> [[1-thessalonians-00|← Previous]] | [[1-thessalonians-00|TOC]] | [[1-thessalonians-02|Next →]] --- # 1 Thessalonians, Chapter 1 ## Chapter 1 **Greeting.** 1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace. ^1-thessalonians-01-1 **Thanksgiving for Their Faith.** 2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers, unceasingly ^1-thessalonians-01-2 3 calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father, ^1-thessalonians-01-3 4 knowing, brothers loved by God, how you were chosen. ^1-thessalonians-01-4 5 For our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the holy Spirit and \[with\] much conviction. You know what sort of people we were \[among\] you for your sake. ^1-thessalonians-01-5 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, receiving the word in great affliction, with joy from the holy Spirit, ^1-thessalonians-01-6 7 so that you became a model for all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. ^1-thessalonians-01-7 8 For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth not only in Macedonia and \[in\] Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. ^1-thessalonians-01-8 9 For they themselves openly declare about us what sort of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God ^1-thessalonians-01-9 10 and to await his Son from heaven, whom he raised from \[the\] dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the coming wrath. ^1-thessalonians-01-10 \* (1:1) On the address, see note on ([[romans-01|Rom 1]]:1] – [7]. \* (1:3) Faith…love…hope: this, along with [1 Thes 5:8], is the earliest mention in Christian literature of the three “theological virtues” (see [1 Cor 13:13]). The order here stresses eschatological hope, in line with the letter’s emphasis on the Lord’s second, triumphal coming, or parousia ([1 Thes 1:10]; [2:12], [19]; [3:13]; [4:13] – [5:11]; [5:23]). \* (1:6) Imitators: the Pauline theme of “imitation” (see [1 Thes 2:14]; ([[1-corinthians-04|1 Cor 4]]:16]; [11:1]; [2 Thes 3:9]) is rooted in Paul’s view of solidarity in Christ through sharing in Jesus’ cross and in the Spirit of the risen Lord. a. (1:1) ([[acts-of-the-apostles-15|Acts 15]]:40]; [16:1] – [3], [19]; [17:14] – [15]; [2 Thes 1:1] – [2]. b. (1:2) [2 Thes 1:3]. c. (1:4) [2 Thes 2:13]. d. (1:5) ([[acts-of-the-apostles-13|Acts 13]]:52]; [17:1] – [9]. e. (1:7) [2 Thes 1:4]; ([[1-corinthians-04|1 Cor 4]]:16]; [11:1] / [2:14]; [Phil 3:17]. f. (1:8) ([[romans-01|Rom 1]]:8]. g. (1:9) ([[acts-of-the-apostles-14|Acts 14]]:15]; [Gal 4:8] / [4:5]. h. (1:10) ([[romans-02|Rom 2]]:1] – [16]; [5:9]; [13:4] / [5:9]. --- _New American Bible, revised edition_ (2010, 1991, 1986, 1970) Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. > [[1-thessalonians-00|← Previous]] | [[1-thessalonians-00|TOC]] | [[1-thessalonians-02|Next →]]