1 Thessalonians 2:7
although we could have imposed our weight as apostles of Christ; instead we became little children among you. Like a nursing mother caring for her own children,
although we could have imposed our weight as apostles of Christ; instead we became little children among you. Like a nursing mother caring for her own children,
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8 with such affection for you we were happy to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.
9 For you recall, brothers and sisters, 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.
10 You are witnesses, and so is God, as to how holy and righteous and blameless our conduct was toward you who believe.
11 As you know, we treated each one of you as a father treats his own children,
1 Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, about our coming to you– it has not proven to be purposeless.
2 But although we suffered earlier and were mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of much opposition.
3 For the appeal we make does not come from error or impurity or with deceit,
4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we declare it, not to please people but God, who examines our hearts.
5 For we never appeared with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed– God is our witness–
6 nor to seek glory from people, either from you or from others,
17 Forced Absence from Thessalonica But when we were separated from you, brothers and sisters, for a short time(in presence, not in affection) we became all the more fervent in our great desire to see you in person.
2 And yearn like newborn infants for pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up to salvation,
1 Immaturity and Self-deception So, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but instead as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.
2 I fed you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready. In fact, you are still not ready,
5 in that our gospel did not come to you merely in words, 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).
6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, when you received the message with joy that comes from the Holy Spirit, despite great affliction.
7 As a result you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.
2 Make room for us in your hearts; we have wronged no one, we have ruined no one, we have exploited no one.
3 I do not say this to condemn you, for I told you before that you are in our hearts so that we die together and live together with you.
7 For you know yourselves how you must imitate us, because we did not behave without discipline among you,
8 and we did not eat anyone’s food without paying. Instead, in toil and drudgery we worked night and day in order not to burden any of you.
9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give ourselves as an example for you to imitate.
6 But now Timothy has come to us from you and given us the good news of your faith and love and that you always think of us with affection and long to see us just as we also long to see you!
7 So in all our distress and affliction, we were reassured about you, brothers and sisters, through your faith.
1 Paul’s Authority from the Lord Now I, Paul, appeal to you personally by the meekness and gentleness of Christ(I who am meek when present among you, but am full of courage toward you when away!)–
7 I have had great joy and encouragement because of your love, for the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
8 Paul’s Request for Onesimus So, although I have quite a lot of confidence in Christ and could command you to do what is proper,
14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, admonish the undisciplined, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient toward all.
8 Suffering for Doing Good Finally, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, affectionate, compassionate, and humble.
13 Therefore we have been encouraged. And in addition to our own encouragement, we rejoiced even more at the joy of Titus, because all of you have refreshed his spirit.
15 And his affection for you is much greater when he remembers the obedience of you all, how you welcomed him with fear and trembling.
1 So when we could bear it no longer, we decided to stay on in Athens alone.
2 We sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen you and encourage you about your faith,
17 For we are not like so many others, hucksters who peddle the word of God for profit, but we are speaking in Christ before God as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God.
19 Have you been thinking all this time that we have been defending ourselves to you? We are speaking in Christ before God, and everything we do, dear friends, is to build you up.
4 begging us with great earnestness for the blessing and fellowship of helping the saints.
5 And they did this not just as we had hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and to us by the will of God.
3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and with much trembling.
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope,
1 Exhortation for the Strong to Help the Weak But we who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and not just please ourselves.
4 who comforts us in all our troubles so that we may be able to comfort those experiencing any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
12 Paul Defends His Changed Plans For our reason for confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that with pure motives and sincerity which are from God– not by human wisdom but by the grace of God– we conducted ourselves in the world, and all the more toward you.
11 For see what this very thing, this sadness as God intended, has produced in you: what eagerness, what defense of yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what deep concern, what punishment! In everything you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.
14 A Father’s Warning I am not writing these things to shame you, but to correct you as my dear children.
15 For though you may have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, because I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
7 to godliness, brotherly affection; to brotherly affection, unselfish love.
4 For out of great distress and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not to make you sad, but to let you know the love that I have especially for you.
2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone,
19 My children– I am again undergoing birth pains until Christ is formed in you!
2 They must not slander anyone, but be peaceable, gentle, showing complete courtesy to all people.