1 Thessalonians.
Before
CHRIST,
0000.
CHAP. 1.
Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election by God. [1]
5 For our gospel came not to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit:
7 So that ye were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.
8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.
9 For they themselves show of us what manner of entrance we had to you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come.
CHAP. 2.
For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance to you, that it was not in vain:
2 But even after we had suffered before, and were shamefully treated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God with much contention.
3 For our exhortation was not from deceit, nor from uncleanness, nor in guile:
4 But as we were allowed by God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, who trieth our hearts.
5 For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:
6 Nor from men sought we glory, neither from you, nor yet from others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ. [2]
7 But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:
8 So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted to you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear to us.
9 For ye remember, brethren, our labour and toil: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.
10 Ye are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:
11 As ye know how we exhorted and encouraged and charged each one of you, as a father doth his children,
12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you into his kingdom and glory.
13 For this cause also we thank God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard from us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
14 For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things from your own countrymen, even as they have from the Jews:
15 Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: [3]
16 Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, to fill up their sins always: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.
17 But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.
18 Therefore we would have come
