Greetings from Paul, Silas and Timothy
1 Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus to the assembly of Thessalonians in God [the] Father and [the] Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace.
1 Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus to the assembly of Thessalonians in God [the] Father and [the] Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace.
2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you at our prayers,
3 remembering unceasingly your work of faith, and labour of love, and enduring constancy of hope, of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father;
4 knowing, brethren beloved by God, your election.
5 For our glad tidings were not with you in word only, but also in power, and in [the] Holy Spirit, and in much assurance; even as ye know what we were among you for your sakes:
6 and *ye* became our imitators, and of the Lord, having accepted the word in much tribulation with joy of [the] Holy Spirit,
7 so that ye became models to all that believe in Macedonia and in Achaia:
8 for the word of the Lord sounded out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith which [is] towards God has gone abroad, so that we have no need to say anything;
9 for they themselves relate concerning us what entering in we had to you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God,
10 and to await his Son from the heavens, whom he raised from among the dead, Jesus, our deliverer from the coming wrath.
9 Духовные подвиги, совершаемые верующими в жизни, представлены тут в логичном и последовательном порядке. О них же речь и в 3-м стихе. «Дело веры» — это «отвращение от идолов» (ср. с Ин 6:28−29); «труд любви» — это служение «истинному и живому Богу»; и «терпение упование» — это «ожидание Его Сына с неба» (ср. с Мф 24:42; 25:13; Лк 12:36−48; Деян 1:11; Флп 3:20−21. Той же последовательности «от первого к третьему» Павел придерживается и в Послании к Тит 2:11−13.