Paul's Work in Thessalonica
1 Our friends, you yourselves know that our visit to you was not a failure. 2 You know how we had already been mistreated and insulted in Philippi before we came to you in Thessalonica. And even though there was much opposition, our God gave us courage to tell you the Good News that comes from him. 3 Our appeal to you is not based on error or impure motives, nor do we try to trick anyone. 4 Instead, we always speak as God wants us to, because he has judged us worthy to be entrusted with the Good News. We do not try to please people, but to please God, who tests our motives. 5 You know very well that we did not come to you with flattering talk, nor did we use words to cover up greed—God is our witness! 6 We did not try to get praise from anyone, either from you or from others, 7 even though as apostles of Christ we could have made demands on you. But we were gentle when we were with you, like a mother taking care of her children. 8 Because of our love for you we were ready to share with you not only the Good News from God but even our own lives. You were so dear to us! 9 Surely you remember, our friends, how we worked and toiled! We worked day and night so that we would not be any trouble to you as we preached to you the Good News from God.
10 You are our witnesses, and so is God, that our conduct toward you who believe was pure, right, and without fault. 11 You know that we treated each one of you just as parents treat their own children. 12 We encouraged you, we comforted you, and we kept urging you to live the kind of life that pleases God, who calls you to share in his own Kingdom and glory.
13 And there is another reason why we always give thanks to God. When we brought you God's message, you heard it and accepted it, not as a message from human beings but as God's message, which indeed it is. For God is at work in you who believe. 14 Our friends, the same things happened to you that happened to the churches of God in Judea, to the people there who belong to Christ Jesus. You suffered the same persecutions from your own people that they suffered from the Jews, 15 who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and persecuted us. How displeasing they are to God! How hostile they are to everyone! 16 They even tried to stop us from preaching to the Gentiles the message that would bring them salvation. In this way they have brought to completion all the sins they have always committed. And now God's anger has at last come down on them!
Paul's Desire to Visit Them Again
17 As for us, friends, when we were separated from you for a little while—not in our thoughts, of course, but only in body—how we missed you and how hard we tried to see you again! 18 We wanted to return to you. I myself tried to go back more than once, but Satan would not let us. 19 After all, it is you—you, no less than others!—who are our hope, our joy, and our reason for boasting of our victory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes. 20 Indeed, you are our pride and our joy!
1 Jūs paši zināt, brāļi, kāds bija mūsu darba sākums pie jums, ka tas nebija bez panākumiem. 2 Pēc mūsu iepriekšējām ciešanām un apvainojumiem Filipos, kas jums ir zināmi, mēs mūsu Dievā smēlāmies drosmi lielā cīņas priekā sludināt jums Dieva evaņģēliju. 3 Jo mūsu sludinājuma pamatā nav maldu vai netīru un negodīgu nolūku, 4 bet mēs runājām tāpēc, ka Dievs mūs atradis par cienīgiem, uzticēdams mums evaņģēliju, un cenšamies izpatikt nevis cilvēkiem, bet Dievam, kas pārbauda mūsu sirdis. 5 Jūs zināt, mēs nekad neesam uzstājušies ar glaimiem vai mantkārīgos nolūkos, Dievs ir mūsu liecinieks, 6 nedz arī sagaidīdami godu no cilvēkiem, ne no jums, ne no citiem. 7 Lai gan mums kā Kristus apustuļiem būtu bijis iespējams sev prasīt sevišķu cieņu, bet mēs jūsu starpā esam bijuši saudzīgi kā māte, kas lolo savus bērnus. 8 Tādas ir bijušas mūsu jūtas pret jums; mēs ar jums gribējām dalīties ne vien Dieva evaņģēlijā, bet arī savā dvēselē, jo tik mīļi jūs mums bijāt kļuvuši. 9 Jūs atceraties, brāļi, mūsu darba pūles; strādādami dienām naktīm, lai tikai jūs neapgrūtinātu, mēs jums nesām Dieva labo vēsti. 10 Jūs un Dievs esat mani liecinieki, ar kādu bijību un nevainojamu taisnību mēs pret jums izturējāmies, kad bijāt ticīgi kļuvuši. 11 Mēs ikvienu no jums - jums tas ir zināms - kā tēvs savus bērnus 12 uzmudinājām, pamācījām un pārliecinājām dzīvot tā, lai jūs būtu sava Dieva cienīgi, kas jūs aicina Savā valstībā un godībā. 13 Tāpēc mēs arī pastāvīgi pateicamies Dievam, ka jūs, uzklausījuši mūsu sludinātos Dieva vārdus, tos esat uzņēmuši nevis kā cilvēku, bet kā Dieva vārdus, kas tie patiesībā ir; jo pats Dievs darbojas ar Savu spēku jūsos, kas ticat. 14 Tā jūs, brāļi, esat sākuši staigāt to Dieva draudžu pēdās, kas apliecina Kristu Jēzu Jūdejā, jo jūs tāpat esat cietuši no saviem ciltsbrāļiem kā viņi no jūdiem, 15 kas nonāvējuši Kungu Jēzu un praviešus, kas mūs vajājuši, kas Dievam nav patīkami un ir naidīgi pret visiem cilvēkiem, 16 kas mūs kavē sludināt pagāniem un tos glābt no pazušanas. Tā viņi aizvien piepilda savu grēku mēru. Bet dusmība jau nākusi pār viņiem galīgi. 17 Bet mēs, brāļi, kādu laiku esam jutušies bez jums kā bāriņi; lai gan bijām šķirti tikai ārīgi, ne savās sirdīs, tomēr mēs savās lielajās ilgās neesam taupījuši pūles, lai jūs atkal redzētu. 18 Mēs, pirmām kārtām es, Pāvils, esam gribējuši ne vienu reizi vien jūs apmeklēt, bet sātans mūs aizkavēja, 19 jo kas gan cits ir mūsu cerība, prieks un slavas vainags mūsu Kunga Jēzus priekšā Viņa atnākšanas dienā, ja arī ne jūs? 20 Tiešām, jūs esat mūsu gods un prieks!
