Thanksgiving

1Paul and Silvanus and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

2We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and [†]steadfastness of hope [†]in our Lord Jesus Christ before our God and Father, 4knowing, brothers beloved by God, your election, 5for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full assurance; just as you know what kind of men we [†]proved to be among you for your sake. 6You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7so that you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. 9For they themselves report about us what kind of an entrance we had [†]with you, and how you turned to God from [†]idols to serve [†]a living and true God, 10and to wait for His Son from [†]heaven, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.