Paul's Ministry to the Thessalonians

¹For you yourselves know, brothers,1 that our fcoming to you gwas not in vain. ²But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated hat Philippi, as you know, iwe had boldness in our God jto declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much kconflict. ³For lour appeal does not spring from merror or nimpurity or oany attempt to deceive, ⁴but just as we have been approved by God pto be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not qto please man, but to please God rwho tests our hearts. ⁵sFor we never came with words of flattery,2 as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—tGod is witness. ⁶uNor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, vthough we could have made wdemands as xapostles of Christ. ⁷But we were ygentle3 among you, zlike a nursing mother taking care of her own children. ⁸So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God abut also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

⁹For you remember, brothers, bour labor and toil: we cworked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. ¹⁰You are witnesses, and dGod also, ehow holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. ¹¹For you know how, flike a father with his children, ¹²we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and gcharged hyou to walk in a manner worthy of God, iwho calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

¹³And jwe also thank God constantly4 for this, that when you received kthe word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it lnot as the word of men5 but as what it really is, the word of God, mwhich is at work in you believers. ¹⁴For you, brothers, nbecame imitators of othe churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For pyou suffered the same things from your own countrymen qas they did from the Jews,6 ¹⁵rwho killed both the Lord Jesus and sthe prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and toppose all mankind ¹⁶uby hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always vto fill up the measure of their sins. But wwrath has come upon them at last!7

Paul's Longing to See Them Again

¹⁷But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, xin person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire yto see you face to face, ¹⁸because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan zhindered us. ¹⁹For what is our hope or ajoy or crown of boasting bbefore our Lord Jesus at his ccoming? Is it not you? ²⁰For you are our glory and joy.