1 Thessalonians 2:1-16
1 Thessalonians 2:1-16 (GNT)
1Our friends, you yourselves know that our visit to you was not a failure.
2You know how we had already been mistreated and insulted in Philippi
before we came to you in Thessalonica. And even though there was much
opposition, our God gave us courage to tell you the Good News that comes
from him. 3Our appeal to you is not based on error or impure motives, nor
do we try to trick anyone. 4Instead, we always speak as God wants us to,
because he has judged us worthy to be entrusted with the Good News. We do
not try to please people, but to please God, who tests our motives. 5You
know very well that we did not come to you with flattering talk, nor did
we use words to cover up greed—God is our witness! 6We did not try to
get praise from anyone, either from you or from others, 7even though as
apostles of Christ we could have made demands on you. But we were gentle
when we were with you, like a mother taking care of her children. 8Because
of our love for you we were ready to share with you not only the Good News
from God but even our own lives. You were so dear to us! 9Surely you
remember, our friends, how we worked and toiled! We worked day and night
so that we would not be any trouble to you as we preached to you the Good
News from God. 10You are our witnesses, and so is God, that our conduct
toward you who believe was pure, right, and without fault. 11You know that
we treated each one of you just as parents treat their own children. 12We
encouraged you, we comforted you, and we kept urging you to live the kind
of life that pleases God, who calls you to share in his own Kingdom and
glory. 13And there is another reason why we always give thanks to God.
When we brought you God's message, you heard it and accepted it, not as a
message from human beings but as God's message, which indeed it is. For
God is at work in you who believe. 14Our friends, the same things happened
to you that happened to the churches of God in Judea, to the people there
who belong to Christ Jesus. You suffered the same persecutions from your
own people that they suffered from the Jews, 15who killed the Lord Jesus
and the prophets, and persecuted us. How displeasing they are to God! How
hostile they are to everyone! 16They even tried to stop us from preaching
to the Gentiles the message that would bring them salvation. In this way
they have brought to completion all the sins they have always committed.
And now God's anger has at last come down on them!
God bless you.
1Our friends, you yourselves know that our visit to you was not a failure.
2You know how we had already been mistreated and insulted in Philippi
before we came to you in Thessalonica. And even though there was much
opposition, our God gave us courage to tell you the Good News that comes
from him. 3Our appeal to you is not based on error or impure motives, nor
do we try to trick anyone. 4Instead, we always speak as God wants us to,
because he has judged us worthy to be entrusted with the Good News. We do
not try to please people, but to please God, who tests our motives. 5You
know very well that we did not come to you with flattering talk, nor did
we use words to cover up greed—God is our witness! 6We did not try to
get praise from anyone, either from you or from others, 7even though as
apostles of Christ we could have made demands on you. But we were gentle
when we were with you, like a mother taking care of her children. 8Because
of our love for you we were ready to share with you not only the Good News
from God but even our own lives. You were so dear to us! 9Surely you
remember, our friends, how we worked and toiled! We worked day and night
so that we would not be any trouble to you as we preached to you the Good
News from God. 10You are our witnesses, and so is God, that our conduct
toward you who believe was pure, right, and without fault. 11You know that
we treated each one of you just as parents treat their own children. 12We
encouraged you, we comforted you, and we kept urging you to live the kind
of life that pleases God, who calls you to share in his own Kingdom and
glory. 13And there is another reason why we always give thanks to God.
When we brought you God's message, you heard it and accepted it, not as a
message from human beings but as God's message, which indeed it is. For
God is at work in you who believe. 14Our friends, the same things happened
to you that happened to the churches of God in Judea, to the people there
who belong to Christ Jesus. You suffered the same persecutions from your
own people that they suffered from the Jews, 15who killed the Lord Jesus
and the prophets, and persecuted us. How displeasing they are to God! How
hostile they are to everyone! 16They even tried to stop us from preaching
to the Gentiles the message that would bring them salvation. In this way
they have brought to completion all the sins they have always committed.
And now God's anger has at last come down on them!
God bless you.
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