We thank God always for all of you as we mention you constantly in our prayers,

For from you the message of the Lord has echoed forth not just in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place reports of your faith in God have spread, so that we do not need to say anything.

For people everywhere report how you welcomed us and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God

and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath.

For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, about our coming to you -- it has not proven to be purposeless.

For the appeal we make does not come from error or impurity or with deceit,

For we never appeared with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed -- God is our witness --

although we could have imposed our weight as apostles of Christ; instead we became little children among you. Like a nursing mother caring for her own children,

with such affection for you we were happy to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.

For you recall, brothers and sisters, our toil and drudgery: By working night and day so as not to impose a burden on any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.

For you became imitators, brothers and sisters, of God's churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, because you too suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they in fact did from the Jews,

But when we were separated from you, brothers and sisters, for a short time (in presence, not in affection) we became all the more fervent in our great desire to see you in person.

For we wanted to come to you (I, Paul, in fact tried again and again) but Satan thwarted us.

For who is our hope or joy or crown to boast of before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not of course you?

For you are our glory and joy!

We sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen you and encourage you about your faith,

so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.

For in fact when we were with you, we were telling you in advance that we would suffer affliction, and so it has happened, as you well know.

So when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter somehow tempted you and our toil had proven useless.

For now we are alive again, if you stand firm in the Lord.

For how can we thank God enough for you, for all the joy we feel because of you before our God?

And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we do for you,

For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

For this is God's will: that you become holy, that you keep away from sexual immorality,

For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness.

Now on the topic of brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also we believe that God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep as Christians.

For we tell you this by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not go ahead of those who have fallen asleep.

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Now on the topic of times and seasons, brothers and sisters, you have no need for anything to be written to you.

For you know quite well that the day of the Lord will come in the same way as a thief in the night.

But you, brothers and sisters, are not in the darkness for the day to overtake you like a thief would.

For you all are sons of the light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of the darkness.

For those who sleep, sleep at night and those who get drunk are drunk at night.

But since we are of the day, we must stay sober by putting on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet our hope for salvation.

For God did not destine us for wrath but for gaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

He died for us so that whether we are alert or asleep we will come to life together with him.

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

in everything give thanks. For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Brothers and sisters, pray for us too.