Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church assembled at Thessalonica in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ;

Grace be yours and peace. We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you continually in our prayers;

such memories we have of your active faith, your unwearied love, and that hope in our Lord Jesus Christ which gives you endurance, in the sight of him who is our God and Father.

Brethren, God loves you, and we are sure that he has made choice of you.

Our preaching to you did not depend upon mere argument; power was there, and the influence of the Holy Spirit, and an effect of full conviction; you can testify what we were to you and what we did for you.

And on your side, you followed our example, the Lord’s example. There was great persecution, and yet you welcomed our message, rejoicing in the Holy Spirit;

and now you have become a model to all the believers throughout Macedonia and Achaia.

Yes, the Lord’s message has echoed out from you, and not only in Macedonia and Achaia; your faith in God has overflowed everywhere,✻ so that we do not need to speak a word;

our friends✻ themselves tell the story of our journey, and how we first came among you. They describe how you have turned away from idolatry to the worship of God, so as to serve a living God, a God who really exists,

and to wait for the appearing of his Son from heaven, Jesus, whom he raised from the dead, our Saviour from the vengeance that is to come.