1 Thessalonians 2
1 You yourselves know, brothers, that our visit to you was not in vain.
For you have known, brothers, that our entrance to you has not been in vain,
2 As you are aware, we had already endured suffering and shameful treatment in Philippi. But in the face of strong opposition, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God.
but having both suffered before, and having been mistreated (as you have known) in Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak to you the good news of God in much conflict,
3 For our appeal does not arise from deceit or ulterior motives or trickery.
for our exhortation [is] not out of deceit, nor out of uncleanness, nor in guile,
4 Instead, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, not in order to please men but God, who examines our hearts.
but as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the good news, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, who is proving our hearts,
5 As you know, we never used words of flattery or any pretext for greed. God is our witness!
for at no time did we come with speech of flattery (as you have known), nor in a pretext for covetousness (God [is] witness),
6 Nor did we seek praise from you or from anyone else, although as apostles of Christ we had authority to demand it.
nor seeking glory from men, neither from you nor from others, being able to be burdensome, as Christ’s apostles.
7 On the contrary, we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother caring for her children.
But we became gentle in your midst, as a nurse may nurture her own children,
8 We cared so deeply that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our own lives as well. That is how beloved you have become to us.
so being desirous of you, we are well-pleased to impart to you not only the good news of God, but also our own souls, because you have become beloved to us,
9 Surely you recall, brothers, our labor and toil. We worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to anyone while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
for you remember, brothers, our labor and travail, for working night and day not to be a burden on any of you, we preached the good news of God to you;
10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous, and blameless our conduct was among you who believed.
you [are] witnesses—God also—how piously and righteously and blamelessly we became to you who believe,
11 For you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children—
even as you have known how we are exhorting each one of you, as a father his own children, and comforting, and testifying,
12 encouraging you, comforting you, and urging you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
for your walking worthily of God, who is calling you to His own kingdom and glory.
13 And we continually thank God because, when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as the true word of God—the word which is now at work in you who believe.
And because of this we also continually give thanks to God, that, having received the word of God [by] your hearing from us, you accepted, not the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God, who also works in you who believe;
14 For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Judea that are in Christ Jesus. You suffered from your own countrymen the very things they suffered from the Jews,
for you became imitators, brothers, of the assemblies of God that are in Judea in Christ Jesus, because you suffered such things, even you, from your own countrymen, as they also from the Jews,
15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out as well. They are displeasing to God and hostile to all men,
who put to death both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and persecuted us, and they are not pleasing God, and [are] contrary to all men,
16 hindering us from telling the Gentiles how they may be saved. As a result, they continue to heap up their sins to full capacity; the utmost wrath has come upon them.
forbidding us to speak to the nations that they might be saved, so as to always fill up their sins, but [God’s] anger came on them—to the end!
17 Brothers, although we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in heart), our desire to see you face to face was even more intense.
And we, brothers, having been taken from you for the space of an hour—in presence, not in heart—hurried more abundantly to see your face in much desire;
18 For we wanted to come to you—indeed I, Paul, tried again and again—but Satan obstructed us.
for this reason we wished to come to you (I, indeed, Paul), both once and again, and Satan hindered us;
19 After all, who is our hope, our joy, our crown of boasting, if it is not you yourselves in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?
for what [is] our hope, or joy, or garland of rejoicing? Are not even you before our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?
20 You are indeed our glory and our joy.
For you are our glory and joy.
