1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:16

New King James Version

Greeting

1 Paul, ^(A)Silvanus, and Timothy,

To the church of the ^(B)Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace to you and peace ^[a]from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Their Good Example

²^(C)We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, ³remembering without ceasing ^(D)your work of faith, ^(E)labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, ⁴knowing, beloved brethren, ^(F)your election by God. ⁵For ^(G)our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, ^(H)and in the Holy Spirit ^(I)and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.

⁶And ^(J)you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, ^(K)with joy of the Holy Spirit, ⁷so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. ⁸For from you the word of the Lord ^(L)has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also ^(M)in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. ⁹For they themselves declare concerning us ^(N)what manner of entry we had to you, ^(O)and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, ¹⁰and ^(P)to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us ^(Q)from the wrath to come.

Paul’s Conduct^(R)

2 For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. ²But ^[b]even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at ^(S)Philippi, as you know, we were ^(T)bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict. ³^(U)For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit.

⁴But as ^(V)we have been approved by God ^(W)to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, ^(X)not as pleasing men, but God ^(Y)who tests our hearts. ⁵For ^(Z)neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a ^[c]cloak for covetousness—^(AA)God is witness. ⁶^(AB)Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when ^(AC)we might have ^(AD)made demands ^(AE)as apostles of Christ. ⁷But ^(AF)we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. ⁸So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased ^(AG)to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also ^(AH)our own lives, because you had become dear to us. ⁹For you remember, brethren, our ^(AI)labor and toil; for laboring night and day, ^(AJ)that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.

¹⁰^(AK)You are witnesses, and God also, ^(AL)how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; ¹¹as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and ^[d]charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, ¹²^(AM)that you would walk worthy of God ^(AN)who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

Their Conversion

¹³For this reason we also thank God ^(AO)without ceasing, because when you ^(AP)received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it ^(AQ)not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively ^(AR)works in you who believe. ¹⁴For you, brethren, became imitators ^(AS)of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For ^(AT)you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, ¹⁵^(AU)who killed both the Lord Jesus and ^(AV)their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God ^(AW)and are ^[e]contrary to all men, ¹⁶^(AX)forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always ^(AY)to fill up the measure of their sins; ^(AZ)but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.