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.<n id="1" />p>

nor to seek glory from people, either from you or from others,

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

But you, brothers and sisters,<n id="1" /> are not in the darkness for the day to overtake you like a thief would.

<t /><p class="bodytext">From Paul<n id="1" /> and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians<n id="2" /> in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you!<n id="3" />p>

<p class="bodytext">And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, when you received<n id="1" /> the message with joy that comes from the Holy Spirit, despite great affliction.

<t /><p class="bodytext">But when we were separated from you, brothers and sisters,<n id="1" /> for a short time (in presence, not in affection)<n id="2" /> we became all the more fervent in our great desire<n id="3" /> to see you in person.<n id="4" />

For who is our hope or joy or crown to boast of<n id="1" /> before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not of course you?

In this matter no one should violate the rights of his brother or take advantage of him,<n id="1" /> because the Lord is the avenger in all these cases,<n id="2" /> as we also told you earlier and warned you solemnly.

And indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers and sisters<n id="1" /> in all of Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,<n id="2" />

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

Now when<n id="1" /> they are saying, &#8220;There is peace and security,&#8221;<n id="2" /> then sudden destruction comes on them, like labor pains<n id="3" /> on a pregnant woman, and they will surely not escape.

We<n id="1" /> sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God<n id="2" /> in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen you and encourage you about your faith,

<t /><p class="bodytext">Finally then, brothers and sisters,<n id="1" /> we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received instruction from us about how<n id="2" /> you must live and please God (as you are in fact living)<n id="3" /> that you do so more and more.

For we tell you this by the word of the Lord,<n id="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.

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now may the God of peace himself make you completely holy and may your spirit and soul and body be kept entirely blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And so<n id="1" /> we too constantly thank God that when you received God&#8217;s message that you heard from us,<n id="2" /> you accepted it not as a human message,<n id="3" /> but as it truly is, God&#8217;s message, which is at work among you who believe.