He thanks God for their faith and love, and prays for the increase of the same.
1 Paul, Sylvanus, and Timothy.
To the congregation of the Thessalonians who are in God our Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Grace be with you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because your faith grows exceedingly, and every one of you swims in love toward another between yourselves, 4 so that we ourselves rejoice over you in the congregations of God – over your patience and faith in all the persecutions and tribulations that you suffer, 5 which is a sign of the righteous judgment of God, that you are counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer.
6 It is surely a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to those who trouble you; 7 and to you who are troubled, rest with us when the Lord Jesus shows himself from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to those who do not know God, and to those who will not heed the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting damnation, separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power, 10 when he comes to be glorified in his saints and to be made marvelous in all who believe, because our testimony to you was believed even the same day that we preached it.
11 Therefore we pray always for you, that our God would make you worthy of the calling, and would fulfil all pleasure in goodness and the work of faith with power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in him, through the grace of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.