1 Tesalonika 1:7

1:7 As a result you became an example ¹  to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

1 Tesalonika 3:4

3:4 For in fact when we were with you, we were telling you in advance that we would suffer affliction, and so it has happened, as you well know. ² 

1 Tesalonika 1:6

1:6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, when you received ³  the message with joy that comes from the Holy Spirit, despite great affliction.

1 Tesalonika 2:14

2:14 For you became imitators, brothers and sisters, ⁴  of God’s churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, because you too suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they in fact did from the Jews,

1 Tesalonika 2:10

2:10 You are witnesses, and so is God, as to how holy and righteous and blameless our conduct was toward you who believe.

1 Tesalonika 2:8

2:8 with such affection for you ⁵  we were happy ⁶  to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.

1 Tesalonika 2:6

2:6 nor to seek glory from people, either from you or from others,

1 Tesalonika 3:5

3:5 So ⁷  when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter somehow tempted you and our toil had proven useless.

1 Tesalonika 2:9

2:9 For you recall, brothers and sisters, ⁸  our toil and drudgery: By working night and day so as not to impose a burden on any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.

1 Tesalonika 4:6

4:6 In this matter no one should violate the rights of his brother or take advantage of him, ⁹  because the Lord is the avenger in all these cases, ¹⁰  as we also told you earlier and warned you solemnly.

1 Tesalonika 4:11

4:11 to aspire to lead a quiet life, to attend to your own business, and to work with your hands, as we commanded you.

1 Tesalonika 1:8

1:8 For from you the message of the Lord ¹¹  has echoed forth not just in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place reports of your faith in God have spread, ¹²  so that we do not need to say anything.

1 Tesalonika 2:20

2:20 For you are our glory and joy!

1 Tesalonika 2:5

2:5 For we never appeared ¹³  with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed – God is our witness –

1 Tesalonika 4:3

4:3 For this is God’s will: that you become holy, ¹⁴  that you keep away from sexual immorality,

1 Tesalonika 2:7

2:7 ¹⁵  although we could have imposed our weight as apostles of Christ; instead we became ¹⁶  little children ¹⁷  among you. Like a nursing mother caring for her own children,

1 Tesalonika 1:4

1:4 We know, ¹⁸  brothers and sisters ¹⁹  loved by God, that he has chosen you, ²⁰ 

1 Tesalonika 5:1

The Day of the Lord

5:1 Now on the topic of times and seasons, ²¹  brothers and sisters, ²²  you have no need for anything to be written to you.

1 Tesalonika 3:13

3:13 so that your hearts are strengthened in holiness to be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. ²³ 

1 Tesalonika 5:6

5:6 So then we must not sleep as the rest, but must stay alert and sober.

1 Tesalonika 5:11

5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, just as you are in fact doing.

1 Tesalonika 1:9

1:9 For people everywhere ²⁴  report how you welcomed us ²⁵  and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God

1 Tesalonika 2:19

2:19 For who is our hope or joy or crown to boast of ²⁶  before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not of course you?

1 Tesalonika 2:1

Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica

2:1 For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, ²⁷  about our coming to you – it has not proven to be purposeless. ²⁸ 

1 Tesalonika 3:8

3:8 For now we are alive again, ²⁹  if you stand firm in the Lord.

1 Tesalonika 4:7

4:7 For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness.

1 Tesalonika 5:24

5:24 He who calls you is trustworthy, and he will in fact do this. ³⁰ 

1 Tesalonika 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul ³¹  and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians ³²  in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you! ³³ 

1 Tesalonika 2:4

2:4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we declare it, not to please people but God, who examines our hearts.

1 Tesalonika 2:12

2:12 exhorting and encouraging you and insisting that you live in a way worthy of God who calls you to his own kingdom and his glory.

1 Tesalonika 3:7

3:7 So ³⁴  in all our distress and affliction, we were reassured about you, brothers and sisters, ³⁵  through your faith.

1 Tesalonika 4:13

The Lord Returns for Believers

4:13 Now we do not want you to be uninformed, ³⁶  brothers and sisters, ³⁷  about those who are asleep, ³⁸  so that you will not grieve like the rest who have no hope.

1 Tesalonika 2:3

2:3 For the appeal we make ³⁹  does not come ⁴⁰  from error or impurity or with deceit,

1 Tesalonika 4:4

4:4 that each of you know how to possess his own body ⁴¹  in holiness and honor,

1 Tesalonika 5:7

5:7 For those who sleep, sleep at night and those who get drunk are drunk at night.

1 Tesalonika 5:18

5:18 in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Tesalonika 5:23

Conclusion

5:23 Now may the God of peace himself make you completely holy and may your spirit and soul and body be kept entirely blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Tesalonika 2:16

2:16 because they hinder us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. Thus they constantly fill up their measure of sins, ⁴²  but wrath ⁴³  has come upon them completely. ⁴⁴ 

1 Tesalonika 3:2

3:2 We ⁴⁵  sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God ⁴⁶  in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen you and encourage you about your faith,

1 Tesalonika 3:12

3:12 And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we do for you,

1 Tesalonika 4:8

4:8 Consequently the one who rejects this is not rejecting human authority ⁴⁷  but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

1 Tesalonika 4:10

4:10 And indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers and sisters ⁴⁸  in all of Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, ⁴⁹ 

1 Tesalonika 5:8

5:8 But since we are of the day, we must stay sober by putting on the breastplate ⁵⁰  of faith and love and as a helmet our hope for salvation. ⁵¹ 

1 Tesalonika 1:5

1:5 in that ⁵²  our gospel did not come to you merely in words, ⁵³  but in power and in the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction (surely you recall the character we displayed when we came among you to help you). ⁵⁴ 

1 Tesalonika 5:3

5:3 Now when ⁵⁵  they are saying, “There is peace and security,” ⁵⁶  then sudden destruction comes on them, like labor pains ⁵⁷  on a pregnant woman, and they will surely not escape.

[1:7]  ¹ tc Most mss (א A C D² F G Ψ 0278 Ï) have the plural τύπους (tupou", “examples”) here, while a few important witnesses have the singular τύπον (tupon, “example”; B D*^,c 6 33 81 104 1739 1881 pc lat). With ὑμᾶς (Jumas, “you”) immediately preceding, the plural form looks motivated: Scribes would be expected to change the singular to the plural here. Although the external evidence for the singular reading is not overwhelming, the internal evidence for it is compelling.

[3:4]  ² tn Grk “just as it also occurred and you know.”

[1:6]  ³ tn Or “after you received.”

[2:14]  ⁴ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.

[2:8]  ⁵ tn Grk “longing for you in this way.”

[2:8]  ⁶ tn Or “we are happy.” This verb may be past or present tense, but the context favors the past.

[3:5]  ⁷ tn Or “for this reason.”

[2:9]  ⁸ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.

[4:6]  ⁹ tn Grk “not to transgress against or defraud his brother in the matter,” continuing the sentence of vv. 3-5.

[4:6]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “concerning all these things.”

[1:8]  ¹¹ tn Or “the word of the Lord.”

[1:8]  sn “The word of the Lord” is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; here and in Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:10, 20; 1 Thess 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said. Here the phrase has been translated “the message of the Lord” because of the focus upon the spread of the gospel evident in the passage.

[1:8]  ¹² tn Grk “your faith in God has gone out.”

[2:5]  ¹³ tn Or “came on the scene,” “came.”

[4:3]  ¹⁴ tn Or “your sanctification.”

[2:7]  ¹⁵ tn Punctuating vv. 6 and 7 is difficult. One must consider the difficult textual problem of v. 7 (see tc note on the word “children” in that verse) as well as the grammar of the verse. In the translation above, “little children” is understood to be a predicate nominative connected to the verb “became.” This allows a full stop to be placed at the end of v. 6 and before the phrase “like a nursing mother” in v. 7. This separates the two metaphors which impact the textual problem and allows for greater clarity in the way the sentence is read.

[2:7]  ¹⁶ tn Or “were,” “proved to be.”

[2:7]  ¹⁷ tc The variant ἤπιοι (hpioi, “gentle”) has fair support (א² A C² D² Ψ^c 0278 33 1739 1881 Ï), but νήπιοι (nhpioi, “little children”) has significantly stronger backing (Ì⁶⁵ א* B C* D* F G I Ψ* pc it bo). It is not insignificant that the earliest Alexandrian and Western witnesses in support of ἤπιοι are actually not Alexandrian or Western; they are the second correctors of Alexandrian and Western mss. Such correctors generally follow a Byzantine Vorlage. The reading νήπιοι is thus superior externally. Further, νήπιοι is much harder in this context, for Paul mixes his metaphors (“we became little children in your midst…Like a nursing mother…”). Thus, the scribes would naturally alter this reading to the softer ἤπιοι (“we became gentle…”). Paul is not known for his consistency of figures, however (cf., e.g., Gal 4:19); hence, the intrinsic evidence points to νήπιοι as original. On the other hand, it is possible that νήπιοι was caused by dittography with the preceding -μεν (-men). It is even possible that νήπιοι was caused by an error of hearing right from the beginning: The amanuensis could have heard the apostle incorrectly. But such a supposition cuts both ways; further, Paul would no doubt have corrected the reading in the ms before it was sent out. If so, one would surely have expected both earlier witnesses on the side of ἤπιοι and perhaps a few first correctors to have this reading. The reading “little children” thus stands as most probably original. (For an extended discussion of this problem, see J. A. D. Weima, “‘But We Became Infants Among You’: The Case for NHPIOI in 1 Thess 2.7,” NTS 46 [2000]: 547-64; T. B. Sailors, “Wedding Textual and Rhetorical Criticism to Understand the Text of 1 Thessalonians 2.7,” JSNT 80 [2000]: 81-98.)

[1:4]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “knowing.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the participle εἰδότες (eidotes) has been translated as a finite verb and a new sentence started here in the translation.

[1:4]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” as here (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited).

[1:4]  ²⁰ tn Grk “your election.”

[5:1]  ²¹ tn Grk “concerning the times and the seasons,” a reference to future periods of eschatological fulfillment (cf. Acts 1:7).

[5:1]  ²² tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.

[3:13]  ²³ tc ‡ Important and early witnesses (א* A D* 81 629 lat) have ἀμήν (amhn, “amen”) at the end of this benediction, while the majority of mss, including several excellent witnesses (א² B D² F G Ψ 0278 1739 1881 Ï it sy sa), lack the particle. A decision is difficult, but in light of Paul’s habit of adding the ἀμήν to his notes of praise, even in the middle of his letters (cf. Rom 9:5; 11:36; 15:33; Gal 1:5), one might expect scribes to emulate this practice. Although a decision is difficult, it is probably best to follow the shorter reading. NA²⁷ has the particle in brackets, indicating some doubts as to its authenticity.

[1:9]  ²⁴ tn Grk “they themselves,” referring to people in the places just mentioned.

[1:9]  ²⁵ tn Grk “what sort of entrance we had to you” (an idiom for how someone is received).

[2:19]  ²⁶ sn Crown to boast of (Grk “crown of boasting”). Paul uses boasting or exultation to describe the Christian’s delight in being commended for faithful service by the Lord at his return (1 Cor 9:15-16; 2 Cor 1:12-14; 10:13-18; Phil 2:16; and 1 Cor 3:14; 4:5).

[2:1]  ²⁷ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.

[2:1]  ²⁸ tn Grk “has not become empty.” Paul is defending himself against the charge that he lacked earnestness and personal concern for them, but appeared in their city out of greed or egotism. In his defense he appeals to what they recall of his ministry and what has become of it since he left, all of which demonstrates his God-given earnestness and effectiveness.

[3:8]  ²⁹ tn Grk “because now we live,” in comparison with his feelings of dread in not knowing how they were doing (cf. 2:17-3:5).

[5:24]  ³⁰ tn Grk “who will also do,” with the object understood from v. 23.

[1:1]  ³¹ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:1]  ³² map For the location of Thessalonica see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[1:1]  ³³ tc The majority of witnesses, including several early and important ones (א A [D] I 33 Ï bo), have ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ κυριοῦ Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ (apo qeou patro" Jhmwn kai kuriou Ihsou Cristou, “from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”) at the end of v. 1. The more abrupt reading (“Grace and peace to you”) without this addition is supported by B F G Ψ 0278 629 1739 1881 pc lat sa. Apart from a desire to omit the redundancy of the mention of God and Christ in this verse, there is no good reason why scribes would have omitted the characteristically Pauline greeting. (Further, if this were the case, why did these same scribes overlook such an opportunity in 2 Thess 1:1-2?) On the other hand, since 1 Thessalonians is one of Paul’s earliest letters, what would become characteristic of his greetings seems to have been still in embryonic form (e.g., he does not yet call his audience “saints” [which will first be used in his address to the Corinthians], nor does he use ἐν (en) plus the dative to refer to the location of the church). Thus, the internal evidence is overwhelming in support of the shorter reading, for scribes would have been strongly motivated to rework this salutation in light of Paul’s style elsewhere. And the external evidence, though not overwhelming, is supportive of this shorter reading, found as it is in some of the best witnesses of the Alexandrian and Western texttypes.

[1:1]  tn Grk “Grace to you and peace.”

[3:7]  ³⁴ tn Or “for this reason.”

[3:7]  ³⁵ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.

[4:13]  ³⁶ tn Grk “ignorant.”

[4:13]  ³⁷ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.

[4:13]  ³⁸ tn The verb κοιμάω (koimaw) literally means “sleep,” but it is often used in the Bible as a euphemism for death when speaking of believers. This metaphorical usage by its very nature emphasizes the hope of resurrection: Believers will one day “wake up” out of death. Here the term refers to death, but “sleep” was used in the translation to emphasize the metaphorical, rhetorical usage of the term. This word also occurs in vv. 14 and 15.

[2:3]  ³⁹ tn Grk “For our exhortation.” Paul here uses παράκλησις (paraklhsis) to speak in broad terms about his preaching of the gospel, in which he urges or appeals to people to respond to God’s salvation (cf. the verb form παρακαλοῦντος [parakalounto"] in 2 Cor 5:20).

[2:3]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “[is] not” (the verb “to be” is implied in the Greek construction).

[4:4]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “to gain [or possess] his own vessel.” “Vessel” is most likely used figuratively for “body” (cf. 2 Cor 4:7). Some take it to mean “wife” (thus, “to take a wife for himself” or “to live with his wife”), but this is less likely. See J. Smith, “1 Thess 4:4 – Breaking the Impasse,” BBR 10 (Fall 2000), who argues that “vessel” in this context is very likely a euphemism for the sexual organs.

[2:16]  ⁴² tn Grk “to fill up their sins always.”

[2:16]  ⁴³ tc The Western text (D F G latt) adds τοῦ θεοῦ (tou qeou) to ὀργή (orgh) to read “the wrath of God,” in emulation of the normal Pauline idiom (cf., e.g., Rom 1:18; Eph 5:6; Col 3:6) and, most likely, to clarify which wrath is in view (since ὀργή is articular).

[2:16]  tn Or “the wrath,” possibly referring back to the mention of wrath in 1:10.

[2:16]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “at last.”

[3:2]  ⁴⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[3:2]  ⁴⁶ tc A variety of readings occurs in this verse. Instead of “and fellow worker for God” (καὶ συνεργὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, kai sunergon tou qeou), B has “and fellow worker” (καὶ συνεργόν); א A P Ψ 0278 6 81 629* 1241 1739 1881 2464 lat co read “and servant of God” (καὶ διάκονον τοῦ θεοῦ, kai diakonon tou qeou); D² Ï and a few versional witnesses read “and a servant of God and our fellow worker” (καὶ διάκονον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ συνεργὸν ἡμῶν); and F G have “servant and fellow worker for God” (διάκονον καὶ συνεργὸν τοῦ θεοῦ). The reading of the text (καὶ συνεργὸν τοῦ θεοῦ) is found in D* 33 b {d m o} Ambst {Pel}. It may be argued that all readings that do not collocate συνεργόν with θεοῦ are secondary, as this is certainly the harder reading. Indeed, in only one other place in the NT are human beings said to be συνεργοὶ θεοῦ (sunergoi qeou; 1 Cor 3:9), and the simplest (though by no means the only) interpretation is that the genitive should be taken associatively (“a fellow worker in association with God”). It is difficult to account for συνεργὸν τοῦ θεοῦ here unless it is authentic because of the theological difficulty that would be easily seen in this wording. A genealogy of the readings suggests that various scribes may have deleted τοῦ θεοῦ or swapped διάκονον for συνεργόν to remove the offense. The readings of the Byzantine text and two Western mss (F G) appear to be conflations of earlier readings, but the reading of F G nevertheless indirectly supports καὶ συνεργὸν τοῦ θεοῦ since it does not remove the offense. Although the witnesses for καὶ συνεργὸν τοῦ θεοῦ are minimal, the internal evidence is quite strong in favor of this reading. With hesitation, it is adopted as authentic.

[3:2]  tn Although 1 Thess 3:2 is frequently understood to mean that Timothy is “God’s fellow worker,” such a view assumes that the genitive θεοῦ (qeou) is associative for it is related to συνεργόν (sunergon). However, a genitive of association is not required by the syntax (cf. ExSyn 130).

[4:8]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “rejecting man.”

[4:10]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “brothers”; this applies to the second occurrence as well. See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.

[4:10]  ⁴⁹ sn To do so more and more. See 1 Thess 4:1.

[5:8]  ⁵⁰ sn An allusion to Isa 59:17.

[5:8]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “hope of salvation” (“a helmet…for salvation” is an allusion to Isa 59:17).

[1:5]  ⁵² tn Or “because.”

[1:5]  ⁵³ tn Or “speech,” or “an act of speaking.”

[1:5]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “just as you know what sort of people we were among you for your sakes.” Verse 5 reflects on the experience of Paul and his fellow preachers; v. 6 begins to describe the Thessalonians’ response.

[5:3]  ⁵⁵ tc ‡ δέ (de, “now”) is found in א² B D 0226 6 1505 1739 1881 al, but lacking in א* A F G 33 it. γάρ (gar, “for”) is the reading of the Byzantine text and a few other witnesses (Ψ 0278 Ï). Although normally the shorter reading is to be preferred, the external evidence is superior for δέ (being found in the somewhat better Alexandrian and Western witnesses). What, then, is to explain the γάρ? Scribes were prone to replace δέ with γάρ, especially in sentences suggesting a causal or explanatory idea, thus making the point more explicit. Internally, the omission of δέ looks unintentional, a case of homoioarcton (otandelegwsin). Although a decision is difficult, in this instance δέ has the best credentials for authenticity.

[5:3]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “peace and security,” with “there is” understood in the Greek construction.

[5:3]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk a singular “birth pain.”