1 Thessalonians 2:8

1 Thessalonians 2:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.
• New International Version (NIV)so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.

Context of 1 Thessalonians 2:8

6We didn’t seek praise from people, from you or from anyone else, 7although as apostles of Christ we had the right to do this. Instead, we were gentle when we were with you, like a mother taking care of her children. We felt so strongly about you that we were determined to share with you not only the Good News of God but also our lives. That’s how dear you were to us! 9You remember, brothers and sisters, our work and what we did to earn a living. We worked night and day so that we could bring you the Good News of God without being a burden to any of you. 10You and God are witnesses of how pure, honest, and blameless we were in our dealings with you believers.

1 Thessalonians 2:8 word by word

οὕτως ὁμειρόμενοι ὑμῶν εὐδοκοῦμεν μεταδοῦναι ὑμῖν οὐ μόνον τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχάς, διότι ἀγαπητοὶ ἡμῖν ἐγενήθητε.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
• being affectionately desirousἱμείρωhimeiromai · to desireG2442
• of youσύsu · youG4771
• we were willingεὐδοκέωeudokeō · to delightG2106
• to have impartedμεταδίδωμιmetadidōmi · to shareG3330
• notοὐou · noG3756
• the gospelεὐαγγέλιονeuaggelion · gospelG2098
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• onlyμόνονmonon · onlyG3440
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• alsoκαίkai · andG2532
• our ownἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• soulsψυχήpsuchē · soul: lifeG5590
• becauseδιότιdioti · becauseG1360
• ye wereγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• dearἀγαπητόςagapētos · belovedG27
• unto usἐγώegō · I/weG1473

Cross-references for 1 Thessalonians 2:8

• Jeremiah 13:15Listen, and pay attention! Don’t be arrogant. The Lord has spoken.
• Romans 1:11I long to see you to share a spiritual blessing with you so that you will be strengthened.
• Romans 9:1As a Christian, I’m telling you the truth. I’m not lying. The Holy Spirit, along with my own thoughts, supports me in this.
• Romans 10:1Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God on behalf of the Jewish people is that they would be saved.
• Romans 15:29I know that when I come to you I will bring the full blessing of Christ.
• 2 Corinthians 6:1Since we are God’s coworkers, we urge you not to let God’s kindness be wasted on you.
• Galatians 4:19My children, I am suffering birth pains for you again until Christ is formed in you.
• Philippians 1:8God is my witness that, with all the compassion of Christ Jesus, I long ⌞to see⌟ every one of you.
• Philippians 2:25I feel that I must send Epaphroditus—my brother, coworker, and fellow soldier—back to you. You sent him as your personal representative to help me in my need.
• Colossians 1:28We spread the message about Christ as we instruct and teach everyone with all the wisdom there is. We want to present everyone as mature Christian people.
• Colossians 4:12Epaphras, a servant of Christ Jesus from your city, greets you. He always prays intensely for you. He prays that you will continue to be mature and completely convinced of everything that God wants.
• Hebrews 13:17Obey your leaders, and accept their authority. They take care of you because they are responsible for you. Obey them so that they may do this work joyfully and not complain about you. (Causing them to complain would not be to your advantage.)
• Acts 20:23However, the Holy Spirit warns me in every city that imprisonment and suffering are waiting for me.
• 2 Corinthians 12:15I will be very glad to spend whatever I have. I’ll even give myself for you. Do you love me less because I love you so much?
• Philippians 2:17My life is being poured out as a part of the sacrifice and service ⌞I offer to God⌟ for your faith. Yet, I am filled with joy, and I share that joy with all of you.
• 1 John 3:16We understand what love is when we realize that Christ gave his life for us. That means we must give our lives for other believers.

Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 2:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Being affectionately desirous of you - We had such intense love for you that we were not only willing and forward to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ to you, but also to give our own lives for your sake, because ye were dear, ̔, because ye were beloved by us. The words used here by the apostle are expressive of the strongest affection and attachment.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8So, being affectionately desirous of you - The word here rendered “being affectionately desirous” - ̔ homeiromenoi- occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It means to “long after, to have a strong affection for.” The sense here is, that Paul was so strongly attached to them that he would have been willing to lay down his life for them. We were willing to have imparted unto you - To have given or communicated; Romans 1:11. Not the gospel of God only…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-12Verses 7-12 Mildness and tenderness greatly recommend religion, and are most conformable to God's gracious dealing with sinners, in and by the gospel. This is the way to win people. We should not only be faithful to our calling as Christians, but in our particular callings and relations. Our great gospel privilege is, that God has called us to his kingdom and glory. The great gospel duty is, that we walk worthy of God. We should live as becomes those…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-20The letter begins by discussing the character of Paul and his associates, as well as how the Thessalonians accepted the good news (2:1–12; 13–16). It emphasizes Paul’s genuine care for the church, mentioning: his efforts to visit them again (2:17–20), and his choice to send Timothy when he could not go himself (3:1–5). It concludes with the apostle Paul’s happiness about Timothy’s positive report and his prayers to return to the church (3:6–9; 10–13)…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. So--to be joined to "we were willing"; "As a nurse cherisheth ... so we were willing," &c. [Alford]. But Bengel, "So," that is, seeing that we have such affection for you. being affectionately desirous--The oldest reading in the Greek implies, literally, to connect one's self with another; to be closely attached to another. willing--The Greek is stronger, "we were well content"; "we would gladly have imparted," &c. "even our own lives" (so the Greek…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Thessalonians 2:8

• Affections
• Gospel
• Love
• Minister, Christian
• Preaching
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Affectionately
• Bold
• Chargeable
• Cherish
• Desire
• Joy
• Affect; Affection
• Dear; Dearly

Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings