1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13.
1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13 (GNT)
17As for us, friends, when we were separated from you for a little
while—not in our thoughts, of course, but only in body—how we missed
you and how hard we tried to see you again! 18We wanted to return to you.
I myself tried to go back more than once, but Satan would not let us.
19After all, it is you—you, no less than others!—who are our hope, our
joy, and our reason for boasting of our victory in the presence of our Lord
Jesus when he comes. 20Indeed, you are our pride and our joy! 1Finally, we
could not bear it any longer. So we decided to stay on alone in Athens
2while we sent Timothy, our brother who works with us for God in preaching
the Good News about Christ. We sent him to strengthen you and help your
faith, 3so that none of you should turn back because of these
persecutions. You yourselves know that such persecutions are part of God's
will for us. 4For while we were still with you, we told you ahead of time
that we were going to be persecuted; and as you well know, that is exactly
what happened. 5That is why I had to send Timothy. I could not bear it any
longer, so I sent him to find out about your faith. Surely it could not be
that the Devil had tempted you and all our work had been for nothing! 6Now
Timothy has come back, and he has brought us the welcome news about your
faith and love. He has told us that you always think well of us and that
you want to see us just as much as we want to see you. 7So, in all our
trouble and suffering we have been encouraged about you, friends. It was
your faith that encouraged us, 8because now we really live if you stand
firm in your life in union with the Lord. 9Now we can give thanks to our
God for you. We thank him for the joy we have in his presence because of
you. 10Day and night we ask him with all our heart to let us see you
personally and supply what is needed in your faith. 11May our God and
Father himself and our Lord Jesus prepare the way for us to come to you!
12May the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow more
and more and become as great as our love for you. 13In this way he will
strengthen you, and you will be perfect and holy in the presence of our
God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all who belong to him.
God bless you.
17As for us, friends, when we were separated from you for a little
while—not in our thoughts, of course, but only in body—how we missed
you and how hard we tried to see you again! 18We wanted to return to you.
I myself tried to go back more than once, but Satan would not let us.
19After all, it is you—you, no less than others!—who are our hope, our
joy, and our reason for boasting of our victory in the presence of our Lord
Jesus when he comes. 20Indeed, you are our pride and our joy! 1Finally, we
could not bear it any longer. So we decided to stay on alone in Athens
2while we sent Timothy, our brother who works with us for God in preaching
the Good News about Christ. We sent him to strengthen you and help your
faith, 3so that none of you should turn back because of these
persecutions. You yourselves know that such persecutions are part of God's
will for us. 4For while we were still with you, we told you ahead of time
that we were going to be persecuted; and as you well know, that is exactly
what happened. 5That is why I had to send Timothy. I could not bear it any
longer, so I sent him to find out about your faith. Surely it could not be
that the Devil had tempted you and all our work had been for nothing! 6Now
Timothy has come back, and he has brought us the welcome news about your
faith and love. He has told us that you always think well of us and that
you want to see us just as much as we want to see you. 7So, in all our
trouble and suffering we have been encouraged about you, friends. It was
your faith that encouraged us, 8because now we really live if you stand
firm in your life in union with the Lord. 9Now we can give thanks to our
God for you. We thank him for the joy we have in his presence because of
you. 10Day and night we ask him with all our heart to let us see you
personally and supply what is needed in your faith. 11May our God and
Father himself and our Lord Jesus prepare the way for us to come to you!
12May the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow more
and more and become as great as our love for you. 13In this way he will
strengthen you, and you will be perfect and holy in the presence of our
God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all who belong to him.
God bless you.
Comments