The First Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians

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^1:1Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. ^1:2We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; ^1:3remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father; ^1:4knowing, brethren beloved of God, your election, ^1:5how that our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance; even as ye know what manner of men we showed ourselves toward you for your sake. ^1:6And ye became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit; ^1:7so that ye became an ensample to all that believe in Macedonia and in Achaia. ^1:8For from you hath sounded forth the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith to God-ward is gone forth; so that we need not to speak anything. ^1:9For they themselves report concerning us what manner of entering in we had unto you; and how ye turned unto God from idols, to serve a living and true God, ^1:10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivereth us from the wrath to come.

^2:1For yourselves, brethren, know our entering in unto you, that it hath not been found vain: ^2:2but having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as ye know, at Philippi, we waxed bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God in much conflict. ^2:3For our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: ^2:4but even as we have been approved of God to be intrusted with the gospel, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God who proveth our hearts. ^2:5For neither at any time were we found using words of flattery, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness, God is witness; ^2:6nor seeking glory of men, neither from you nor from others, when we might have claimed authority as apostles of Christ. ^2:7But we were gentle in the midst of you, as when a nurse cherisheth her own children: ^2:8even so, being affectionately desirous of you, we were well pleased to impart unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were become very dear to us. ^2:9For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail: working night and day, that we might not burden any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. ^2:10Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and righteously and unblameably we behaved ourselves toward you that believe: ^2:11as ye know how we dealt with each one of you, as a father with his own children, exhorting you, and encouraging you, and testifying, ^2:12to the end that ye should walk worthily of God, who calleth you into his own kingdom and glory. ^2:13And for this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when ye received from us the word of the message, even the word of God, ye accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also worketh in you that believe. ^2:14For ye, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judaea in Christ Jesus: for ye also suffered the same things of your own countrymen, even as they did of the Jews; ^2:15who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove out us, and pleased not God, and are contrary to all men; ^2:16forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved; to fill up their sins always: but the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost. ^2:17But we, brethren, being bereaved of you for a short season, in presence not in heart, endeavored the more exceedingly to see your face with great desire: ^2:18because we would fain have come unto you, I Paul once and again; and Satan hindered us. ^2:19For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of glorying? Are not even ye, before our Lord Jesus at his coming? ^2:20For ye are our glory and our joy.

^3:1Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left behind at Athens alone; ^3:2and sent Timothy, our brother and God's minister in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith; ^3:3that no man be moved by these afflictions; for yourselves know that hereunto we are appointed. ^3:4For verily, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we are to suffer affliction; even as it came to pass, and ye know. ^3:5For this cause I also, when I could no longer forbear, sent that I might know your faith, lest by any means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor should be in vain. ^3:6But when Timothy came even now unto us from you, and brought us glad tidings of your faith and love, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, longing to see us, even as we also to see you; ^3:7for this cause, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our distress and affliction through your faith: ^3:8for now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord. ^3:9For what thanksgiving can we render again unto God for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God; ^3:10night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face, and may perfect that which is lacking in your faith? ^3:11Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way unto you: ^3:12and the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we also do toward you; ^3:13to the end he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

^4:1Finally then, brethren, we beseech and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as ye received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, even as ye do walk, --that ye abound more and more. ^4:2For ye know what charge we gave you through the Lord Jesus. ^4:3For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye abstain from fornication; ^4:4that each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor, ^4:5not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who know not God; ^4:6that no man transgress, and wrong his brother in the matter: because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified. ^4:7For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification. ^4:8Therefore he that rejecteth, rejecteth not man, but God, who giveth his Holy Spirit unto you. ^4:9But concerning love of the brethren ye have no need that one write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another; ^4:10for indeed ye do it toward all the brethren that are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brethren, that ye abound more and more; ^4:11and that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your hands, even as we charged you; ^4:12that ye may walk becomingly toward them that are without, and may have need of nothing. ^4:13But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that fall asleep; that ye sorrow not, even as the rest, who have no hope. ^4:14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that are fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with him. ^4:15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord, shall in no wise precede them that are fallen asleep. ^4:16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; ^4:17then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. ^4:18Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

^5:1But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that aught be written unto you. ^5:2For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. ^5:3When they are saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall in no wise escape. ^5:4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief: ^5:5for ye are all sons of light, and sons of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness; ^5:6so then let us not sleep, as do the rest, but let us watch and be sober. ^5:7For they that sleep sleep in the night: and they that are drunken are drunken in the night. ^5:8But let us, since we are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. ^5:9For God appointed us not into wrath, but unto the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ^5:10who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. ^5:11Wherefore exhort one another, and build each other up, even as also ye do. ^5:12But we beseech you, brethren, to know them that labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; ^5:13and to esteem them exceeding highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves. ^5:14And we exhort you, brethren, admonish the disorderly, encourage the fainthearted, support the weak, be longsuffering toward all. ^5:15See that none render unto any one evil for evil; but always follow after that which is good, one toward another, and toward all. ^5:16Rejoice always; ^5:17pray without ceasing; ^5:18in everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus to you-ward. ^5:19Quench not the Spirit; ^5:20despise not prophesyings; ^5:21prove all things; hold fast that which is good; ^5:22abstain from every form of evil. ^5:23And the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved entire, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ^5:24Faithful is he that calleth you, who will also do it. ^5:25Brethren, pray for us. ^5:26Salute all the brethren with a holy kiss. ^5:27I adjure you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the brethren. ^5:28The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

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