Dual Panel1This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy. It is written to the church in Thessalonica, you who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. May his grace and peace be yours.
2We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly.
3As we talk to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and your continual anticipation of the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
4We know that God loves you, dear brothers and sisters, and that he chose you to be his own people.
5For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know that the way we lived among you was further proof of the truth of our message.
6So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord.
7As a result, you yourselves became an example to all the Christians in Greece.
8And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Greece, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don’t need to tell them about it,
9for they themselves keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the true and living God.
10And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven––Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.