Letters to the Churches

For you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children—

encouraging you, comforting you, and urging you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

And we continually thank God because, when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as the true word of God—the word which is now at work in you who believe.

For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Judea that are in Christ Jesus. You suffered from your own countrymen the very things they suffered from the Jews,

who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out as well. They are displeasing to God and hostile to all men,

hindering us from telling the Gentiles how they may be saved. As a result, they continue to heap up their sins to full capacity; the utmost wrath has come upon them.

Brothers, although we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in heart), our desire to see you face to face was even more intense.

For we wanted to come to you—indeed I, Paul, tried again and again—but Satan obstructed us.

After all, who is our hope, our joy, our crown of boasting, if it is not you yourselves in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?

You are indeed our glory and our joy.

So when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left on our own in Athens.

We sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,

so that none of you would be shaken by these trials. For you know that we are destined for this.

Indeed, when we were with you, we kept warning you that we would suffer persecution; and as you know, it has come to pass.

For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter had somehow tempted you and caused our labor to be in vain.

But just now, Timothy has returned from his visit with the good news about your faith, your love, and the fond memories you have preserved, longing to see us just as we long to see you.

For this reason, brothers, in all our distress and persecution, we have been reassured about you, because of your faith.

For now we can go on living, as long as you are standing firm in the Lord.

How can we adequately thank God for you in return for our great joy over you in His presence?

Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking from your faith.

Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you.

And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone else, just as our love for you overflows,

so that He may establish your hearts in blamelessness and holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. Amen.

Finally, brothers, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus to live in a way that is pleasing to God, just as you have received from us. This is how you already live, so you should do so all the more.

For you know the instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.