Letters to the Churches

Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas send you greetings.

Greet the brothers in Laodicea, as well as Nympha and the church that meets at her house.

After this letter has been read among you, make sure that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea.

Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord.”

This greeting is in my own hand—Paul. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.

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

We always thank God for all of you, remembering you in our prayers

and continually recalling before our God and Father your work of faith, your labor of love, and your enduring hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Brothers who are beloved by God, we know that He has chosen you,

because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with great conviction—just as you know we lived among you for your sake.

And you became imitators of us and of the Lord when you welcomed the message with the joy of the Holy Spirit, in spite of your great suffering.

As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

For not only did the message of the Lord ring out from you to Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone out to every place, so that we have no need to say anything more.

For they themselves report what kind of welcome you gave us, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God

and to await His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead—Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath.

You yourselves know, brothers, that our visit to you was not in vain.

As you are aware, we had already endured suffering and shameful treatment in Philippi. But in the face of strong opposition, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God.

For our appeal does not arise from deceit or ulterior motives or trickery.

Instead, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, not in order to please men but God, who examines our hearts.

As you know, we never used words of flattery or any pretext for greed. God is our witness!

Nor did we seek praise from you or from anyone else, although as apostles of Christ we had authority to demand it.

On the contrary, we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother caring for her children.

We cared so deeply that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our own lives as well. That is how beloved you have become to us.

Surely you recall, brothers, our labor and toil. We worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to anyone while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.

You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous, and blameless our conduct was among you who believed.