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

² We always give thanks to God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers, ³ remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father. ⁴ We know, brothers loved by God, that you are chosen, ⁵ and that our Good News came to you not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we showed ourselves to be among you for your sake. ⁶ You became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, ⁷ so that you became an example to all who believe in Macedonia and in Achaia. ⁸ For from you the word of the Lord has been declared, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone out; so that we need not to say anything. ⁹ For they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from you; and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, ¹⁰ and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead -- Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.

³ We are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers, even as it is appropriate, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of each and every one of you towards one another abounds; ⁴ so that we ourselves boast about you in the assemblies of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which you endure. ⁵ This is an obvious sign of the righteous judgment of God, to the end that you may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which you also suffer. ⁶ Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay affliction to those who afflict you, ⁷ and to give relief to you who are afflicted with us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, ⁸ giving vengeance to those who don't know God, and to those who don't obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus, ⁹ who will pay the penalty: eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might, ¹⁰ when he comes to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired among all those who have believed (because our testimony to you was believed) in that day. ¹¹ To this end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire of goodness and work of faith, with power; ¹² 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.