1 Thessalonians 1-5

English Standard Version

Greeting

1 Paul, ^(A)Silvanus, and Timothy,

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

^(C)Grace to you and peace.

The Thessalonians' Faith and Example

^2 (D)We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly^{[a] (E)}mentioning you in our prayers, ³ remembering before ^(F)our God and Father ^(G)your work of faith and labor of ^(H)love and ^(I)steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴ For we know, ^(J)brothers^[b] loved by God, ^(K)that he has chosen you, ⁵ because ^(L)our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and ^(M)in the Holy Spirit and with full ^(N)conviction. You know ^(O)what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. ⁶ And ^(P)you became imitators of us ^(Q)and of the Lord, for ^(R)you received the word in much affliction, ^(S)with the ^(T)joy of the Holy Spirit, ⁷ so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. ⁸ For not only has the word of the Lord ^(U)sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth ^(V)everywhere, so that we need not say anything. ⁹ For they themselves report concerning us the kind of ^(W)reception we had among you, and how ^(X)you turned to God ^(Y)from idols to serve the living and ^(Z)true God, ¹⁰ and ^(AA)to wait for his Son ^(AB)from heaven, ^(AC)whom he raised from the dead, Jesus ^(AD)who delivers us from ^(AE)the wrath to come.

Paul's Ministry to the Thessalonians

2 For you yourselves know, brothers,^[c] that our ^(AF)coming to you ^(AG)was not in vain. ² But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated ^(AH)at Philippi, as you know, ^(AI)we had boldness in our God ^(AJ)to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much ^(AK)conflict. ³ For ^(AL)our appeal does not spring from ^(AM)error or ^(AN)impurity or ^(AO)any attempt to deceive, ⁴ but just as we have been approved by God ^(AP)to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not ^(AQ)to please man, but to please God ^(AR)who tests our hearts. ^5 (AS)For we never came with words of flattery,^[d] as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—^(AT)God is witness. ^6 (AU)Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, ^(AV)though we could have made ^(AW)demands as ^(AX)apostles of Christ. ⁷ But we were ^(AY)gentle^[e] among you, ^(AZ)like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. ⁸ So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God ^(BA)but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

⁹ For you remember, brothers, ^(BB)our labor and toil: we ^(BC)worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. ¹⁰ You are witnesses, and ^(BD)God also, ^(BE)how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. ¹¹ For you know how, ^(BF)like a father with his children, ¹² we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and ^(BG)charged ^(BH)you to walk in a manner worthy of God, ^(BI)who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

¹³ And ^(BJ)we also thank God constantly^[f] for this, that when you received ^(BK)the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it ^(BL)not as the word of men^[g] but as what it really is, the word of God, ^(BM)which is at work in you believers. ¹⁴ For you, brothers, ^(BN)became imitators of ^(BO)the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For ^(BP)you suffered the same things from your own countrymen ^(BQ)as they did from the Jews,^{[h] 15 (BR)}who killed both the Lord Jesus and ^(BS)the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and ^(BT)oppose all mankind ^16 (BU)by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always ^(BV)to fill up the measure of their sins. But ^(BW)wrath has come upon them at last!^[i]

Paul's Longing to See Them Again

¹⁷ But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, ^(BX)in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire ^(BY)to see you face to face, ¹⁸ because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan ^(BZ)hindered us. ¹⁹ For what is our hope or ^(CA)joy or crown of boasting ^(CB)before our Lord Jesus at his ^(CC)coming? Is it not you? ²⁰ For you are our glory and joy.

3 Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing ^(CD)to be left behind at Athens alone, ² and we ^(CE)sent Timothy, ^(CF)our brother and God's coworker^[j] in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, ³ that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that ^(CG)we are destined for this. ⁴ For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, ^(CH)just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. ⁵ For this reason, ^(CI)when I could bear it no longer, ^(CJ)I sent to learn about your faith, ^(CK)for fear that somehow ^(CL)the tempter had tempted you and ^(CM)our labor would be in vain.

Timothy's Encouraging Report

⁶ But ^(CN)now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of ^(CO)your faith and love and reported ^(CP)that you always remember us kindly and ^(CQ)long to see us, as we long to see you— ⁷ for this reason, brothers,^[k] in all our distress and affliction ^(CR)we have been comforted about you through your faith. ⁸ For now we live, if you ^(CS)are standing fast in the Lord. ⁹ For ^(CT)what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, ¹⁰ as we pray most earnestly ^(CU)night and day ^(CV)that we may see you face to face and ^(CW)supply what is lacking in your faith?

¹¹ Now may ^(CX)our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, ^(CY)direct our way to you, ¹² and may the Lord ^(CZ)make you increase and abound in love ^(DA)for one another and for all, as we do for you, ¹³ so that he may ^(DB)establish your hearts blameless in holiness before ^(DC)our God and Father, at ^(DD)the coming of our Lord Jesus ^(DE)with all his saints.

A Life Pleasing to God

4 Finally, then, brothers,^[l] we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you ^(DF)received from us ^(DG)how you ought to walk and ^(DH)to please God, just as you are doing, that you ^(DI)do so more and more. ² For ^(DJ)you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. ³ For this is the will of God, ^(DK)your sanctification:^{[m] (DL)}that you abstain from sexual immorality; ⁴ that each one of you know how to control his own ^(DM)body^[n] in holiness and ^(DN)honor, ⁵ not in ^(DO)the passion of lust ^(DP)like the Gentiles ^(DQ)who do not know God; ⁶ that no one transgress and ^(DR)wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is ^(DS)an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. ⁷ For ^(DT)God has not called us for ^(DU)impurity, but in holiness. ⁸ Therefore ^(DV)whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, ^(DW)who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

⁹ Now concerning ^(DX)brotherly love ^(DY)you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been ^(DZ)taught by God ^(EA)to love one another, ¹⁰ for that indeed is what ^(EB)you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to ^(EC)do this more and more, ¹¹ and to aspire ^(ED)to live quietly, and ^(EE)to mind your own affairs, and ^(EF)to work with your hands, as we instructed you, ¹² so that you may ^(EG)walk properly before ^(EH)outsiders and be dependent on no one.

The Coming of the Lord

¹³ But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, ^(EI)that you may not grieve as others do ^(EJ)who have no hope. ¹⁴ For ^(EK)since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him ^(EL)those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ For this we declare to you ^(EM)by a word from the Lord,^[o] that ^(EN)we who are alive, who are left until ^(EO)the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For ^(EP)the Lord himself will descend ^(EQ)from heaven ^(ER)with a cry of command, with the voice of ^(ES)an archangel, and ^(ET)with the sound of the trumpet of God. And ^(EU)the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be ^(EV)caught up together with them ^(EW)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so ^(EX)we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.

The Day of the Lord

5 Now concerning ^(EY)the times and the seasons, brothers,^{[p] (EZ)}you have no need to have anything written to you. ² For you yourselves are fully aware that ^(FA)the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³ While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then ^(FB)sudden destruction will come upon them ^(FC)as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. ⁴ But you ^(FD)are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. ⁵ For you are all ^(FE)children^[q] of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. ⁶ So then ^(FF)let us not sleep, as others do, but let us ^(FG)keep awake and ^(FH)be sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, ^(FI)are drunk at night. ⁸ But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, ^(FJ)having put on the breastplate of ^(FK)faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. ⁹ For God has not destined us for ^(FL)wrath, but ^(FM)to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ^10 (FN)who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. ¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Final Instructions and Benediction

¹² We ask you, brothers, ^(FO)to respect those who labor among you and ^(FP)are over you in the Lord and admonish you, ¹³ and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. ^(FQ)Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers, admonish ^(FR)the idle,^{[r] (FS)}encourage the fainthearted, ^(FT)help the weak, ^(FU)be patient with them all. ¹⁵ See that ^(FV)no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always ^(FW)seek to do good to one another and to everyone. ^16 (FX)Rejoice always, ^17 (FY)pray without ceasing, ^18 (FZ)give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ^19 (GA)Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not despise ^(GB)prophecies, ²¹ but ^(GC)test everything; hold fast what is good. ²² Abstain from every form of evil.

²³ Now may ^(GD)the God of peace himself ^(GE)sanctify you completely, and may your ^(GF)whole ^(GG)spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at ^(GH)the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ^24 (GI)He who calls you is faithful; ^(GJ)he will surely do it.

^25 (GK)Brothers, pray for us.

^26 (GL)Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

²⁷ I put you under oath before the Lord to have ^(GM)this letter read to all the brothers.

^28 (GN)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.