1 Thessalonians 1

1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the assembly of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

[I], Paul, [am writing this letter]. Silas and Timothy [are with me]. [We(exc) are sending this letter] to [you who are] the congregation [of believers] in Thessalonica [city]. We [(inc)] all [worship] (OR, [trust in]) God [our] Father [MET] and [our] Lord Jesus Christ. [We three desire/pray that God, our Father, and Jesus Christ, our Lord, will continue to] act kindly toward you and [will continue to] cause you to have [inner] peace.

2 We always give thanks to God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers,

We always thank God for you all [when] we mention you while we pray (OR, [when] we pray [for you]).

3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and perseverance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father.

[We thank God because] we continually remember that you work [for God because] you trust [in him] and you earnestly/energetically help people because you love them. You also endure [it when people cause you to suffer]. You endure it because you confidently expect that our Lord Jesus Christ [will soon return from heaven to rescue you]!

4 We know, brothers loved by God, that you are chosen,

My fellow believers whom God loves, we [also thank him because] we know that he chose you [to become his people].

5 and that our Good News came to you not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we showed ourselves to be among you for your sake.

We know that he chose you because [when] we told that message to you, we did not speak only words. The Holy Spirit [helped us to speak] powerfully/effectively, and he strongly assured [us that he was powerfully working in you by means of] the message [about Christ] that we [told to you. You yourselves know that], because you know how we spoke and how we conducted ourselves when we were with you, in order that [we might help] you.

6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit,

We also [know that God chose you] because we have now heard that you have endured your troubles when [people] caused you to suffer very much [because you believed in Christ]. You endured just like the Lord [Jesus Christ] endured, and just like we did [when people caused us to suffer]. At that time you were joyful because the Holy Spirit caused you to be joyful.

7 so that you became an example to all who believe in Macedonia and in Achaia.

As a result [of your joyfully enduring your troubles], all the believers who live in Macedonia and Achaia [provinces have heard how firmly you trust God. So they know that they should firmly trust in God] as you do.

8 For from you the word of the Lord has been declared, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone out, so that we need not to say anything.

Other people have heard you tell the message [from] the Lord [Jesus]. Then they also have proclaimed the message to people who live throughout Macedonia and Achaia [provinces]. Not only that, but [people who live] in many far-away places [HYP] have heard that you trust in God. As a result, we do not need to tell people [what God has done in your lives].

9 For they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God,

People [who live far from you are telling others what happened when we were with you]. They also report that you stopped [worshipping things that] ([you/your ancestors]) [considered to be] gods and now you worship God. [As a result], you serve the God who is all-powerful and who is the real God.

10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead: Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.

They tell us that now you wait expectantly for his Son [to return to earth] from heaven. You firmly believe that God caused him to live again after he died. You believe also that Jesus will rescue [all of] us, [who trust in him], from [God’s] punishing us [MTY].