that He has chosen you,

For not only did the message of the Lord ring out from you to Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone out to every place, so that we have no need to say anything more.

For they themselves report what kind of welcome you gave us, and how you turned away from idols to serve the living and true God

As you are aware, we had already endured suffering and shameful treatment in Philippi. But in the face of strong opposition, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God.

Instead, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, not in order to please men but God, who examines our hearts.

As you know, we never used words of flattery or any pretext for greed. God is our witness!

We cared so deeply that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our own lives as well. That is how beloved you have become to us.

Surely you recall, brothers, our labor and toil. We worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to anyone while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.

You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous, and blameless our conduct was among you who believed.

We encouraged you and comforted you as we urged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

And we continually thank God that in receiving the word of God from us, you did not accept it as the word of men, but as the true word of God-the word now at work in you who believe.

For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Judea that are in Christ Jesus. You suffered from your own countrymen the very things they suffered from the Jews,

who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out as well. They are displeasing to God and hostile to all men,

How can we adequately thank God for you in return for our great joy over you in His presence?

Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you.

so that He may establish your hearts in blamelessness and holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. Amen.

Finally, brothers, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus to live in a way that is pleasing to God, as you have received from us. This is how you already live, so you should do so all the more.