For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we were among you for your benefit,

For the Lord’s message rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place that your faith in God has gone out. Therefore, we don’t need to say anything,

Instead, just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please men, but rather God, who examines our hearts.

We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.

This is why we constantly thank God, because when you received the message about God that you heard from us, you welcomed it not as a human message, but as it truly is, the message of God, which also works effectively in you believers.

But as for us, brothers, after we were forced to leave you for a short time (in person, not in heart), we greatly desired and made every effort to return and see you face to face.

So we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us.

But now Timothy has come to us from you and brought us good news about your faith and love and reported that you always have good memories of us, wanting to see us, as we also want to see you.

For God has not called us to impurity but to sanctification.

Therefore, the person who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who also gives you His Holy Spirit.

In fact, you are doing this toward all the brothers in the entire region of Macedonia. But we encourage you, brothers, to do so even more,

But you, brothers, are not in the dark, for this day to overtake you like a thief.

So then, we must not sleep, like the rest, but we must stay awake and be serious.

But since we belong to the day, we must be serious and put the armor of faith and love on our chests, and put on a helmet of the hope of salvation.

For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.

but test all things.
Hold on to what is good.