1Thess.2.1
For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain:
1Thess.2.1
So, friends, it's obvious that our visit to you was no waste of time.
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You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure.
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For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain.
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You yourselves know, dear brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not a failure.
1Thess.2.2
But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.
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We had just been given rough treatment in Philippi, as you know, but that didn't slow us down. We were sure of ourselves in God, and went right ahead and said our piece, presenting God's Message to you, defiant of the opposition.
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We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition.
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But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict.
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You know how badly we had been treated at Philippi just before we came to you and how much we suffered there. Yet our God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly, even though we were surrounded by many who opposed us.
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For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:
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God tested us thoroughly to make sure we were qualified to be trusted with this Message.
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For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you.
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For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit.
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So you can see that we were not preaching with any deceit or impure purposes or trickery.
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But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.
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Be assured that when we speak to you we're not after crowd approval--only God approval. Since we've been put through that battery of tests, you're guaranteed that both we and the Message are free of error, mixed motives, or hidden agendas.
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On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.
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But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.
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For we speak as messengers who have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He is the one who examines the motives of our hearts.
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For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:
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We never used words to butter you up. No one knows that better than you. And God knows we never used words as a smoke screen to take advantage of you.
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You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed--God is our witness.
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For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness--God is witness.
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Never once did we try to win you with flattery, as you very well know. And God is our witness that we were not just pretending to be your friends so you would give us money!
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Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.
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Even though we had some standing as Christ's apostles, we never threw our weight around or tried to come across as important, with you or anyone else.
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We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else.
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Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ.
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As for praise, we have never asked for it from you or anyone else.
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But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:
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We weren't aloof with you. We took you just as you were. We were never patronizing, never condescending, but we cared for you the way a mother cares for her children.
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As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.
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But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children.
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As apostles of Christ we certainly had a right to make some demands of you, but we were as gentle among you as a mother feeding and caring for her own children.
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So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.
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We loved you dearly. Not content to just pass on the Message, we wanted to give you our hearts. And we did.
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We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.
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So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.
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We loved you so much that we gave you not only God's Good News but our own lives, too.
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For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.
1Thess.2.9
You remember us in those days, friends, working our fingers to the bone, up half the night, moonlighting so you wouldn't have the burden of supporting us while we proclaimed God's Message to you.
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Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.
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For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.
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Don't you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that our expenses would not be a burden to anyone there as we preached God's Good News among you.
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Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:
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You saw with your own eyes how discreet and courteous we were among you, with keen sensitivity to you as fellow believers. And God knows we weren't freeloaders!
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You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.
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You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe;
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You yourselves are our witnesses--and so is God--that we were pure and honest and faultless toward all of you believers.
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As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,
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You experienced it all firsthand. With each of you we were like a father with his child,
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For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,
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as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children,
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And you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children.
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That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
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holding your hand, whispering encouragement, showing you step-by-step how to live well before God, who called us into his own kingdom, into this delightful life.
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encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
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that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
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We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you into his Kingdom to share his glory.
1Thess.2.13
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
1Thess.2.13
And now we look back on all this and thank God, an artesian well of thanks! When you got the Message of God we preached, you didn't pass it off as just one more human opinion, but you took it to heart as God's true word to you, which it is, God himself at work in you believers!
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And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.
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For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.
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And we will never stop thanking God that when we preached his message to you, you didn't think of the words we spoke as being just our own. You accepted what we said as the very word of God--which, of course, it was. And this word continues to work in you who believe.
1Thess.2.14
For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:
1Thess.2.14
Friends, do you realize that you followed in the exact footsteps of the churches of God in Judea, those who were the first to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ? You got the same bad treatment from your countrymen as they did from theirs, the Jews
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For you, brothers, became imitators of God's churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews,
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For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans,
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And then, dear brothers and sisters, you suffered persecution from your own countrymen. In this way, you imitated the believers in God's churches in Judea who, because of their belief in Christ Jesus, suffered from their own people, the Jews.
1Thess.2.15
Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:
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who killed the Master Jesus (to say nothing of the prophets) and followed it up by running us out of town. They make themselves offensive to God and everyone else
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who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men
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who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men,
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For some of the Jews had killed their own prophets, and some even killed the Lord Jesus. Now they have persecuted us and driven us out. They displease God and oppose everyone
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Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.
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by trying to keep us from telling people who've never heard of our God how to be saved. They've made a career of opposing God, and have gotten mighty good at it. But God is fed up, ready to put an end to it. [JC]
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in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.
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forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.
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by trying to keep us from preaching the Good News to the Gentiles, for fear some might be saved. By doing this, they continue to pile up their sins. But the anger of God has caught up with them at last.
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But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.
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Do you have any idea how very homesick we became for you, dear friends? Even though it hadn't been that long and it was only our bodies that were separated from you, not our hearts, we tried our very best to get back to see you.
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But, brothers, when we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you.
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But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire.
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Dear brothers and sisters, after we were separated from you for a little while (though our hearts never left you), we tried very hard to come back because of our intense longing to see you again.
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Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.
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You can't imagine how much we missed you! I, Paul, tried over and over to get back, but Satan stymied us each time.
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For we wanted to come to you--certainly I, Paul, did, again and again--but Satan stopped us.
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Therefore we wanted to come to you--even I, Paul, time and again--but Satan hindered us.
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We wanted very much to come, and I, Paul, tried again and again, but Satan prevented us.
1Thess.2.19
For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
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Who do you think we're going to be proud of when our Master Jesus appears if it's not you?
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For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?
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For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?
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After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what is our proud reward and crown? It is you! Yes, you will bring us much joy as we stand together before our Lord Jesus when he comes back again.
