And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we do for you,

For God did not destine us for wrath ¹  but for gaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

exhorting and encouraging you and insisting that you live in a way worthy of God who calls you to his own kingdom and his glory.

because they hinder us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. Thus they constantly fill up their measure of sins, ¹  but wrath ²  has come upon them completely. ³ 

Then we who are alive, who are left, ¹  will be suddenly caught up ²  together ³  with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

See that no one pays back evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.

in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

So ¹  when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter somehow tempted you and our toil had proven useless.

so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.

We pray earnestly night and day to see you in person ¹  and make up what may be lacking in your faith.

Consequently the one who rejects this is not rejecting human authority ¹  but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Now on the topic of brotherly love ¹  you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.

And indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers and sisters ¹  in all of Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, ² 

in that ¹  our gospel did not come to you merely in words, ²  but in power and in the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction (surely you recall the character we displayed when we came among you to help you). ³ 

For you recall, brothers and sisters, ¹  our toil and drudgery: By working night and day so as not to impose a burden on any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.

We ¹  sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God ²  in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen you and encourage you about your faith,

so that your hearts are strengthened in holiness to be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. ¹ 

For we tell you this by the word of the Lord, ¹  that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not go ahead of those who have fallen asleep.