THE
FIRST LETTER
OF
PAUL, THE DELEGATE,
TO THE
THESSALONIANS.
[WRITTEN FROM CORINTH, A. D. 52.]
I.—PAUL (Latin:Paulos; little), and Sylvanus, and Timotheos, to the congregation of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father, and in the Lord Yeshua The Anointed: Favor to you, and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord Yeshua The Anointed.
2.–We give thanks to God at all times for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; incessantly remembering your work of faith, and labor of love (agape), and patient enduring of hope in our Lord Yeshua The Anointed, in the sight of God, even our Father; knowing brethren, beloved of God, your selection: for our Good News did not come to you in word only, but also with power, and with the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance: as you know what sort of men we were among you.
6 And you became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having embraced the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you are examples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. Besides, from you the word of the Lord has sounded out, not only in Macedonia and Achaia; but also in every place your faith in God is spread abroad, so that we have no need to speak anything.
9 For they themselves report concerning us, what sort of entrance we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God; and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he has raised from the dead, even Yeshua, who delivers us from the wrath which is to come.
Chapter 2
II.–For you yourselves know, brethren, our entrance among you, was not empty. For although we had before suffered, and were shamefully handled, as you know at Philippi, we were bold through our God to speak to you The Good News of God, amid a great combat.
3 Besides, our exhortation was not from error, nor from impurity, nor with deceit. But as we were approved of God, to be entrusted with The Good News, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, who examines our hearts. For neither did we, at any time, use flattering words, or a pretext for greed; God is witness. Neither do we seek honor from men; neither from you, nor from others. We might have acted with authority, as Delegates of The Anointed; but we were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cherishes her children:–so, having a strong affection for you, we were well pleased to have imparted to you, not only The Good News of God, but our own souls as well; because you had become dear to us.
8 For you remember, brethren, our labor and hardship; that laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you The Good News of God. You are witnesses, and God also, in what a holy, just, and blameless manner, we acted towards you that believe. Also, you know, how we treated every one of you, as a father would his own children, exhorting and comforting you; and testifying that you should walk worthy of God, who has called you to his kingdom of glory.
13 On this account also we give thanks to God, without ceasing, that when you received from us this message of God, you embraced not the word of men; but as it is in truth, the word of God, which works effectually in you who believe. For you, brethren, became imitators of the congregations of God, which are in Yehuda in The Anointed Yeshua; because you also have suffered the similar things from your own countrymen, even as they have from the Jews, who both killed the Lord Yeshua and the forthtellers, and have greatly persecuted us. They do not please God, and are antagonistic to all men: hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles, that they may be saved; so that they always filling their sins to the brim. But the wrath of God has come on them to the end.
Now we, being separated from you for a short time brethren, in presence but not in heart, are all the more abundantly eager, with great desire, to see your face. Therefore we would have come to you (even I, Paul,) both once and twice, but the Adversary hindered us. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown (stephanos, wreathe) of glorying? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Yeshua The Anointed, at his coming?–You, are our glory and our joy.
Chapter 3
III.–Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we were well pleased to be left at Athens alone, and sent Timotheos, our brother, and our fellow-laborer in The Good News of The Anointed, to establish you, and to exhort you concerning your faith: that no one should be moved by these afflictions; for yourselves know that we are appointed to them. For even when we were with you, we told you that we were to be afflicted; which also happened, as you know. For this reason also, when I could no longer endure my anxiety, I inquired to know about your faith; in fear that by some means the tempter may have tempted you, and our labor would be empty.
6 But now, when Timotheos came to us from you, and gave us the good news of your faith and love (agape), and that you have good remembrance of us at all times, ardently desiring to see us, even as we also to see you; by this, brethren, we were comforted concerning you in all our affliction and distress, by your faith. For now we live, when you stand firm in the Lord.
9 But what thanks can we return to God concerning you, for all the joy with which we rejoice through you in the presence of our God as we night and day pour out beyond measure to see your face, and to supply what is lacking in your faith?
11 Now may God himself, even our Father, and our Lord Yeshua The Anointed, make straight our way to you. And may the Lord fill you, and make you overflow with love (agape) for one another, and to all, even as we also to you; that he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of the Lord Yeshua The Anointed, with all his holy ones.
Chapter 4
IV.–As to what remains then, brethren, we implore and exhort you by the Lord Yeshua, that as you have received from us, as to how you ought to walk, and please God, (as you actually do walk) you would abound in it even more. For you know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Yeshua; for this is the will of God, your sanctification (Gk:hagiasmos, to make holy, purification); that you should abstain from fornication–that every one of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor;–not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who do not know God.–That no man should go beyond the bounds, or defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger of all such; as we also formerly told, and fully testified to you. 7 For God has not called us to impurity, but to holiness. Therefore, he who rejects this is not rejecting man, but God, who certainly has given to us his Holy Spirit.
9.–But, concerning brotherly love (philadelphia), you have no need for me to write to you, for you yourselves are divinely taught to love (agape) one another. And, you do it towards all the brethren who are in all Macedonia: but we exhort you, brethren, still to abound more and more, and to be ambitious to be quiet; and to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you: that you may walk honestly towards outsiders, and not be in need .
13.–Now I would not have you be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who sleep; that you may not be grieved, even as the others, who have no hope. For if we believe that Yeshua died, and rose again; so also those who sleep, will God through Yeshua bring with him.
15 Besides this we affirm to you, by the word of the Lord, that we the living, who remain at the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who are asleep: for the Lord himself will descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the Arch (Gk:archo, first in rank) Messenger, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in The Anointed shall rise first; afterwards, we the living who remain, shall at the same time with them, be snatched up in the clouds to join the Lord in the air: and so we shall be forever with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.
Chapter 5
V.–However, concerning the times and periods, brethren, you have no need that I write to you: for you yourselves know completely, that the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night. When they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them, as birthing upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should come on you like a thief. You are all sons of light, and sons of day: we are not sons of night, or of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep, even as others; but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep in the night; and they who get drunk, get drunk in the night.
8 But let us, who are of the day, be alert, putting on the breastplate of faith and love (agape) ; and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation, through our Lord Yeshua The Anointed, who died for us, that whether we are awake or sleep, we may live together with him. Therefore comfort one another, and build up each other, even as you do.
12.–Now we implore you, brethren, to acknowledge those who labor among you, and who preside over you in the Lord, and instruct you; and to esteem them very highly in love (agape) because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. Moreover, we exhort you, brethren, to admonish the disorderly, comfort the faint-hearted, support the weak, and be of a patient disposition towards all.
16 Rejoice always.–Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God, by The Anointed Yeshua, concerning you. Do not quench the Spirit.—Do not despise forthtelling.—Test all things.–Hold fast that which is good.–Abstain from all forms of evil.
23.–And may the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly (lit: complete to the end) ; and may your whole person, the spirit, and the soul, and the body, be preserved unblamable, until the coming of our Lord Yeshua The Anointed. Faithful is he who has called you; he will also do it. Brethren, pray for us.–Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. (Gk:philema, a kiss) I solemnly charge you by the Lord, that this letter be read to all the holy brethren. The favor of our Lord Yeshua The Anointed be with you.