Paul and Sylvanus [Silas] and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be to you and peace.

We thank God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ before God even our Father, knowing, brothers beloved by God, your election, that our gospel came not to you in word only, but with power and with the Holy Spirit and with full assurance, as you know what we were among you for your sakes.

And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you the word of the Lord was proclaimed not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith with respect to God went into every place, so that we had no need to say any thing; for they declare of us what introduction we had to you, and how you turned from idols to God, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.

For you know, brothers, our introduction to you that it was

not in vain, but having suffered before, and been injuriously treated, as you know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God with much contention. For our exhortation was not of error, nor of impurity, nor with deceit, but as we were judged worthy by God to be intrusted with the gospel so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tries our hearts. For we used at no time a word of flattery, as you know, nor a pretext for covetousness, God is witness, neither did we seek glory of men, either of you or of others, when we might have been burdensome as apostles of Christ; but we were gentle among you, as a nurse would cherish her own children; so being greatly desirous of you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but our own souls, because you were dear to us. For you remember, brothers, our labor and weariness; that working night and day not to be burdensome to any one of you, we preached to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God, how piously, and righteously, and blamelessly we were with you that believe, as you know how we exhorted and comforted you, as a father each one of his own children, and charged you to walk worthily of God who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

For this cause also we thank God without ceasing, that receiving the word of God heard from us, you received not a word of men, but, as it is in truth, a word of God, who also works in you that believe. For you, brothers, became followers of the churches of God in Christ Jesus which were in Judea, for you also suffered the same things from your countrymen, which they did from the Jews who also killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and persecuted us, and who please not God and are hostile to all men, forbidding us to speak to the gentiles that they may be saved, that they may fill up their sins always; and the wrath has come on them to the utmost.

But we, brothers, being deprived of you for a short time in presence, not in heart, used greater diligence to see your face, with much desire. For which reason we wished to come to you; I Paul indeed once and again, and Satan hindered us. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you before our Lord Jesus at his coming? For you are our glory and joy.

When therefore we could no longer refrain, we thought it best to be left alone at Athens, and sent Timothy, our brother and God's co-laborer in the gospel of Christ, to confirm you and to exhort you in behalf of your faith, that no one should be moved by these afflictions. For you know that we are appointed for this; for indeed when we came to you, we told you before that we were about to suffer affliction, as it also happened, and you know. For this reason, being no longer able to forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest in some way the tempter should have tempted you, and our labor be in vain.

But now Timothy having come to us from you and told us the good news of your faith and love, and that you have a good remembrance of us always, desiring to see us, as we also you, therefore we were comforted, brothers, on your account in all our affliction and distress by your faith, for now we live, if you stand firm in the Lord. For what thanksgiving can we render to God for you for all the joy with which we rejoice on your account before our God, desiring exceedingly, night and day, to see your face, and to perfect what is lacking of your faith?

And may God himself, even our Father, and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you; and the Lord cause you to be full and abound with love one to another and to all men, as we also to you, to confirm your hearts without blame in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. CHAPTER II. CHASTITY, BROTHERLY LOVE, THE STATE OF THE DEAD, THE COMING OF CHRIST, ETC.

Finally, therefore, brothers, we beseech and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, as you have received from us how you ought to walk and please God, that you abound still more. For you know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your purity, that you should abstain from fornication, that each one should know how to have his wife in purity and honor, not with inordinate desires like the gentiles who know not God, that he should not go beyond and defraud his brother in the matter, because the Lord is a punisher of all these, as we also

told you before and fully testified. For God has not called us to impurity, but to purity. He therefore that despises, despises not man, but God, who also gives us his Holy Spirit.

But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that I should write to you; for you are taught by God to love one another; for you also do the same to all the brothers in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, to abound still more, and strive to be quiet and pursue your own business, and work with your hands, as we charged you, that you may walk becomingly towards those without and have need of nothing.

And we wish you not to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those that have fallen asleep, that you may not grieve as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also will God bring with him those that have fallen asleep on account of Jesus. For we tell you this by the word of the Lord, that we who live and remain till the coming of the Lord, shall not anticipate those that have fallen asleep, for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we the living who remain shall be caught up together with them in clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall be always with the Lord. Comfort one another, therefore, with these words.

But concerning the times and season, brothers, you have no need that I should write to you; for you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. When they say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes, like pain upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness, that the day should come upon you like a thief; for you are all children of light, and children of day; we are not of night nor of darkness.

Therefore let us not sleep as others, but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night, and they that are drunk drink in the night; but let us who are of day be sober, putting on a cuirass of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation, for God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we may live together with him. Wherefore exhort one another, and edify one another, as you also do.

And we beseech you, brothers, to know those who labor among you, and preside over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love on account of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we exhort you, brothers, admonish the disorderly, comfort the dispirited, assist the sick, be of long suffering towards all men. See that no one renders evil for evil, but always pursue the good both one to another and to all.

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing, give thanks on every occasion; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus to us. Quench not the Spirit, despise not prophecies. Prove all things, hold fast the good; abstain from every form of evil. And may the God of peace himself purify you wholly, and your whole spirit, and soul, and body, be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calls you, who will also perform.

Brothers, pray for us. Salute all the brothers with a holy kiss. I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brothers. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

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