1 Thessalonians 1:2-10 - Thanksgiving For The Thessalonian Believers

² We give thanks to God always concerning all of you, making mention constantly in our prayers, ³ [because we] remember your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, ⁴ knowing, brothers [dearly] loved by God, {that he has chosen you}, ⁵ because our gospel did not come to you with word only, but also with power and with the Holy Spirit and with much certainty, just as you know what sort of [people] we became among you for your sake. ⁶ And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, receiving the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, ⁷ so that you became an example to all those who believe in Macedonia and in Achaia, ⁸ for from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith toward God has gone out, so that we have no need to say anything. ⁹ For [they] themselves report about us, what sort of welcome we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve [the] living and true God, ¹⁰ and to await his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, the one who delivers us from the coming wrath.

³ We ought to give thanks to God always concerning you, brothers, just as it is fitting, because your faith is flourishing and the love of each one of you all toward one another is increasing ⁴ so that we ourselves boast in you in the churches of God about your patient endurance and faith in all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are enduring, ⁵ a proof of the righteous judgment of God, so that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, on behalf of which also you are suffering, ⁶ since [it is] righteous in the sight of God to pay back those who are afflicting you with affliction, ⁷ and to you who are being afflicted, rest with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels, ⁸ with burning flame giving punishment to those who do not know God and who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus, ⁹ who will pay the penalty [of] eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his strength, ¹⁰ whenever he should come to be glorified on that day by his saints and to be marveled at by all who believe, because our testimony was believed among you, ¹¹ for which [purpose] we also pray always for you, that you may be considered worthy of the calling of our God, and he might fulfill every desire for goodness and work of faith with power, ¹² in order that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.