1 Thessalonians 2
2
Paul’s Approach to Ministry in Thessalonica
1 For you yourselves know, brothers, our reception with you, that it was not in vain, 2but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, just as you know, we had the courage in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition. 3For our exhortation is not from error or from impurity or with deceit, 4but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, thus we speak, not as pleasing people but God, who examines our hearts. 5For never#Literally “for neither ever” did we come with a word of flattery, just as you know, nor with a pretext of greediness (God is witness), 6nor seeking glory from people, neither from you nor from others. 7Although we could have insisted on our own importance#Literally “being able to be with a claim of importance”#*Here the participle (“being able”) is understood as concessive as apostles of Christ, yet we became infants in your midst, like a nursing mother cherishes her own children. 8Longing for you in this way, we determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own souls, because you had become dear to us.
9For you remember, brothers, our labor and hardship: working by night and day in order not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and righteously and blamelessly we became to you who believe, 11just as you know how we treated each one of you, like a father his own children, 12exhorting and consoling you and insisting that you live in a manner worthy of God, who calls you to his own kingdom and glory.
The Thessalonians’ Response to Paul’s Message
13And because of this we also give thanks to God constantly, that when you#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“received”) which is understood as temporal received God’s word that you heard#Literally “of hearing” from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God, which also is at work in you who believe. 14For you became imitators, brothers, of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus, because you also suffered the same things at the hands of your own people, just as they themselves did also at the hands of the Jews, 15who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and who persecuted us, and who are not pleasing to God and are opposed to all people, 16hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles in order that they may be saved, so that they always fill up their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the end.#Or “has come upon them at last”
Paul’s Desire to Revisit the Thessalonians
17But when#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“were made orphans by separation”) which is understood as temporal we were made orphans by separation from you, brothers, for a short time#Literally “the time of an hour” (in face, not in heart), we were even more eager with great desire to see your face, 18because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, on more than one occasion#Literally “both once and twice”—and Satan hindered us. 19For who is our hope or joy or crown of boasting? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming? 20For you are our glory and joy.
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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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