Fluent Translation · Read & Reflect
1 Thessalonians 2
Our Coming to You Was Not Empty
You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not empty. Although we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to speak God’s good news to you in the face of much opposition. For our appeal does not come from error, impurity, or deception. Instead, just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the good news, so we speak—not to please people but God, who examines our hearts. For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, or with a pretext for greed—God is our witness— nor did we seek glory from people, either from you or from others, though as Christ’s apostles we could have made demands. Instead, we became gentle among you, like a nursing mother caring tenderly for her own children. Having such deep affection for you, we were pleased to share with you not only God’s good news but also our own lives, because you had become beloved to us.
Working Night and Day
You remember, brothers and sisters, our labor and hardship. We worked night and day so that we would not burden any of you while we announced God’s good news to you. You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous, and blameless we were toward you who trust. You know how, like a father with his own children, we encouraged, comforted, and urged each one of you to walk worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
You Received God’s Word as God’s Word
We also thank God continually because when you received God’s word that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but, as it truly is, God’s word, which is also at work in you who trust. For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, because you suffered the same things from your own people as they did from some of their Judean opponents, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and drove us out. They displease God and oppose all people by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so they may be saved. In this way they keep filling up their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the end.
Our Longing to See You
But we, brothers and sisters, after being separated from you for a short time—in person, not in heart—made every effort, with great desire, to see you face to face. We wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan blocked our way. For what is our hope, joy, or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? Yes, you are our glory and joy.