1 Thessalonians 2

1

Paul’s Ministry

You yourselvesG846 knowG1492, brothersG80, thatG3754 ourG1473 visitG1529 toG4314 youG4771 wasG1096 notG3756 in vainG2756. 2AsG2531 you are awareG1492, we had already endured sufferingG4310 andG2532 shameful treatmentG5195 inG1722 PhilippiG5375. ButG235 in the face ofG1722 strongG4183 oppositionG73, we were boldG3955 inG1722 ourG1473 GodG2316 to speakG2980 toG4314 youG4771 theG3588 gospelG2098 of GodG2316.

3ForG1063 ourG1473 appealG3874 does notG3756 arise fromG1537 deceitG4106 or ulterior motivesG167 or trickeryG1388. 4InsteadG235, we speakG2980 asG2531 those approvedG1381 byG5259 GodG2316 to be entrusted withG4100 theG3588 gospelG2098, notG3756 in order toG5613 pleaseG700 menG444 butG235 GodG2316, whoG3588 examinesG1381 ourG1473 heartsG2588. 5AsG1063G2531 you knowG1492, we never usedG3777G4218G1096G1722 wordsG3056 of flatteryG2850 or any pretextG4392 for greedG4124. GodG2316 is our witnessG3144! 6NorG3777 did we seekG2212 praiseG1391 fromG575 youG4771 or fromG575 anyone elseG243, although asG5613 apostlesG652 of ChristG5547 we had authorityG1410 to demandG1510G922G1722 it.1

7On the contraryG235, we wereG1096 gentleG3516 amongG1722 youG4771,2 likeG5613 a nursing motherG5162 caring forG1437G2282 herG1438 childrenG5043. 8We cared so deeplyG3779G2442 that we were delightedG2106 to share withG3330 youG4771 notG3756 onlyG3440 theG3588 gospelG2098 of GodG2316, butG235 ourG3588 ownG1438 livesG5590 as wellG2532. That is howG1360 belovedG27 you have becomeG1096 to usG1473.

9Surely you recallG3421G1063, brothersG80, ourG1473 laborG2873 andG2532 toilG3449. We workedG2038 nightG3571 andG2532 dayG2250 so thatG4314 we would not be a burdenG3361G3588G1912 to anyoneG5100 while we proclaimedG2784 toG1519 youG4771 theG3588 gospelG2098 of GodG2316. 10YouG4771 are witnessesG3144, andG2532 so is GodG2316, of howG5613 holyG3743, righteousG1346, andG2532 blamelessG274 our conduct wasG1096 among youG4771 whoG3588 believedG4100. 11ForG2509 you knowG1492 thatG5613 we treated eachG1538 of youG4771 asG5613 a fatherG3962 treats his ownG1438 childrenG5043— 12encouragingG3870 you, comfortingG3888 youG4771, andG2532 urgingG3143 youG4771 to walkG4043 in a manner worthyG516 of GodG2316, whoG3588 callsG2564 youG4771 intoG1519 His ownG1438 kingdomG932 andG2532 gloryG1391.

13AndG2532 weG1473 continuallyG89 thankG2168 GodG2316 becauseG1223, when you receivedG3880 the wordG3056 of GodG2316 that you heardG189 fromG3844 usG1473, you acceptedG1209 it notG3756 as the wordG3056 of menG444, butG235 asG2531 it truly isG230G1510, the wordG3056 of GodG2316, which isG3739 alsoG2532 now at workG1754 inG1722 youG4771 whoG3588 believeG4100.

14ForG1063 youG4771, brothersG80, becameG1096 imitatorsG3402 of theG3588 churchesG1577 of GodG2316 inG1722 JudeaG2449 thatG3588 areG1510 inG1722 ChristG5547 JesusG2424. YouG4771 sufferedG3958 fromG5259 your ownG2398 countrymenG4853 the very thingsG3588 theyG846 suffered fromG5259 theG3588 JewsG2453, 15whoG3588 killedG615 bothG2532 theG3588 LordG2962 JesusG2424 andG2532 their ownG3588 prophetsG4396 andG2532 drove us out as wellG1559G1473. They are displeasingG3361G700 to GodG2316 andG2532 hostileG1727 to allG3956 menG444, 16hinderingG2967 usG1473 from tellingG2980 theG3588 GentilesG1484 howG2443 they may be savedG4982. As a resultG1519, they continueG3842 to heap upG378 theirG846 sins to full capacityG266; theG1519 utmostG5056 wrathG3709 has comeG5348 uponG1909 themG846.3

Paul’s Longing to Visit

17BrothersG80, althoughG1161 weG1473 were torn awayG642 fromG575 youG4771 forG4314 a short timeG2540G5610 (in personG4383, notG3756 in heartG2588), our desireG1939 to seeG3708 youG4771 faceG4383 to face was even more intenseG4057G4704. 18ForG1360 we wantedG2309 to comeG2064 toG4314 youG4771—indeedG3303 IG1473, PaulG3972, tried againG530 andG2532 againG1364—butG2532 SatanG4567 obstructedG1465 usG1473. 19After allG1063, whoG5101 is ourG1473 hopeG1680, our joyG5479, our crownG4735 of boastingG2746, if it isG2228 notG3780 you yourselvesG4771 in the presence ofG1715 ourG1473 LordG2962 JesusG2424 atG1722 HisG846 comingG3952? 20YouG4771 areG1510 indeedG1063 ourG1473 gloryG1391 andG2532 our joyG5479.