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Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.
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We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
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because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.
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and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.
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We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition.
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On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.
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We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority.
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so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.
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Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.
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For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same things those churches suffered from the Jews
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who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone
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For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?
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We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,
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Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you.
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May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
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Living to Please God
As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.
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For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
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For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
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For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
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For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
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May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
