1 Thessalonians 2
2
1For you yourselves know, brethren, that our visit to you was not in vain; 2#Acts 16.19-24; 17.1-9; Rom 1.1. but though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the face of great opposition. 3For our appeal does not spring from error or uncleanness, nor is it made with guile; 4but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please men, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5#Acts 20.33. For we never used either words of flattery, as you know, or a cloak for greed, as God is witness; 6#1 Cor 9.1. nor did we seek glory from men, whether from you or from others, though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. 7#1 Thess 2.11; Gal 4.19. But we were gentle#2.7 Other ancient authorities read babes among you, like a nurse taking care of her children. 8#2 Cor 12.15; 1 Jn 3.16. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.
9For you remember our labor and toil, brethren; we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you, while we preached to you the gospel of God. 10You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our behavior to you believers; 11#1 Cor 4.14. for you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you 12#1 Pet 5.10. to lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
13 #
1 Thess 1.2. And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. 14#1 Thess 1.6; 1 Cor 7.17; Gal 1.22; Acts 17.5; 2 Thess 1.4. For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus which are in Judea; for you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, 15#Lk 24.20; Acts 2.23; 7.52. who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all men 16#Acts 9.23; 13.45,50; 14.2,5,19; 17.5,13; 18.12; 21.21,27; 25.2,7; 1 Cor 10.33; Gen 15.16; 1 Thess 1.10. by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they may be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But God's wrath has come upon them at last!#2.16 Or completely, or for ever
17 #
1 Cor 5.3. But since we were bereft of you, brethren, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face; 18because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. 19#Phil 4.1; 1 Thess 3.13; 4.15; 5.23; Mt 16.27; Mk 8.38. For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20#2 Cor 1.14. For you are our glory and joy.
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Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America
1 Thessalonians 2
2
Paul’s Work in Thessalonica
1Brothers and sisters, you know that our visit to you was not a failure. 2Before we came to you, people in Philippi abused us with insults and made us suffer. You know all about that. And then, when we came to you, many people there caused trouble for us. But our God gave us the courage we needed to tell you his Good News. 3When we encourage people to believe the Good News, it’s not out of wrong motives. We are not trying to trick or fool anyone. 4No, we did it because God is the one who gave us this work. And this was only after he tested us and saw that we could be trusted to do it. So when we speak, we are only trying to please God, not anyone else. He is the one who can see what is in our hearts.
5You know that we never tried to influence you by saying nice things about you. We were not trying to get your money. We had no greed to hide from you. God knows that this is true. 6We were not looking for praise from people—not from you or anyone else.
7When we were with you, as apostles of Christ we could have used our authority to make you help us. But we were very gentle#2:7 But … gentle Several Greek copies have “But we became babies.” with you. We were like a mother caring for her little children. 8We loved you very much, so we were happy to share God’s Good News with you. But not only that—we were also happy to share even our own lives with you. 9Brothers and sisters, I know that you remember how hard we worked. We worked night and day to support ourselves, so that we would not be a burden to anyone while we did the work of telling you God’s Good News.
10When we were there with you believers, we were pure, honest, and without fault in the way we lived. You know, just as God does, that this is true. 11You know that we treated each one of you the way a father treats his own children. 12We encouraged you, we comforted you, and we told you to live good lives for God. He calls you to be part of his glorious kingdom.
13Also, we always thank God because of the way you accepted his message. You heard it and accepted it as God’s message, not our own. And it really is God’s message. And it works in you who believe. 14Brothers and sisters, you are just like God’s churches in Judea.#2:14 Judea The Jewish land where Jesus lived and taught and where the church first began. I mean that you were treated badly by your own people, just as those believers in Christ Jesus were treated badly by other Jews— 15the same Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets. And they forced us to leave their country. They are not pleasing to God, and they are against everyone else. 16And they are trying to stop us from teaching those who are not Jews. They don’t want them to be saved. But they are just adding more and more sins to the ones they already have. Now the time has come for them to suffer God’s anger.
Paul’s Desire to Visit Them Again
17Brothers and sisters, we were separated from you for a short time. But even though we were not there, our thoughts were still with you. We wanted very much to see you, and we tried very hard to do this. 18Yes, we wanted to come to you. I, Paul, tried more than once to come, but Satan stopped us. 19You are our hope, our joy, and the crown we will be proud of when our Lord Jesus Christ comes. 20You bring us honor and joy.
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