The Book of 1 Thessalonians

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Greetings from Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy

1. Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Anointed Lord Jesus: grace to you and peace [from God our Father and the Anointed Lord Jesus.]
2. We always thank God for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers;
3. unceasingly remembering your work of faith, and labor of ^love, and enduring hope in our Lord Jesus the Anointed before our God and Father.
4. *Knowing of your election brothers (who have been ^loved by God),
5. because our gospel didn’t come to you only in word but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much full assurance.  Just as you *know what we became among you, because of you;
6. and you became imitators of us and of the Lord, having welcomed the word in much affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit,
7. so you became an example to all the men believing in Macedonia and in Achaia.
8. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth loud and clear¹“has sounded forth loud and clear”  Is one word in Greek, here in the perfect tense.  It refers to a sound that “sounds forth”, either loudly or clearly.  Since both are possible meanings and it’s possible – even likely – that both were intended, both were included. from you.  Not only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but in every place that your faith toward God has gone out, so we have no need to say anything.
9. For they themselves report about us what kind of reception we had from you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the true and living God,
10. and to await His Son from the heavens – whom He raised from the dead – Jesus, the One delivering us from the coming wrath.

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The Ministry

1. For brothers, you yourselves *know that our coming to you hasn’t been in vain.
2. But having previously suffered and having been mistreated in Philippi, (just as you have known) we were bold in our God to speak the gospel of God to you amid much conflict.
3. For our exhortation isn’t from error, nor from impurity, nor in deceit.
4. But just as we have been tested and proved genuine by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak.  Not as pleasing men, but God, the One testing our hearts and proving them genuine.
5. For neither were we ever found with a word of flattery (as you have known) nor with a pretense for greed (God is our witness),
6. nor seeking glory from men, nor from you, nor from others; though being empowered to be burdensome as the Anointed’s apostles.
7. but we became gentle in your midst, as a nursing mother cherishes her own children.
8. And affectionately desiring you this way, we were pleased to impart not only the gospel of God to you, but also our own souls¹“soul” The Greek word here is “ψυχή” (psuché).  It does not mean the part of us which survives death and goes to reward or punishment (Biblically that’s our spirit.  In Revelation 8:9, animals are said to have “psuché”.)  Psuché literally means “breath” and is usually translated “life”.  It refers to the life; the vital force which – together with the body – enables a person to live.  It can also refer to mind, will, emotions, and desires, which together make up a person’s identity. because you became beloved to us.
9. For brothers, you remember our laborious toil and hard labor.  While working night and day in order not to put a burden on any of you, we proclaimed the gospel of God to you.
10. You are witnesses (and God too) of how devoutly, and righteously, and blamelessly we behaved to you, the men believing.
11. Just as you *know how (as a father to his own children)
12. we were admonishing you, and encouraging you, and solemnly charging each one of you to walk in a manner worthy of God; the One calling you into His own kingdom and glory.
13. And because of this, we also incessantly give thanks to God that having received the word of God that you heard from us, you welcomed it not like the word of men, but like it’s truly the word of God, which also works in you; the men believing.
14. For brothers, you became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Jesus the Anointed, because you also suffered the same things as them from your own countrymen, just as they also did from the Jews.
15. the men who also killed the Lord Jesus, and the prophets, and drove us out.  And they’re not pleasing to God and are hostile to all men,
16. hindering us and forbidding²“hindering us and forbidding” is one word in Greek, which can mean either or both depending on the context. us to speak to the gentiles (so they might be saved) to always complete the full measure of their sins.  But wrath came upon them until the end.

Paul wanting to see them

17. But brothers, having been bereaved of you for a short time (in presence, not in heart) we were abundantly eager with great desire to see your face.
18. Therefore, we wanted to come to you.  Indeed, I Paul tried both once and twice, and Satan hindered us.
19. For who is our hope, or joy, or crown of boasting?  Or is it not you also?  (Before our Lord Jesus at His coming.)
20. For you are our glory and joy.

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Timothy’s Visit and Report

1. Therefore, enduring it no longer, we were pleased to be left behind in Athens alone.
2. And we sent Timothy – our brother and fellow worker of God in the gospel of the Anointed – to firmly strengthen you and to encourage you for the sake of your faith,
3. so no one is shaken by these tribulations.  For you yourselves have known that we are destined for this.
4. For even when we were with you, we were forewarning you that we’re about to suffer tribulation, just as it also came to pass, and you have known this.
5. Enduring it no longer because of this, I also sent Timothy to ascertain your faith, lest somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor might become worthless.
6. But now, Timothy came from you to us and announced to us the good news of your faith and ^love, and that you always have a good recollection of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you.
7. Because of this brothers, we were encouraged about you in all our distress and tribulation through your faith.
8. because now we live if you stand firm in the Lord.
9. For what gratitude can we give to God about you on account of all the joy with which we rejoice before our God because of you,
10. greatly imploring night and day for us to see your face and to supply the insufficiencies in your faith.
11. And may our God and Father Himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you.
12. And may the Lord make you abound and overflow in ^love for one another and for all men, just as we also do for you,
13. in order to strengthen and establish¹“strengthen and establish” is one word in Greek, which can mean either depending on the context. It literally means to “fix firmly”, with the idea of either setting something up in a firm position (establish) or adding support to make it firm (strengthen). your hearts as blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. [Amen]

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Walk to Please God

1. Finally then brothers, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus that just as you received from us how it’s necessary for you to walk and to please God (just as you also walk now), so you should overflow more,
2. for you *know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
3. For this is the will of God: that you become holy, you are to keep far away¹“to keep far away” is one word in Greek.  It also contains the sense of gaining something else because you have discarded the old thing. from fornication,
4. and each of you is to *know how to acquire²“to acquire” is literal.  It’s one word in Greek meaning to acquire or to obtain, with the strong implication of purchasing.  This exact same word in the exact same form is used in Acts 8:20, where Simon the sorcerer wished “to purchase” God’s gift with money.  It was sometimes used of “acquiring” a wife in marriage by paying a bride price to her father; see note on verse 6.  (For this usage, see Ruth 4:10 in the Septuagint and in the apocryphal book Sirach 36:29.)  Some contend it means “to possess” here, in the sense of “gain mastery over”.  However, the word only means “to possess” when in the perfect tense, and it’s not in the perfect tense here, nor anywhere else in the New testament.  Further, the Greek word for “vessel” is also used in 1 Peter 3:7 referencing wives (“the weaker vessel“), and it was used in reference to wives in other writings as well.  The word “weaker” was added (in italics to indicate a translator addition) to make the reference to wives clear.  It’s worth noting that the Greek word translated “fornication” in the previous verse can also refer “whoredom” in the sense of prostitution. Thus, Paul could be drawing a parallel between paying for fornication/prostitution vs. legitimately acquiring a wife. a weaker vessel³“weaker vessel”, i.e. a wife.  See previous note for himself in holiness and honor,
5. not in lustful passion just as even the gentiles do (not *knowing God),
6. and not to defraud and to take advantage of his brother in the matter⁴“matter”.  This Greek word generally refers to anything which a person does; i.e. his affairs or deeds.  It can also refer to business affairs.  Given the context of verse 4, some say this refers to Christians paying a bride price to “purchase” a wife from her father (see note on verse 4) who is a fellow Christian and thus a “brother”.  (Their rational being verse 4, 1 Corinthians 7:36-38, Exodus 22:16-17, and Numbers 30:3-5; their assumption in Numbers 30 being that even marriage vows can be annulled). because the Lord is an avenger concerning all these things, just as we also forewarned you and solemnly testified.
7. (For God didn’t call us to impurity, but in holiness.)
8. Consequently, the man rejecting this doesn’t reject man, but God, the One also giving His Holy Spirit to you.
9. But concerning brotherly love, you have no need for me to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to ^love one another.
10. For you also do the same for all the brothers in the whole of Macedonia.  Yet brothers, we encourage you to overflow more,
11. and to eagerly seek to live a quiet life,⁵“to live a quiet life” is one word in Greek.  It refers to those who aren’t “running hither and thither” (Thayer’s) but instead are restful and mind their own business. and to attend to your own affairs, and to work with your own hands, just as we commanded you,
12. so you might walk properly toward the men outside the church and so no one might have a need.

The Lord’s Return

13. Now brothers, we don’t want you to be ignorant about the men sleeping so you won’t be grieved even as the rest are (the men not having hope).
14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in this way also, God will bring with Him the men who fell asleep through Jesus.
15. For we declare this to you by a word from the Lord, that we – the men living and remaining until the coming of the Lord – definitely won’t precede the men who fell asleep,
16. because the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a commanding shout – with the voice of an archangel and with God’s trumpet – and the dead in the Anointed will rise first.
17. Afterwards we – the men living and remaining – will be snatched up together with them in the clouds and meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
18. So then, encourage one another with these words.

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The Lord’s Day

1. But concerning the times and the seasons brothers, you have no need for me to write to you.
2. For you yourselves have accurately known that the Lord’s day comes in this way: like a thief in the night.
3. When they say: “Peace and security” then destruction comes upon them suddenly, like labor pain of a woman having a child in her womb, and they definitely won’t escape.
4. But brothers, you aren’t in darkness that the day might seize you like a thief.
5. For you’re all sons of light and sons of day.  We aren’t of night nor of darkness.
6. So therefore we shouldn’t sleep like the rest of them, but we should watch and be sober.
7. For the men sleeping sleep at night, and the men becoming drunk are drunk at night.
8. But we – being of the day – should be sober, having clothed ourselves with the breastplate of faith and ^love, and the helmet of the hope of salvation,
9. because God didn’t appoint us for wrath, but for obtainment of salvation through our Lord Jesus the Anointed,
10. the One who died on our account, so whether we watch or we sleep, we might live together with Him.
11. Therefore, encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also do.

Proper Christian Conduct

12. Now brothers, we ask you to *notice the men toiling among you, and leading you in the Lord, and admonishing you;
13. and to greatly esteem them in ^love because of their work.  Be at peace among yourselves.
14. And we encourage you brothers: admonish the disorderly,¹“disorderly” This Greek word refers to someone who isn’t living in the proper “appointed order”.  It was used of soldiers who wouldn’t remain in formation and of people who deviated from the proper way of life. encourage the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
15. See that no one repays anyone evil in exchange for evil, but always pursue good to one another and to all.
16. Rejoice always.
17. Pray without ceasing.
18. Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Jesus the Anointed.
19. Don’t quench the Spirit.
20. Don’t disregard or despise²“disregard or despise” is one word in Greek.  It means to ignore something or to treat it as being of no value/worth.  In the latter sense, it also carries the connotation of treating it contemptuously. prophecies.
21. And examine all things; hold fast to the good.
22. Keep far away from every form of evil.

Final Blessing

23. Now may the God of peace Himself make you completely holy; and may your spirit, and soul, and body be wholly preserved; blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus the Anointed.
24. The One calling you is faithful, who will also make it happen.
25. Brothers, pray for us.
26. Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
27. I solemnly charge you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.
28. The grace of our Lord Jesus the Anointed be with you.  [Amen]

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