Greeting

1Paul, Silvanus,a a and Timothy:b

To the church of the Thessaloniansc in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace to you and peace.B

Thanksgiving

2We always thank God for all of you, making mention of you constantly in our prayers. 3We recall, in the presence of our God and Father,a your work produced by faith,b your labor motivated by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.c 4For we know, brothers and sisters loveda by God,b that he has chosen you,c 5because our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit,a and with full assurance. You know how we lived among youb for your benefit, 6and you yourselves became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the messagea with joy from the Holy Spirit. 7As a result, you became an example to all the believers in Macedoniaa and Achaia.b 8For the word of the Lord rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place that your faitha a in God has gone out. Therefore, we don’t need to say anything, 9for they themselves reportA what kind of receptiona we had from you: how you turnedb to God from idolsc to serve the livingd and truee God 10and to waita for his Sonb from heaven, whom he raised from the deadc — Jesus, who rescues usd from the coming wrath.e