1 Thessalonians 2

₁For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. ₂But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. ₃For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, ₄but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. ₅For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. ₆Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. ₇But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. ₈So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

₉For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. ₁₀You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. ₁₁For you know how, like a father with his children, ₁₂we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

₁₃And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. ₁₄For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, ₁₅who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind ₁₆by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!

₁₇But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, ₁₈because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. ₁₉For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? ₂₀For you are our glory and joy.