The first Chapter.
Paul Silvanus and Timotheus.
Unto the congregation of the Thessalonians, in God the father, and in the lord Iesus Christ. Grace be with you, and peace from God our father, and from the lord Iesus Christ.
We give God thanks alwaye for you all, making mention of you in our prayers without ceasing, and call to remembrance your work in the faith, and labour in love and perseverance in the hope of our lord Iesus Christ, in the sight of God our father: because we know brethren beloved of God, how that ye are elect. For our gospell came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and also in the holy ghost and in much certainty, as ye know that we behaved ourselves among you, for your sakes.
And ye counterfeited us, and of the lord: and received the word in much affliction, with joy of the holy ghost: so that ye were an example to all that believe in Macedonia, and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the lord, not in Macedonia and in Achaia only: but your faith also which ye have unto God, spread herself abroad in all quarters, so greatly that it needeth not us to speak anything at all: for they themselves shew of you what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from images for to serve the living and true God, and for to look for his son from heaven, whom he raised from death: I mean Iesus which delivereth us from wrath to come.
The .ij. Chapter.
For ye yourselves brethren know of our entrance in unto you, how that it was not in vain: but even after that we had suffered before and were shamefully entreated at Philippos (as ye well know) then were we bold in our God to speak unto you the gospell of God, with much striving. Our exhortation was not to bring you to error, nor yet to uncleanness, neither was it with guile: but as we were allowed of God, that the gospell should be committed unto us: even so we speak, not as though we intended to please men, but God, which trieth our hearts.
Neither was our conversation at any time with flattering words (as ye well know) neither in cloaked covetousness, God is record: neither sought we praise of men, neither of you, nor yet of any other, when we might have been chargable, as the Apostles of Christ: but were tender among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children, so was our affection toward you our good will was to have dealt unto you, not the gospell of God only: but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.
Ye remember brethren our labour and travail. For we laboured day and night, because we would not be grievous unto any of you, and preached you the gospell of God. Ye are witnesses, and so is God, how holily and justly (that no man could blame us) we behaved ourselves among you that believe, as ye know how that we exhorted and comforted, and besought every one of you, as a father his children, that ye would walk worthy of the lord, which hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
For this cause thank we God without ceasing, because that when ye received of us the word, wherewith God was preached, ye received it not as the word of man: but even as it was in deed, the word of God, which worketh in you that believe. For ye brethren did counterfeit the congregations of God which in jewry are in Christ Iesu: for ye have suffered like things of your kinsmen, as we our selves have suffered of the Iewes, which as they killed the lord Iesus and their own prophets, even so have they persecuted us, and God they please not, and are contrary to all men: and forbid us to preach unto the gentiles, that they might be saved, to fulfil their sins: For the wrath of God is come on them, even to the utmost.