Study Desk

For not only did the message about the Lord go out from you throughout Macedonia and Achaia, but the news about your faith in God has gone everywhere. There is nothing, then, that we need to say.

and to wait for his Son to come from heaven—his Son Jesus, whom he raised from death and who rescues us from God's anger that is coming.

Because of our love for you we were ready to share with you not only the Good News from God but even our own lives. You were so dear to us!

And there is another reason why we always give thanks to God. When we brought you God's message, you heard it and accepted it, not as a message from human beings but as God's message, which indeed it is. For God is at work in you who believe.

As for us, friends, when we were separated from you for a little while—not in our thoughts, of course, but only in body—how we missed you and how hard we tried to see you again!

After all, it is you—you, no less than others!—who are our hope, our joy, and our reason for boasting of our victory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes.

while we sent Timothy, our brother who works with us for God in preaching the Good News about Christ. We sent him to strengthen you and help your faith,

so that none of you should turn back because of these persecutions. You yourselves know that such persecutions are part of God's will for us.

For while we were still with you, we told you ahead of time that we were going to be persecuted; and as you well know, that is exactly what happened.

That is why I had to send Timothy. I could not bear it any longer, so I sent him to find out about your faith. Surely it could not be that the Devil had tempted you and all our work had been for nothing!

Now we can give thanks to our God for you. We thank him for the joy we have in his presence because of you.

May our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus prepare the way for us to come to you!

May the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow more and more and become as great as our love for you.

For you know the instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

There is no need to write you about love for each other. You yourselves have been taught by God how you should love one another.

In this way you will win the respect of those who are not believers, and you will not have to depend on anyone for what you need.

For you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord will come as a thief comes at night.

who died for us in order that we might live together with him, whether we are alive or dead when he comes.

See that no one pays back wrong for wrong, but at all times make it your aim to do good to one another and to all people.

Pray also for us, friends.