
{1}1{/}

{I}1_{/}From Paul, 
Sylvanus and Timothy to 
the church of 
Thessalonica which is in 
God the Father and in 
Christ Jesus, the Lord.
May the peace and grace 
of God be with you.
{I}2_{/}We give thanks to 
God at all times for you 
and remember you in our 
prayers. {I}3_{/}We 
constantly recall before 
God our Father the work 
of your faith, the labors 
of your love and your 
endurance in waiting for 
Christ Jesus our Lord.
{I}4_{/}We remember, 
brothers and sisters, the 
circumstances of your 
being called. {I}5_{/}The 
gospel we brought you was 
such not only in words. 
Miracles, Holy Spirit and 
plenty of everything were 
given to you. You also 
know how we dealt with 
you for your sake.
{I}6_{/}In return, you 
became followers of us 
and of the Lord when, on 
receiving the word, you 
experienced the joy of 
the Holy Spirit in the 
midst of great 
opposition. {I}7_{/}And 
you became a model for 
the faithful of Macedonia 
and Achaia, {I}8_{/}since 
from you the word of the 
Lord spread to Macedonia 
and Achaia, and still 
farther. The faith you 
have in God has become 
news in so many places 
that we need say no more 
about it. {I}9_{/}Others 
tell of how you responded 
to us and turned from 
idols to the Lord. For 
you serve the living and 
true God, {I}10_{/}and 
you wait for his Son from 
Heaven whom he raised 
from the dead, Jesus, who 
frees us from impending 
trial.
THE BEGINNING OF THE 
CHURCH OF THESSALONICA{/}

{1}2{/}

{I}1_{/}You well know, 
brothers and sisters, 
that our visit to you was 
not in vain. {I}2_{/}We 
had been ill-treated and 
insulted in Philippi but, 
trusting in our God, we 
dared announce to you the 
message of God, and face 
fresh opposition. 
{I}3_{/}Our warnings did 
not conceal any error or 
impure motive, nor did we 
deceive anyone. 
{I}4_{/}But as God had 
entrusted his Gospel to 
us as to faithful 
ministers, we were 
anxious to please God who 
sees the heart, rather 
than human beings. 
{I}5_{/}We never pleased 
you with flattery, as you 
know, nor did we try to 
earn money, as God knows. 
{I}6_{/}We did not try to 
make a name for ourselves 
among people, either with 
you or anybody else, 
{I}7_{/}although we were 
messengers of Christ and 
could have made our 
weight felt.
On the contrary, we were 
gentle with you, as a 
nursing mother who feeds 
and cuddles her baby. 
{I}8_{/}And so great is 
our concern that we are 
ready to give you, as 
well as the Gospel, even 
our very lives, for you 
have become very dear to 
us.
{I}9_{/}Remember our 
labor and toil; when we 
preached the Gospel, we 
worked day and night so 
as not to be a burden to 
you. {I}10_{/}You are 
witnesses with God that 
we were holy, just and 
blameless toward all of 
you who now believe. 
{I}11_{/}We warned each 
of you as a father warns 
his children; {I}12_{/}we 
encouraged you and urged 
you to adopt a way of 
life worthy of God who 
calls you to share his 
own glory and kingdom.
{I}13_{/}This is why we 
never cease giving thanks 
to God for, on receiving 
our message, you accepted 
it, not as human 
teaching, but as the word 
of God. That is what it 
really is, and as such it 
is at work in you who 
believe.
{I}14_{/}Brothers and 
sisters, you followed the 
example of the churches 
of God in Judea, churches 
of Christ Jesus. For you 
suffered from your 
compatriots the same 
trials they suffered from 
the Jews, {I}15_{/}who 
killed the Lord Jesus and 
the prophets, and who 
persecute us. They 
displease God and harm 
all people {I}16_{/}when 
they prevent us from 
speaking to the pagans 
and trying to save them. 
By doing so they are 
heaping up their sins, 
but now Judgment is 
coming upon them.
{I}17_{/}We are for a 
time deprived of your 
presence, but not in our 
heart, and we eagerly 
long to see you. 
{I}18_{/}For we have 
wanted to visit you, and 
I, Paul, more than once; 
but Satan prevented us. 
{I}19_{/}In fact, who but 
you are our hope and our 
joy? Who but you will be 
our glorious crown before 
Jesus, our Lord, when he 
returns? {I}20_{/}Yes, 
indeed, you are our glory 
and our joy.
PAUL'S CONCERN{/}

{1}3{/}

{I}1_{/}As I could no 
longer bear it, I decided 
to go alone to Athens, 
{I}2_{/}and send you 
Timothy, our brother and 
servant of God in the 
Gospel of Christ. 
I{I}_{/}wanted him to 
encourage you in the 
faith and strengthen you 
{I}3_{/}so that none of 
you might turn back 
because of the trials you 
are now enduring. You 
know that such is our 
destiny. {I}4_{/}I warned 
you of this when I was 
there: "We shall have to 
face persecution"; and so 
it was, as you have seen. 
{I}5_{/}Therefore I could 
not stand it any longer 
and sent Timothy to 
appraise your faith and 
see if the Tempter had 
tempted you and made our 
work useless.
{I}6_{/}But now Timothy 
has just returned with 
good news of your faith 
and love. He told us that 
you remember us kindly 
and that you long to see 
us as much as we long to 
see you. {I}7_{/}What a 
consolation for us, 
brothers and sisters, in 
the midst of our troubles 
and trials, this faith of 
yours! {I}8_{/}It is a 
breath of life for us 
when you stand firm in 
the Lord. {I}9_{/}How can 
we thank God enough for 
all the joy that we feel 
before God because of 
you? {I}10_{/}Day and 
night we beg of him to 
let us see you again, 
that we may complete the 
instruction of the 
believers.
{I}11_{/}May God our 
Father and Jesus our Lord 
prepare the way for us to 
visit you. {I}12_{/}May 
the Lord increase more 
and more your love for 
each other and for all 
people, as he increases 
our love for you. 
{I}13_{/}May he 
strengthen you interiorly 
to be holy and blameless 
before God, our Father, 
on the day that Jesus, 
our Lord, will come with 
all his saints.
A CALL TO A LIFE OF 
PURITY AND WORK{/}

{1}4{/}

{I}1_{/}For the rest, 
brothers, we ask you in 
the name of Jesus, the 
Lord, and we urge you to 
live in a way that 
pleases God, just as you 
have learned from us. 
This you do, but try to 
do still more. 
{I}2_{/}You know the 
instructions we gave you 
on behalf of the Lord 
Jesus: {I}3_{/}the will 
of God for you is to 
become holy and not to 
have unlawful sex. 
{I}4_{/}Let each of you 
behave towards his wife 
as a holy and respectful 
husband, {I}5_{/}rather 
than being led by lust, 
as are pagans who do not 
know God. {I}6_{/}In this 
matter, let no one offend 
or wrong a brother. The 
Lord will do justice in 
all these things, as we 
have warned and shown 
you. {I}7_{/}God has 
called us to live, not in 
impurity but in holiness, 
{I}8_{/}and those who do 
not heed this instruction 
disobey, not a human, but 
God himself who gives you 
his Holy Spirit.
{I}9_{/}Regarding mutual 
love, you do not need 
anyone to write to you, 
because God himself 
taught you how to love 
one another. {I}10_{/}You 
already practice it with 
all the brothers and 
sisters of Macedonia, but 
I invite you to do more. 
{I}11_{/}Consider how 
important it is to live 
quietly without bothering 
others, to mind your own 
business, and work with 
your hands, as we have 
charged you. {I}12_{/}In 
obeying these rules you 
will win the respect of 
outsiders and be 
dependent on no one.
DO NOT GRIEVE AS OTHERS 
DO{/}

{I}13_{/}Brothers and 
sisters, we want you not 
to be mistaken about 
those who are already 
asleep, lest you grieve 
as do those who have no 
hope. {I}14_{/}We believe 
that Jesus died and rose; 
it will be the same for 
those who have died in 
Jesus. God will bring 
them together with Jesus 
and for his sake.
{I}15_{/}By the same word 
of the Lord we assert 
this: those of us who are 
to be alive at the Lord's 
coming will not go ahead 
of those who are already 
asleep. {I}16_{/}When the 
command by the 
archangel's voice is 
given, the Lord himself 
will come down from 
heaven, while the divine 
trumpet call is sounding. 
Then those who have died 
in the Lord will rise 
first; {I}17_{/}as for us 
who are still alive, we 
will be brought along 
with them in the clouds 
to meet the Lord in the 
celestial world. And we 
will be with the Lord 
forever.
{I}18_{/}So, then comfort 
one another with these 
words.
YOU ARE CITIZENS OF THE 
LIGHT{/}

{1}5{/}

{I}1_{/}You do not need 
anyone to write to you 
about the delay and the 
appointed time for these 
events. {I}2_{/}You know 
that the Day of the Lord 
will come like a thief in 
the night. {I}3_{/}When 
people feel secure and at 
peace, the disaster will 
suddenly come upon them 
as the birth pangs of a 
woman in labor, and they 
will not escape.
{I}4_{/}But you, beloved, 
are not in darkness; so 
that day will not 
surprise you like a 
thief. {I}5_{/}All of you 
are citizens of the light 
and the day; we do not 
belong to night and 
darkness. {I}6_{/}Let us 
not, therefore, sleep as 
others do, but remain 
alert and sober.
{I}7_{/}Those who sleep, 
go to sleep at night, and 
those who drink, get 
drunk at night. 
{I}8_{/}Since we belong 
to the day, let us be 
sober, let us put on the 
breastplate of faith and 
love, and let the hope of 
salvation be our helmet. 
{I}9_{/}For God has not 
willed us to be condemned 
but to win salvation 
through Christ Jesus our 
Lord. {I}10_{/}He died 
for us so that we might 
enter into life with him, 
whether we are still 
awake or already asleep. 
{I}11_{/}Therefore 
encourage one another and 
build up one another, as 
you are doing now.
{I}12_{/}Brothers and 
sisters, I want you to be 
thankful to those who 
labor among you, who lead 
you in the way of the 
Lord and also reprimand 
you. {I}13_{/}Esteem them 
highly and love them for 
what they are doing. Live 
at peace among 
yourselves.
{I}14_{/}We urge you to 
warn the idle, encourage 
those who feel 
discouraged, sustain the 
weak, have patience with 
everyone. {I}15_{/}See 
that no one repays evil 
for evil, but try to do 
good, whether among 
yourselves or towards 
others.
{I}16_{/}Rejoice always, 
{I}17_{/}pray without 
ceasing {I}18_{/}and give 
thanks to God at every 
moment. This is the will 
of God, your vocation as 
Christians.
{I}19_{/}Do not quench 
the Spirit, {I}20_{/}do 
not despise the prophets' 
warnings. {I}21_{/}Put 
everything to the test 
and hold fast to what is 
good. {I}22_{/}Avoid 
evil, wherever it may be.
{I}23_{/}May the God of 
Peace make you holy and 
bring you to perfection. 
May you be completely 
blameless, in spirit, 
soul and body, till the 
coming of Christ Jesus, 
our Lord; {I}24_{/}he who 
called you is faithful 
and will do it.
{I}25_{/}Brothers and 
sisters, pray for us. 
{I}26_{/}Greet all the 
brothers and sisters with 
a holy kiss. {I}27_{/}I 
order you in the name of 
the Lord that this letter 
be read to all of them.
{I}28_{/}May the grace of 
Christ Jesus our Lord be 
with you.

