Holman Christian Standard Bible (349 page)

1 Thessalonians

Paul's Conduct

2
For you yourselves know, brothers, that our visit with you was not without result.
2
 On the contrary, after we had previously suffered, and we were treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, we were emboldened by our God to speak the gospel of God to you in spite of great opposition.
3
 For our exhortation didn't come from error or impurity or an intent to deceive. 
4
 Instead, just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please men, but rather God, who examines our hearts. 
5
 For we never used flattering speech, as you know, or had greedy motives  — God is our witness  —
6
 and we didn't seek glory from people, either from you or from others.
7
 Although we could have been a burden as Christ's apostles, instead we were gentle among you, as a nursing mother nurtures her own children.
8
 We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.
9
 For you remember our labor and hardship, brothers. Working night and day so that we would not burden any of you, we preached God's gospel to you.
10
 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how devoutly, righteously, and blamelessly we conducted ourselves with you believers.
11
 As you know, like a father with his own children, 
12
 we encouraged, comforted, and implored each one of you to
•walk
worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. 

Reception and Opposition to the Message

13
 This is why we constantly thank God, because when you received the message about God that you heard from us, you welcomed it not as a human message, but as it truly is, the message of God, which also works effectively in you believers.
14
 For you, brothers, became imitators of God's churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, since you have also suffered the same things from people of your own country, just as they did from the Jews
15
 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and persecuted us; they displease God and are hostile to everyone,
16
 hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. As a result, they are always completing the number of their sins, and wrath has overtaken them at last. 

Paul's Desire to See Them

17
 But as for us, brothers, after we were forced to leave you for a short time (in person, not in heart ), we greatly desired and made every effort to return and see you face to face.
18
 So we wanted to come to you — even I, Paul, time and again — but Satan hindered us.
19
 For who is our hope or joy or crown of boasting in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? Is it not you? 
20
 For you are our glory and joy!

1 Thessalonians

Anxiety in Athens

3
Therefore, when we could no longer stand it, we thought it was better to be left alone in Athens. 
2
 And we sent Timothy, our brother and God's coworker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you concerning your faith,
3
 so that no one will be shaken by these persecutions. For you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.
4
 In fact, when we were with you, we told you previously that we were going to suffer persecution, and as you know, it happened.
5
 For this reason, when I could no longer stand it, I also sent him to find out about your faith, fearing that the tempter had tempted you and that our labor might be for nothing.

Encouraged by Timothy

6
 But now Timothy has come to us from you and brought us good news about your faith and love and reported that you always have good memories of us, wanting to see us, as we also want to see you. 
7
 Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution, we were encouraged about you through your faith.
8
 For now we live, if you stand firm in the Lord.
9
 How can we thank God for you in return for all the joy we experience before our God because of you,
10
 as we pray very earnestly night and day to see you face to face and to complete what is lacking in your faith? 

Prayer for the Church

11
 Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you.
12
 And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone, just as we also do for you.
13
 May He make your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His
•saints
.
•Amen
. 

1 Thessalonians

The Call to Sanctification

4
Finally then, brothers, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus, that as you have received from us how you must
•walk
and please God — as you are doing  — do so even more.
2
 For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

3
 For this is God's will, your
•sanctification
: that you abstain from sexual immorality,
4
 so that each of you knows how to control his own body in sanctification and honor,
5
 not with lustful desires, like the Gentiles who don't know God.
6
 This means one must not transgress against and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger of all these offenses, as we also previously told and warned you.
7
 For God has not called us to impurity but to sanctification.
8
 Therefore, the person who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who also gives you His Holy Spirit. 

Loving and Working

9
 About brotherly love: You don't need me to write you because you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. 
10
 In fact, you are doing this toward all the brothers in the entire region of Macedonia. But we encourage you, brothers, to do so even more,
11
 to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,
12
 so that you may walk properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.

The Comfort of Christ's Coming

13
 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are
•asleep
, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. 
14
 Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. 
15
 For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord:We who are still alive at the Lord's coming will certainly have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep. 
16
 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel's voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17
 Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord.
18
 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians

The Day of the Lord

5
About the times and the seasons: Brothers, you do not need anything to be written to you.
2
 For you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.
3
 When they say, “Peace and security,” then sudden destruction comes on them, like labor pains come on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
4
 But you, brothers, are not in the dark, for this day to overtake you like a thief. 
5
 For you are all sons of light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or the darkness. 
6
 So then, we must not sleep, like the rest, but we must stay awake and be serious.
7
 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.
8
 But since we belong to the day, we must be serious and put the armor of faith and love on our chests, and put on a helmet of the hope of salvation.
9
 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 
10
 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or
•asleep
, we will live together with Him. 
11
 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.

Exhortations and Blessings

12
 Now we ask you, brothers, to give recognition to those who labor among you and lead you in the Lord and admonish you,
13
 and to regard them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
14
 And we exhort you, brothers: warn those who are irresponsible, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
15
 See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all. 

23
 Now may the God of peace Himself
•sanctify
you completely. And may your spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
24
 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
25
 Brothers, pray for us also.
26
 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
27
 I charge you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the brothers. 
28
 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

2 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians

Greeting

1
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy: 

To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2
 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

God's Judgment and Glory

3
 We must always thank God for you, brothers. This is right, since your faith is flourishing and the love each one of you has for one another is increasing. 
4
 Therefore, we ourselves boast about you among God's churches — about your endurance and faith in all the persecutions and afflictions you endure.
5
 It is a clear evidence of God's righteous judgment that you will be counted worthy of God's kingdom, for which you also are suffering, 
6
 since it is righteous for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you
7
 and to reward with rest you who are afflicted, along with us. This will take place at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His powerful angels,
8
 taking vengeance with flaming fire on those who don't know God and on those who don't obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 
9
 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction from the Lord's presence and from His glorious strength 
10
 in that day when He comes to be glorified by His
•saints
 and to be admired by all those who have believed, because our testimony among you was believed.
11
 And in view of this, we always pray for you that our God will consider you worthy of His calling, and will, by His power, fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith, 
12
 so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified by you, and you by Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians

The Man of Lawlessness

2
Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to Him: We ask you, brothers,
2
 not to be easily upset in mind or troubled, either by a spirit or by a message or by a letter as if from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has come. 
3
 Don't let anyone deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.
4
 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in God's sanctuary, publicizing that he himself is God.

5
 Don't you remember that when I was still with you I told you about this?
6
 And you know what currently restrains him, so that he will be revealed in his time. 
7
 For the
•mystery
of lawlessness is already at work, but the one now restraining will do so until he is out of the way,
8
 and then the lawless one will be revealed. The Lord Jesus will destroy him with the breath of His mouth and will bring him to nothing with the brightness of His coming.
9
 The coming of the lawless one is based on Satan's working, with all kinds of false miracles, signs, and wonders, 
10
 and with every unrighteous deception among those who are perishing. They perish because they did not accept the love of the truth in order to be saved. 
11
 For this reason God sends them a strong delusion so that they will believe what is false,
12
 so that all will be condemned  — those who did not believe the truth but enjoyed unrighteousness.