1 For you yourselves know, brothers, our visit to you wasn’t in vain, 2 but having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as you know, at Philippi, we grew bold in our God to tell you the Good News of God in much conflict. 3 For our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in deception. 4 But even as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News, so we speak—not as pleasing men, but God, who tests our hearts. 5 For neither were we at any time found using words of flattery, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness (God is witness), 6 nor seeking glory from men (neither from you nor from others), when we might have claimed authority as apostles of Christ. 7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother cherishes her own children. 8 Even so, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not the Good News of God only, but also our own souls, because you had become very dear to us. 9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and travail; for working night and day, that we might not burden any of you, we preached to you the Good News of God. 10 You are witnesses with God how holy, righteously, and blamelessly we behaved ourselves toward you who believe. 11 As you know, we exhorted, comforted, and implored every one of you, as a father does his own children, 12 to the end that you should walk worthily of God, who calls you into his own Kingdom and glory. 13 For this cause we also thank God without ceasing that when you received from us the word of the message of God, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, God’s word, which also works in you who believe. 14 For you, brothers, became imitators of the assemblies of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus; for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out, and don’t please God, and are contrary to all men, 16 forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, to fill up their sins always. But wrath has come on them to the uttermost. 17 But we, brothers, being bereaved of you for a short season in presence, not in heart, tried even harder to see your face with great desire, 18 because we wanted to come to you—indeed, I, Paul, once and again—but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Isn’t it even you, before our Lord Jesus at his coming? 20 For you are our glory and our joy.
1 Thessalonians · World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
1 Thessalonians 2 World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- "World English Bible" is a trademark of eBible.org; the text is shown unaltered.
Cross references (20)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 2 Thessalonians 3:1; Philippians 2:16; Habakkuk 2:13; 1 Corinthians 15:58; 1 Corinthians 15:2
- 2 Acts 4:13; Acts 16:22–24; 2 Timothy 1:12; Acts 17:2–9; 1 Peter 2:14–16
- 3 2 Corinthians 2:17; 2 Corinthians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:7; 1 Thessalonians 2:5–6; 2 Corinthians 12:16–18
- 4 Galatians 1:10; Romans 8:27; Galatians 2:7; 2 Timothy 1:14; Psalm 17:3
- 5 Romans 1:9; 2 Corinthians 12:17; Acts 20:33; Galatians 1:20; 2 Peter 2:3
- 6 Galatians 1:10; John 5:44; John 5:41; 1 Thessalonians 2:9; Philemon 8–9
- 7 Isaiah 66:13; 2 Timothy 2:24–25; 1 Thessalonians 2:11; Isaiah 49:23; 2 Corinthians 10:1
- 8 1 John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 12:15; Philippians 2:17; Romans 1:11–12; Hebrews 13:17
- 9 2 Thessalonians 3:7–9; 2 Corinthians 11:9; Acts 18:3; 2 Corinthians 12:13–14; 1 Timothy 4:10
- 10 1 Peter 5:3; 1 Thessalonians 1:5; 2 Corinthians 1:12; Titus 2:7–8; Acts 20:18
- 11 1 Corinthians 4:14–15; Hebrews 13:22; 1 Timothy 5:21; 2 Timothy 4:1–2; 2 Thessalonians 3:12
- 12 Ephesians 4:1; 1 John 2:6; 1 John 1:6–7; 2 Thessalonians 2:13–14; 1 Thessalonians 4:12
- 13 Hebrews 4:12; Romans 10:17; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 Peter 1:25; 1 Peter 2:2
- 14 1 Thessalonians 3:4; Hebrews 10:33–34; Hebrews 5:7–8; 2 Thessalonians 1:4; 2 Corinthians 8:1–2
- 15 Matthew 5:12; Luke 11:48–53; Acts 7:52; Acts 2:23; Luke 13:33–34
- 16 Acts 17:13; Acts 14:19; Acts 14:5; Malachi 4:1; Matthew 23:32
- 17 Colossians 2:5; 1 Corinthians 5:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:6; Romans 1:13; 1 Thessalonians 3:10–11
- 18 Romans 15:22; Romans 1:13; Revelation 2:10; Zechariah 3:1–2; 2 Corinthians 11:12–14
- 19 Philippians 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Philippians 2:16; 2 Corinthians 1:14
- 20 2 Corinthians 1:14; 1 Corinthians 11:7
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
The teacher ought to do nothing with a feeling of being burdened, that tends to the salvation of his disciples. For if the blessed Jacob was buffeted night and day in keeping his flocks, much more ought he, to whom the care of souls is entrusted, to endure all toils, though the work be laborious and mean, looking only to …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 13 (1889)
For to this purpose said that dispenser of Thine,--begetting children by the gospel, --that he might not always have them "babes," whom he would feed on milk, and cherish as a nurse; "be ye transformed," saith He, "by the renewing of your mind, that he may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." Therefore Thou …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
… for ye also have suffered the same things of your own fellow-countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have driven us out; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men." Which same point here also Christ hath established.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
Hear that he descended: "I became a babe in the midst of you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children." For we see both nurses and mothers descend to babes, and although they be able to speak Latin, they shorten the words, shake their tongues in a certain manner, in order to frame childish endearments from a methodical language; because …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)
This Paul also was laying to their charge, when he said, "Who both killed the Lord, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us." Moreover, that they may not say, "He is an adversary of God, and therefore we do not come," hear what they say who are bidding them; that it is the father who is making the marriage, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)