The First Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians

⭑ Unlocked Dynamic Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 3 -

As a result of that, when I could no longer endure worrying about you, I decided that Silas and I would stay behind alone in the city of Athens,

and we sent Timothy to you. You know that he is our close associate and also works for God by proclaiming the good news about Messiah. Silas and I sent him in order that he would urge you to continue to strongly trust in Messiah.

We did not want any of you to turn away from Messiah in fear because of what you were suffering. You well know that God knew that others would mistreat us because of Messiah.

Remember that when we were present with you, we kept telling you that others would mistreat us. And this is what happened!

This is why I sent Timothy to you, because I could wait no longer to know whether you were still trusting in Messiah. I was afraid that Satan, the one who tempts us, had caused you to stop trusting in Messiah. I was afraid that everything we had done with you was useless.

Timothy’s Encouraging Report

But now Timothy has just returned to Silas and me from being with you, and he has told us the good news that you still trust in Messiah and that you love him. He told us also that you always happily remember us and that you want very much for us to visit you, just as we want to visit you.

My fellow believers, even though we are suffering very much because of what people are doing to us here, we have been comforted because Timothy told us that you still trust in Messiah.

Now it is as if we are living in a new way, because you are trusting very much in the Lord Jesus.

We cannot thank God enough for what he has done for you! We greatly rejoice over you when we pray to our God!

We constantly and fervently ask God that we will be able to visit you, and that we will be able to help you to trust in Messiah more strongly!

We pray to God, our Father, and to our Lord Jesus, that they will enable us to return to you.

As for you, we pray that the Lord Jesus will help you to love each other and other people more and more, just like we continue loving you more and more.

We pray that our Lord Jesus will make you want to please him more and more. We pray that God our Father will enable you to become more like him, and that no one can criticize. We pray this, so that when Jesus comes back to earth and all those who belong to him come with him, he will be pleased with you.

Therefore when we couldn’t stand it any longer, we thought it good to be left behind at Athens alone,

and sent Timothy, our brother and God’s servant in the Good News of Christ, to establish you and to comfort you concerning your faith,

that no one would be moved by these afflictions. For you know that we are appointed to this task.

For most certainly, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we are to suffer affliction, even as it happened, and you know.

For this cause I also, when I couldn’t stand it any longer, sent that I might know your faith, for fear that by any means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor would have been in vain.

Timothy’s Encouraging Report

But Timothy has just now come to us from you, and brought us glad news of your faith and love, and that you have good memories of us always, longing to see us, even as we also long to see you.

For this cause, brothers, we were comforted over you in all our distress and affliction through your faith.

For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.

For what thanksgiving can we render again to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sakes before our God,

night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and may perfect that which is lacking in your faith?

Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you.

May the Lord make you to increase and abound in love toward one another and toward all men, even as we also do toward you,

to the end he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.