Greeting

1 Paul, Silvanus,^[a](A) and Timothy:^(B)

To the church of the Thessalonians^(C) in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace to you and peace.^[b]

Thanksgiving

² We always thank God for all of you, making mention of you constantly in our prayers. ³ We recall, in the presence of our God and Father,^(D) your work produced by faith,^(E) your labor motivated by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.^{(F) 4} For we know, brothers and sisters loved^(G) by God,^(H) that he has chosen you,^{(I) 5} because our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit,^(J) and with full assurance. You know how we lived among you^(K) for your benefit, ⁶ and you yourselves became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message^(L) with joy from the Holy Spirit. ⁷ As a result, you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia^(M) and Achaia.^{(N) 8} For the word of the Lord rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place that your faith^[c](O) in God has gone out. Therefore, we don’t need to say anything, ⁹ for they themselves report^[d] what kind of reception^(P) we had from you: how you turned^(Q) to God from idols^(R) to serve the living^(S) and true^(T) God ¹⁰ and to wait^(U) for his Son^(V) from heaven, whom he raised from the dead^(W)—Jesus, who rescues us^(X) from the coming wrath.^(Y)

³⁵ Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction^(A) or distress or persecution^(B) or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written:

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors^(E) through him who loved us.^{(F) 38} For I am persuaded that neither death nor life,^(G) nor angels nor rulers,^(H) nor things present nor things to come,^(I) nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God^(J) that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.^(K)

Christian Suffering

¹² Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you.^{(A) 13} Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ,^(B) so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed.^{(C) 14} If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ,^(D) you are blessed, because the Spirit^(E) of glory and of God^[a] rests on you.