A "Grain Of Wheat" Ministries publication

Translated by David W. Dyer

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The First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians

FIRST THESSALONIANS CHAPTER 1

1:1Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the gathering of the called-out ones of the Thessalonians in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus the Anointed One: May you have grace and peace. 1:2We always give thanks to God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. 1:3We also continually remember your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus the Anointed One before our God and Father.

1:4We know, brethren, you who are loved by God, that he has chosen you 1:5because our message of good news came to you not only in words, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction.

You know very well how we conducted ourselves for your benefit when we were among you. 1:6And you became imitators of us, even of the Lord, welcoming the word in much affliction, yet with the joy of the Holy Spirit 1:7so much so that you became an example to all those who are believing in Macedonia and in Achaia.

1:8For from you the word of the Lord has been spread abroad, not only in Macedonia and Achaia but in every place your faith towards God has been talked about so much that we don’t need to say anything.

1:9For they themselves report how it was when we came to you: how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God 1:10and to wait for his Son from the heavens whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, the One who is rescuing us from the coming wrath.

FIRST THESSALONIANS CHAPTER 2

2:1For you know brethren, concerning our coming to you, that it has not been futile. 2:2But having suffered before and having been shamefully treated at Philippi (as you know), we became even bolder in our God to speak the good news of God to you in the face of great opposition.

2:3For our appeal to you was not based on error, nor did it involve any immoral behavior nor any kind of deceit. 2:4But seeing that we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the good news, this is the way we speak, not as pleasing men but pleasing God who tests our hearts.

2:5For we were never at any time found to be using flattery to try to convince you, as you know; nor were we subtly trying to get your money, God is our witness; 2:6nor were we seeking honor from men, neither from you nor from others, even when we could have tried to impress you as being “sent ones” of the Anointed One.

2:7But we were gentle while among you like a nursing mother who carefully cares for her own children. 2:8Our concern for you was so great that we were even willing to give you not only the good news message from God but also our own souls because you had become very dear to us.

2:9For you remember brethren our labor and strenuous toil, how we worked day and night so that we would not be a financial burden to any of you. This is how we proclaimed the good news of God to you. 2:10You and God are witnesses of how holily, righteously, and blamelessly we behaved ourselves toward you who are believing.

2:11You know how we treated each one of you like a father treats his own children, exhorting you, encouraging you, and testifying to you 2:12that you should conduct your lives in a way which is appropriate for someone whom God has invited into his own kingdom and glory.

2:13For this reason we also thank God without ceasing that when you heard the word of God from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as it truly is: the word of God, which also is working in you who are believing.

2:14For you, brethren, became imitators of the gatherings of the called-out ones of God which are in Judea in the Anointed One, Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews. 2:15These are the ones who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They are not pleasing to God and are hostile towards everyone. 2:16They are even trying to keep us from speaking to the nations so that they may be being saved. By so doing, they are constantly filling up the measure of their sins. But wrath will come upon them in the end.

2:17But we brethren – being taken away from you for a short time and being physically absent but not absent in heart – we really wanted to come back and see you face to face. 2:18We did, in fact, try to come back to you. I, Paul, tried several times but Satan hindered us.

2:19For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing? Isn’t it you when we are together in the presence our Lord Jesus at his coming? 2:20For you are our glory and our joy.

FIRST THESSALONIANS CHAPTER 3

3:1Therefore, when we couldn’t wait any longer we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone. 3:2So we sent Timothy, our brother and co-worker together with God in the message of the good news about the Anointed One, to strengthen you and to comfort you in your faith. 3:3We didn’t want anyone to be upset by our suffering because you know that this is our destiny.

3:4For truly, when we were with you we forewarned you that we were going to suffer affliction. And as you know, it happened. 3:5For this reason also, when I couldn’t stand to wait any longer, I sent someone so that I might find out about your faith – if by some means the tempter had tempted you and our work there would have been in vain.

3:6But when Timothy came back to us from you, he brought us good news about your faith and love, saying that you always have good memories about us and that you even long to see us, just as we also long to see you.

3:7Because of this, brethren, we were comforted about you in the middle all our distress and affliction by hearing about your faith. 3:8For now our life has meaning if you stand fast in the Lord. 3:9How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in his presence concerning you?

3:10We are earnestly praying day and night that we may see you again and take care of anything which might be lacking in your faith. 3:11Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way back to you.

3:12And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love toward each other and toward all men, just as we also abound in love toward you. 3:13In this way he can establish your hearts to be irreproachable in holiness when you are in the presence of our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones.

FIRST THESSALONIANS CHAPTER 4

4:1Finally then, brethren, we plead with you and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you learned from us how to live in a way that pleases God (just as you are doing now) that you continue to do so even more. 4:2For you know the instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 4:3For this is the will of God: your being made holy.

I want to emphasize specifically that you abstain from sex outside of the marriage bond. 4:4Each one of you must know how to act with respect to his own body in holiness and honor, 4:5not in the passion of carnal desire like the Gentiles who don’t know God.

4:6No one should go beyond God’s limits, fraudulently using his brother or sister for their own pleasure, because the Lord is the one who will take revenge on the offenders concerning all these things about which we already warned you and solemnly testified. 4:7For God has not called us to contaminate ourselves with sexual activities outside of marriage but to holiness.

4:8Therefore, he who rejects this teaching does not reject mere human opinion but rejects God who has given us his Holy Spirit.

4:9But concerning the love of the brethren, you don’t need anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love each other. 4:10And in fact, you practice this with respect to all the brethren who are in all of Macedonia. But we exhort you, brethren, that you do so more and more.

4:11Also, you make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands just as we instructed you. 4:12This is so that your life would be attractive to outsiders and also so that you would not be in need of anything.

4:13But we don’t want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have “fallen asleep” {died} so that you don’t grieve like the other people who have no hope. 4:14For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring those who have “fallen asleep” in Jesus with him when he returns.

4:15We say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain here until the coming of the Lord will in no way arrive ahead of those who have fallen asleep {died}.

4:16For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shouted command from an archangel and with the sounding of the trumpet of God. At that moment, the dead in the Anointed One will resurrect first, 4:17and then we who are alive and are still here will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 4:18Therefore, comfort each other with these words.

FIRST THESSALONIANS CHAPTER 5

5:1But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you don’t need anything to be written to you. 5:2For you know perfectly well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 5:3But just when they are laying out* their plans for peace and security, then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman and there will be no way to escape.

*The Greek work here is “lego” which can also be translated “lull to sleep.” Therefore, this verse could possibly read: “But just when everyone is lulled to sleep by peace and security, then sudden destruction will come upon them...”

5:4But you, brethren, are not in darkness so that that day would surprise you like a thief. 5:5For you are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 5:6So then let us not “sleep” spiritually as many do, but let us be watchful and be sober. 5:7For those who sleep, sleep during the night and those who are drunk are drunk at night.

5:8But since we are of the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 5:9For God has not appointed us to suffer his wrath but instead to be taking possession of our ongoing salvation through our Lord Jesus the Anointed One 5:10who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep, we would share God’s life together with him.

5:11Therefore, exhort one another and build each other up just as you also are doing.

5:12But we plead with you, brethren, to recognize those who are tirelessly working among you, caring for you in the Lord, and advising you. 5:13Have a high regard for them in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

5:14And we exhort you, brethren, admonish those who are doing nothing, encourage the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient with everyone. 5:15See that no one repays someone who wrongs them with another wrong. Instead, always follow after that which is good toward each other and toward all.

5:16Always rejoice; 5:17pray without ceasing; 5:18give thanks in every circumstance, for this is the will of God in the Anointed One, Jesus, for you. 5:19Don’t quench the Spirit. 5:20Don’t despise prophesyings. 5:21Test all things and hold tightly to that which is good. 5:22Refrain from practicing any form of evil.

5:23And may the God of peace himself make you completely holy, and may your whole spirit, entire soul, and whole body be found without any faults at all in the presence of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One. 5:24He who called you is faithful. It is he who will also do this.

5:25Brethren, pray for us. 5:26Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. 5:27I direct you by the Lord to read this letter to all the brethren. 5:28May the grace of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One be with you.

End of The First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians

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