Greeting

1Paul, Silvanus and Timothy, ⁰to the congregation ¹of Thessalonians in God the Father and Sovereign Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Sovereign Jesus Christ. ²

The Thessalonians are praised

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

3continually remembering before our God and Father your work for the Faith and your labor coming from the Love and your perseverance based on the Hope, our Lord Jesus Christ being their source, ³

4knowing as we do, brothers loved by God, that you are chosen. ⁴

They became examples

5You see, our Gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit ⁵and with complete certainty ⁶(of course you know what sort of men we proved to be among you for your sake). ⁷

6Yes you became imitators of us and of the Lord, ⁸having received the Word with the Holy Spirit's joy, ⁹in spite of severe affliction,

7so that you became examples ¹⁰to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

8That is because the Word of the Lord sounded out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia but also in every place ¹¹—your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we do not need to say anything.

Their hope

9They themselves report about you ¹²what kind of entrance we had to you, ¹³and how you turned to God from idols to be slaves to the living and true God,

10and to wait for His Son coming out of the heavens ¹⁴(whom He raised from among the dead) ¹⁵—Jesus, who preserves us from the coming wrath. ¹⁶