1 This letter is from Paul and Silas and Timothy. It is to the church in the city of Thessalonica that belongs to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 May you have loving-favor and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 We must give thanks to God for you always, Christian brothers. It is the right thing to do because your faith is growing so much. Your love for each other is stronger all the time. 4 We are proud of you and tell the other churches about you. We tell them how your faith stays so strong even when people make it hard for you and make you suffer. 5 God wants you to prove yourselves to be worth being in His holy nation by suffering for Him. 6 He does what is right and will allow trouble to come to those who are making it hard for you. 7 He will help you and us who are suffering. This will happen when the Lord Jesus comes down from heaven with His powerful angels in a bright fire. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and those who do not obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 They will be punished forever and taken away from the Lord and from the shining-greatness of His power. 10 On the day He comes, His shining-greatness will be seen in those who belong to Him. On that day, He will receive honor from all those who put their trust in Him. You believed what we had to say to you. 11 For this reason, we always pray for you. We pray that our God will make you worth being chosen. We pray that His power will help you do the good things you want to do. We pray that your work of faith will be complete. 12 In this way, the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be honored by you and you will be honored by Him. It is through the loving-favor of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.