1Thessalonians 1-5; 2Thessalonians 1-3 - Prayer Tents

Greetings from Paul

1This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy. We are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. May God give you grace and peace.G3972G2532G4610G2532G5095G1577G2331G1722G2316G3962G2532G2962G2424G5547G5485G5213G2532G1515G575G2316G2257G3962G2532G2962G2424G5547

The Faith of the Thessalonian Believers

2We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly.G2168G2316G3842G4012G5216G3956G4160G3417G5216G1909G2257G4335 3As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.G3421G89G5216G2041G4102G2532G2873G26G2532G5281G1680G2257G2962G2424G5547G1715G2316G2532G2257G3962 4We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people.G1492G80G25G5216G1589G5259G2316 5For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you.G3754G2257G2098G1096G3756G1519G5209G1722G3056G3440G235G2532G1722G1411G2532G1722G40G4151G2532G1722G4183G4136G2531G1492G3634G1096G1722G5213G1223G5209 6So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord.G2532G5210G1096G3402G2257G2532G2962G1209G3056G1722G4183G2347G3326G5479G40G4151 7As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece—throughout both Macedonia and Achaia.G5620G5209G1096G5179G3956G4100G1722G3109G2532G882 8And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don't need to tell them about it,G1063G575G5216G1837G3056G2962G3756G3440G1722G3109G2532G882G235G2532G1722G3956G5117G5216G4102G4314G2316G1831G5620G2248G5532G3361G2192G2980G5100 9for they keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the living and true God.G1063G518G846G518G4012G2257G3697G1529G2192G2192G4314G5209G2532G4459G1994G4314G2316G575G1497G1398G2198G2532G228G2316 10And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God's Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.G2532G362G846G5207G1537G3772G3739G1453G1537G3498G2424G3588G4506G2248G575G3709G2064

Paul Remembers His Visit

2You yourselves know, dear brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not a failure.G1063G846G80G1492G2257G1529G4314G5209G3754G1096G3756G2756 2You know how badly we had been treated at Philippi just before we came to you and how much we suffered there. Yet our God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition.G235G2532G4310G2532G5195G2531G1492G1722G5375G3955G1722G2257G2316G2980G4314G5209G2098G2316G1722G4183G73 3So you can see we were not preaching with any deceit or impure motives or trickery.G1063G2257G3874G3756G1537G4106G3761G1537G167G3777G1722G1388 4For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.G235G2531G1381G5259G2316G4100G2098G3779G2980G3756G5613G700G444G235G2316G1381G2257G2588 5Never once did we try to win you with flattery, as you well know. And God is our witness that we were not pretending to be your friends just to get your money!G1063G3777G4218G1096G2850G1722G3056G2531G1492G3777G1722G4392G4124G2316G3144 6As for human praise, we have never sought it from you or anyone else.G3777G1537G444G2212G1391G3777G575G5216G3777G575G243G1410G1511G1722G922G5613G652G5547 7As apostles of Christ we certainly had a right to make some demands of you, but instead we were like children among you. Or we were like a mother feeding and caring for her own children.G235G1096G2261G1722G3319G5216G5613G5162G302G2282G1438G5043 8We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God's Good News but our own lives, too.G3779G2442G5216G2106G3330G5213G3756G2098G2316G3440G235G2532G1438G5590G1360G1096G27G2254 9Don't you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that we would not be a burden to any of you as we preached God's Good News to you.G1063G3421G80G2257G2873G2532G3449G1063G2038G3571G2532G2250G4314G1912G3361G1912G5100G5216G2784G1519G5209G2098G2316 10You yourselves are our witnesses—and so is God—that we were devout and honest and faultless toward all of you believers.G5210G3144G2532G2316G5613G3743G2532G1346G2532G274G1096G5213G4100 11And you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children.G2509G1492G5613G3870G2532G3888G3140G1538G1520G5209G5216G5613G3962G1438G5043 12We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory.G2532G1519G5209G4043G516G2316G2564G5209G1519G1438G932G2532G1391 13Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn't think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe.G5124G1223G2532G2168G2249G2316G89G3754G3880G3056G2316G189G3844G2257G1209G3756G3056G444G235G2531G2076G230G3056G2316G3739G1754G2532G1722G5213G4100 14And then, dear brothers and sisters, you suffered persecution from your own countrymen. In this way, you imitated the believers in God's churches in Judea who, because of their belief in Christ Jesus, suffered from their own people, the Jews.G1063G5210G80G1096G3402G1577G2316G3588G1722G2449G5607G1722G5547G2424G3754G5210G2532G3958G5024G5259G2398G4853G2532G2531G846G5259G2453 15For some of the Jews killed the prophets, and some even killed the Lord Jesus. Now they have persecuted us, too. They fail to please God and work against all humanityG2532G615G2962G2424G2532G2398G4396G2532G1559G2248G2532G700G3361G2316G2532G1727G3956G444 16as they try to keep us from preaching the Good News of salvation to the Gentiles. By doing this, they continue to pile up their sins. But the anger of God has caught up with them at last.G2967G2248G2980G1484G2443G4982G1519G378G846G266G3842G1161G3709G5348G1909G846G1519G5056

Timothy’s Good Report about the Church

17Dear brothers and sisters, after we were separated from you for a little while (though our hearts never left you), we tried very hard to come back because of our intense longing to see you again.G1161G2249G80G642G575G5216G4314G5610G2540G4383G3756G2588G4704G4056G1492G5216G4383G1722G4183G1939 18We wanted very much to come to you, and I, Paul, tried again and again, but Satan prevented us.G1352G2309G2064G4314G5209G3303G1473G3972G2532G530G2532G1364G2532G4567G1465G2248 19After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you!G1063G5101G2257G1680G2228G5479G2228G4735G2746G2228G3780G2532G5210G1715G2257G2962G2424G5547G1722G846G3952 20Yes, you are our pride and joy.G1063G5210G2075G2257G1391G2532G5479

3Finally, when we could stand it no longer, we decided to stay alone in Athens,G1352G4722G3371G4722G2106G2641G1722G116G3441 2and we sent Timothy to visit you. He is our brother and God's co-worker in proclaiming the Good News of Christ. We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith,G2532G3992G5095G2257G80G2532G1249G2316G2532G2257G4904G1722G2098G5547G1519G4741G5209G2532G3870G5209G4012G5216G4102 3and to keep you from being shaken by the troubles you were going through. But you know that we are destined for such troubles.G3367G4525G1722G5025G2347G1063G846G1492G3754G2749G1519G5124 4Even while we were with you, we warned you that troubles would soon come—and they did, as you well know.G1063G2532G3753G2258G4314G5209G4302G5213G4302G3754G3195G2346G2532G2531G1096G2532G1492 5That is why, when I could bear it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out whether your faith was still strong. I was afraid that the tempter had gotten the best of you and that our work had been useless.G5124G1223G2504G4722G3371G4722G3992G1519G1097G5216G4102G3381G4458G3985G3985G5209G2532G2257G2873G1096G1519G2756 6But now Timothy has just returned, bringing us good news about your faith and love. He reports that you always remember our visit with joy and that you want to see us as much as we want to see you.G1161G737G5095G2064G575G5216G4314G2248G2532G2097G2254G2097G5216G4102G2532G26G2532G3754G2192G18G3417G2257G3842G1971G1492G2248G2509G2249G2532G5209 7So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith.G1223G5124G80G3870G1909G5213G1909G3956G2257G2347G2532G318G1223G5216G4102 8It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord.G3754G3568G2198G1437G5210G4739G1722G2962 9How we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy as we enter God's presence.G1063G5101G2169G1410G467G2316G467G4012G5216G1909G3956G5479G3739G5463G1223G5209G1715G2257G2316 10Night and day we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to fill the gaps in your faith.G3571G2532G2250G1189G1537G4053G5228G1519G1492G5216G4383G2532G2675G5303G5216G4102 11May God our Father and our Lord Jesus bring us to you very soon.G1161G2316G846G2532G2257G3962G2532G2257G2962G2424G5547G2720G2257G3598G4314G5209 12And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows.G1161G2962G4121G5209G4121G2532G4052G26G240G1519G240G2532G1519G3956G2532G2509G2249G1519G5209 13May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen.G1519G4741G5216G2588G273G1722G42G1715G2316G2532G2257G3962G1722G3952G2257G2962G2424G5547G3326G3956G846G40

Live to Please God

4Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more.G3063G3767G2065G5209G80G2532G3870G1722G2962G2424G2531G3880G3844G2257G4459G5209G1163G4043G2532G700G2316G2443G4052G3123 2For you remember what we taught you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.G1063G1492G5101G3852G1325G5213G1223G2962G2424 3God's will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.G1063G5124G2076G2307G2316G5216G38G5209G567G575G4202 4Then each of you will control his own body① and live in holiness and honor—/ ①Or will know how to take a wife for himself; or will learn to live with his own wife; Greek reads will know how to possess his own vesselG1538G5216G1492G2932G1438G4632G1722G38G2532G5092 5not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways.G3361G1722G3806G1939G2532G2509G1484G3588G1492G3361G2316 6Never harm or cheat a Christian brother in this matter by violating his wife, for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before.G3361G5233G2532G4122G846G80G1722G4229G1360G2962G1558G4012G3956G5130G2531G4277G2532G4277G5213G2532G1263 7God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives.G1063G2316G2564G3756G2564G2248G1909G167G235G1722G38 8Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.G5105G114G114G3756G444G235G2316G1325G2532G1325G1519G2248G846G40G4151 9But we don't need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another.G1161G4012G5360G2192G5532G3756G1125G5213G1063G5210G846G2075G2312G1519G25G240 10Indeed, you already show your love for all the believers throughout Macedonia. Even so, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you to love them even more.G2532G1063G4160G846G1519G3956G80G3588G1722G3650G3109G1161G3870G5209G80G4052G3123 11Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before.G2532G5389G2270G2532G4238G2398G2532G2038G5216G2398G5495G2531G3853G5213 12Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.G2443G4043G2156G4314G1854G2532G2192G5532G3367

The Hope of the Resurrection

13And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.G1161G2309G3756G2309G5209G50G80G4012G2837G3363G3076G3363G2532G2531G3062G3588G2192G3361G1680 14For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.G1063G1487G4100G3754G2424G599G2532G450G3779G2532G2837G1223G2424G71G2316G71G4862G846 15We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died.G1063G5124G3004G5213G1722G3056G2962G3754G2249G3588G2198G4035G1519G3952G2962G5348G3364G5348G3588G2837 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves.G3754G2962G846G2597G575G3772G1722G2752G1722G5456G743G2532G1722G4536G2316G2532G3498G1722G5547G450G4412 17Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.G1899G2249G3588G2198G4035G726G260G4862G846G1722G3507G1519G529G2962G1519G109G2532G3779G2071G3842G2071G4862G2962 18So encourage each other with these words.G5620G3870G240G1722G5125G3056

5Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don't really need to write you.G1161G4012G5550G2532G2540G80G2192G3756G5532G1125G5213 2For you know quite well that the day of the Lord's return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.G1063G846G1492G199G3754G2250G2962G3779G2064G5613G2812G1722G3571 3When people are saying, "Everything is peaceful and secure," then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman's labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.G1063G3752G3004G1515G2532G803G5119G160G3639G2186G846G5618G5604G1722G1064G2192G2532G1628G3364G1628 4But you aren't in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won't be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief.G1161G5210G80G2075G3756G1722G4655G2443G2250G2638G5209G5613G2812 5For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don't belong to darkness and night.G5210G2075G3956G5207G5457G2532G5207G2250G2070G3756G3571G3761G4655 6So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.G686G3767G2518G3361G2518G5613G2532G3062G235G1127G2532G3525 7Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk.G1063G2518G2518G3571G2532G3182G3184G3571 8But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.G1161G3525G2249G5607G2250G3525G1746G2382G4102G2532G26G2532G4030G1680G4991 9For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us.G3754G2316G5087G3756G5087G2248G1519G3709G235G1519G4047G4991G1223G2257G2962G2424G5547 10Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever.G3588G599G5228G2257G2443G1535G1127G1535G2518G2198G260G4862G846 11So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.G1352G3870G240G2532G3618G1520G1520G2531G2532G4160

Paul’s Final Advice

12Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord's work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance.G1161G2065G5209G80G1492G3588G2872G1722G5213G2532G4291G5216G1722G2962G2532G3560G5209 13Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.G2532G2233G846G5228G1537G4053G1722G26G1223G846G2041G1514G1722G1438 14Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.G1161G3870G5209G80G3560G813G3888G3642G472G772G3114G4314G3956 15See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.G3708G3361G5100G591G2556G473G2556G5100G235G3842G1377G3588G18G2532G1519G240G2532G1519G3956 16Always be joyful.G5463G3842 17Never stop praying.G4336G89 18Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.G1722G3956G2168G1063G5124G2307G2316G1722G5547G2424G1519G5209 19Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.G4570G3361G4151 20Do not scoff at prophecies,G1848G3361G4394 21but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.G1381G3956G2722G3588G2570 22Stay away from every kind of evil.G567G575G3956G1491G4190

Paul’s Final Greetings

23Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.G1161G846G2316G1515G37G5209G3651G2532G5216G3648G4151G2532G5590G2532G4983G5083G274G1722G3952G2257G2962G2424G5547 24God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.G4103G2564G5209G3739G2532G4160 25Dear brothers and sisters, pray for us.G80G4336G4012G2257 26Greet all the brothers and sisters with Christian love.G782G3956G80G1722G40G5370 27I command you in the name of the Lord to read this letter to all the brothers and sisters.G3726G5209G2962G1992G314G3956G40G80 28May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.G5485G2257G2962G2424G5547G3326G5216G281