Study Desk

Brothers and sisters, we were separated from you for a short time. But even though we were not there, our thoughts were still with you. We wanted very much to see you, and we tried very hard to do this.

Yes, we wanted to come to you. I, Paul, tried more than once to come, but Satan stopped us.

We could not come to you, but it was very hard to wait any longer. So we decided to send Timothy to you and stay in Athens alone. Timothy is our brother. He works with us for God to tell people the Good News about Christ. We sent Timothy to strengthen and encourage you in your faith.

But now Timothy has come back from his visit with you and told us good news about your faith and love. He told us that you always remember us in a good way. He told us that you want very much to see us again. And it is the same with us—we want very much to see you.

So, brothers and sisters, we are encouraged about you because of your faith. We have much trouble and suffering, but still we are encouraged.

We have so much joy before our God because of you! So we thank God for you. But we cannot thank him enough for all the joy we feel.

We believe that Jesus died, but we also believe that he rose again. So we believe that God will raise to life through Jesus any who have died and bring them together with him when he comes.

What we tell you now is the Lord's own message. Those of us who are still living when the Lord comes again will join him, but not before those who have already died.

But you, brothers and sisters, are not living in darkness. And so that day will not surprise you like a thief.

But we belong to the day, so we should control ourselves. We should wear faith and love to protect us. And the hope of salvation should be our helmet.

Be sure that no one pays back wrong for wrong. But always try to do what is good for each other and for all people.

But test everything. Keep what is good,

They will be punished with a destruction that never ends. They will not be allowed to be with the Lord but will be kept away from his great power.

The secret power of evil is already working in the world now. But there is one who is stopping that secret power of evil. And he will continue to stop it until he is taken out of the way.

Then that Man of Evil will appear. But the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath that comes from his mouth. The Lord will come in a way that everyone will see, and that will be the end of the Man of Evil.

But the Lord is faithful. He will give you strength and protect you from the Evil One.

We had the right to ask you to help us. But we worked to take care of ourselves so that we would be an example for you to follow.

But don't treat them as enemies. Counsel them as fellow believers.

But some have missed this key point in their teaching and have gone off in another direction. Now they talk about things that help no one.

They want to be teachers of the law, but they don't know what they are talking about. They don't even understand the things they say they are sure of.