Greeting

1Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace ⁰from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Thessalonians' Good Example

2We always give thanks to God for you all, making mention of you in our prayers,

3remembering without ceasing, in the presence of our God and Father, your work of faith, your labor of love, and your endurance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

4For we know, brothers beloved by God, that you have been chosen,

5because our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction. You know what sort of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

6And you became imitators of us and of the Lord when you received the word in much affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit.

7As a result you have become ¹examples to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

8For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but reports of your faith in God have gone out everywhere, so that we have no need to say anything about it.

9For the people themselves report what kind of reception we ²had among you, and how you turned away from idols to serve the living and true God,

10as you wait for his Son Jesus to return from heaven, whom God raised from the dead, and who rescues us from the coming wrath.