1 Thessalonians 1

Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;

remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father;

knowing, brethren beloved of God, your election,

how that our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance; even as ye know what manner of men we showed ourselves toward you for your sake.

And ye became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit;

so that ye became an ensample to all that believe in Macedonia and in Achaia.

For from you hath sounded forth the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith to God-ward is gone forth; so that we need not to speak anything.

For they themselves report concerning us what manner of entering in we had unto you; and how ye turned unto God from idols, to serve a living and true God,

and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivereth us from the wrath to come.