Final Instructions

¹² Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard^(A) among you, who care for you in the Lord^(B) and who admonish you. ¹³ Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.^{(C) 14} And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle^(D) and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak,^(E) be patient with everyone. ¹⁵ Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong,^(F) but always strive to do what is good for each other^(G) and for everyone else.

¹⁶ Rejoice always,^{(H) 17} pray continually,^{(I) 18} give thanks in all circumstances;^(J) for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit.^{(K) 20} Do not treat prophecies^(L) with contempt ²¹ but test them all;^(M) hold on to what is good,^{(N) 22} reject every kind of evil.

²³ May God himself, the God of peace,^(O) sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul^(P) and body be kept blameless^(Q) at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.^{(R) 24} The one who calls^(S) you is faithful,^(T) and he will do it.^(U)

²⁵ Brothers and sisters, pray for us.^{(V) 26} Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss.^{(W) 27} I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.^(X)

²⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.^(Y)

1 Paul, Silas^[a](A) and Timothy,^(B)

To the church of the Thessalonians^(C) in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

² Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.^(D)

Thanksgiving and Prayer

³ We ought always to thank God for you,^(E) brothers and sisters,^[b] and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.^{(F) 4} Therefore, among God’s churches we boast^(G) about your perseverance and faith^(H) in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.^(I)

⁵ All this is evidence^(J) that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy^(K) of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. ⁶ God is just:^(L) He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you^{(M) 7} and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven^(N) in blazing fire^(O) with his powerful angels.^{(P) 8} He will punish^(Q) those who do not know God^(R) and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.^{(S) 9} They will be punished with everlasting destruction^(T) and shut out from the presence of the Lord^(U) and from the glory of his might^{(V) 10} on the day^(W) he comes to be glorified^(X) in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.^(Y)

¹¹ With this in mind, we constantly pray for you,^(Z) that our God may make you worthy^(AA) of his calling,^(AB) and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness^(AC) and your every deed prompted by faith.^{(AD) 12} We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,^(AE) and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.^[c]

The Man of Lawlessness

2 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ^(AF) and our being gathered to him,^(AG) we ask you, brothers and sisters, ² not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter^(AH)—asserting that the day of the Lord^(AI) has already come.^{(AJ) 3} Don’t let anyone deceive you^(AK) in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion^(AL) occurs and the man of lawlessness^[d] is revealed,^(AM) the man doomed to destruction. ⁴ He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God^(AN) or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.^(AO)

⁵ Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?^{(AP) 6} And now you know what is holding him back,^(AQ) so that he may be revealed at the proper time. ⁷ For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back^(AR) will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed,^(AS) whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth^(AT) and destroy by the splendor of his coming.^{(AU) 9} The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan^(AV) works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders^(AW) that serve the lie, ¹⁰ and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing.^(AX) They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.^{(AY) 11} For this reason God sends them^(AZ) a powerful delusion^(BA) so that they will believe the lie^{(BB) 12} and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.^(BC)

Stand Firm

¹³ But we ought always to thank God for you,^(BD) brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits^[e](BE) to be saved^(BF) through the sanctifying work of the Spirit^(BG) and through belief in the truth. ¹⁴ He called you^(BH) to this through our gospel,^(BI) that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁵ So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm^(BJ) and hold fast to the teachings^[f] we passed on to you,^(BK) whether by word of mouth or by letter.

¹⁶ May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father,^(BL) who loved us^(BM) and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, ¹⁷ encourage^(BN) your hearts and strengthen^(BO) you in every good deed and word.

Request for Prayer

3 As for other matters, brothers and sisters,^(BP) pray for us^(BQ) that the message of the Lord^(BR) may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.^{(BS) 2} And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people,^(BT) for not everyone has faith. ³ But the Lord is faithful,^(BU) and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.^{(BV) 4} We have confidence^(BW) in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. ⁵ May the Lord direct your hearts^(BX) into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.

Warning Against Idleness

⁶ In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,^(BY) we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from^(BZ) every believer who is idle and disruptive^(CA) and does not live according to the teaching^[g] you received from us.^{(CB) 7} For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example.^(CC) We were not idle when we were with you, ⁸ nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked^(CD) night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. ⁹ We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help,^(CE) but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate.^{(CF) 10} For even when we were with you,^(CG) we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work^(CH) shall not eat.”

¹¹ We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies.^{(CI) 12} Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ^(CJ) to settle down and earn the food they eat.^{(CK) 13} And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.^(CL)

¹⁴ Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them,^(CM) in order that they may feel ashamed.^{(CN) 15} Yet do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer.^(CO)

Final Greetings

¹⁶ Now may the Lord of peace^(CP) himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.^(CQ)

¹⁷ I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand,^(CR) which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write.

¹⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.^(CS)

⁴ Every Sabbath^(A) he reasoned in the synagogue,^(B) trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

⁵ When Silas^(C) and Timothy^(D) came from Macedonia,^(E) Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.^{(F) 6} But when they opposed Paul and became abusive,^(G) he shook out his clothes in protest^(H) and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads!^(I) I am innocent of it.^(J) From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”^(K)

⁷ Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God.^{(L) 8} Crispus,^(M) the synagogue leader,^(N) and his entire household^(O) believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.

⁹ One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision:^(P) “Do not be afraid;^(Q) keep on speaking, do not be silent. ¹⁰ For I am with you,^(R) and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” ¹¹ So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.^(S)

¹² While Gallio was proconsul^(T) of Achaia,^(U) the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. ¹³ “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”

¹⁴ Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. ¹⁵ But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law^(V)—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” ¹⁶ So he drove them off. ¹⁷ Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes^(W) the synagogue leader^(X) and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever.

Priscilla, Aquila and Apollos

¹⁸ Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters^(Y) and sailed for Syria,^(Z) accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila.^(AA) Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae^(AB) because of a vow he had taken.^{(AC) 19} They arrived at Ephesus,^(AD) where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. ²⁰ When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. ²¹ But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.”^(AE) Then he set sail from Ephesus. ²² When he landed at Caesarea,^(AF) he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.^(AG)

²³ After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia^(AH) and Phrygia,^(AI) strengthening all the disciples.^(AJ)