1Voi stessi, fratelli, sapete che la nostra venuta tra voi non è stata vana;2anzi, dopo aver prima sofferto e subìto oltraggi, come sapete, a Filippi, trovammo il coraggio nel nostro Dio per annunciarvi il vangelo di Dio in mezzo a molte lotte.3Perché la nostra predicazione non proviene da finzione, né da motivi impuri, né è fatta con inganno;4ma, come siamo stati approvati da Dio che ci ha stimati tali da poterci affidare il vangelo, parliamo in modo da piacere non agli uomini, ma a Dio che prova i nostri cuori.5Difatti, non abbiamo mai usato un parlare lusinghevole, come ben sapete, né pretesti ispirati da cupidigia; Dio ne è testimone.6E non abbiamo cercato gloria dagli uomini, né da voi, né da altri, sebbene, come apostoli di Cristo, avremmo potuto far valere la nostra autorità;7invece, siamo stati mansueti in mezzo a voi, come una nutrice che cura teneramente i suoi bambini.8Così, nel nostro grande affetto per voi, eravamo disposti a darvi non soltanto il vangelo di Dio, ma anche le nostre proprie vite, tanto ci eravate diventati cari.9Perché, fratelli, voi ricordate la nostra fatica e la nostra pena; infatti è lavorando notte e giorno, per non essere di peso a nessuno di voi, che vi abbiamo predicato il vangelo di Dio.10Voi siete testimoni, e Dio lo è pure, del modo santo, giusto e irreprensibile con cui ci siamo comportati verso di voi che credete;11sapete pure che, come fa un padre con i suoi figli,12abbiamo esortato, confortato e scongiurato ciascuno di voi a comportarsi in modo degno di Dio, che vi chiama al suo regno e alla sua gloria.
Fedeltà dei Tessalonicesi
13Per questa ragione anche noi ringraziamo sempre Dio: perché quando riceveste da noi la parola della predicazione di Dio, voi l’accettaste non come parola di uomini, ma, quale essa è veramente, come parola di Dio, la quale opera efficacemente in voi che credete.14Infatti, fratelli, voi siete diventati imitatori delle chiese di Dio che sono in Cristo Gesù nella Giudea; poiché anche voi avete sofferto da parte dei vostri connazionali le stesse tribolazioni che quelle chiese hanno sofferto da parte dei Giudei,15i quali hanno ucciso il Signore Gesù e i profeti, e hanno cacciato noi; essi non piacciono a Dio e sono nemici di tutti gli uomini,16impedendoci di parlare agli stranieri perché siano salvati. Colmano così senza posa la misura dei loro peccati; ma ormai li ha raggiunti l’ira[1] finale.
Missione di Timoteo
17Quanto a noi, fratelli, privati di voi per breve tempo, di persona ma non di cuore, abbiamo tanto più cercato, con grande desiderio, di vedere il vostro volto.18Perciò più volte abbiamo voluto, almeno io, Paolo, venire da voi; ma Satana ce lo ha impedito.19Qual è infatti la nostra speranza, o la nostra gioia, o la corona di cui siamo fieri? Non siete forse voi, davanti al nostro Signore Gesù quando egli verrà?20Sì, certo, voi siete il nostro vanto e la nostra gioia.
1Denn ihr selbst wisst, Brüder, dass unser Eingang bei euch nicht vergeblich war; (At 20,18; 1Te 1,9)2sondern nachdem wir vorher gelitten hatten und misshandelt worden waren, wie ihr wisst, in Philippi, wurden wir freimütig in unserem Gott, das Evangelium Gottes zu euch zu reden unter viel Kampf[1]. (At 16,22; At 17,5; 2Co 7,5; Fili 1,30)3Denn unsere Ermahnung ⟨geschah⟩ nicht aus Irrtum, auch nicht aus Unlauterkeit, auch nicht mit List; (2Co 2,17; 2P 1,16)4sondern wie wir von Gott tauglich befunden worden sind, mit dem Evangelium betraut zu werden, so reden wir, nicht um Menschen zu gefallen, sondern Gott, der unsere Herzen prüft. (1Cr 29,17; Prov 17,3; Ger 11,20; Ga 1,10; 1Ti 1,11; 2Ti 2,15)5Denn weder sind wir jemals mit schmeichelnder Rede aufgetreten, wie ihr wisst, noch mit einem Vorwand für Habsucht – Gott ist Zeuge –, (1Sam 12,5; Giob 16,19; Giob 32,21; At 20,33; Ro 1,9; 2Co 6,3; 1P 5,2)6noch suchten wir Ehre von Menschen, weder von euch noch von anderen, (Giov 5,41)7obwohl wir als Christi Apostel gewichtig hätten auftreten können; sondern wir sind in eurer Mitte zart gewesen[2], wie eine stillende Mutter[3] ihre Kinder pflegt. (1Co 9,6; 2Ti 2,24)8So, in Liebe zu euch hingezogen, waren wir willig, euch nicht allein am Evangelium Gottes, sondern auch an unserem eigenen Leben Anteil zu geben, weil ihr uns lieb geworden wart. (Fili 1,8; 1Te 2,17)9Denn ihr erinnert euch, Brüder, an unsere Mühe und Beschwerde: Nacht und Tag arbeitend, um niemand von euch beschwerlich zu fallen, haben wir euch das Evangelium Gottes gepredigt. (At 18,3; At 20,34; 2Co 6,5; 2Co 11,9)10Ihr seid Zeugen und Gott, wie heilig und gerecht und untadelig wir gegen euch, die Glaubenden, waren; (2Co 1,12)11wie ihr ja wisst, dass wir euch⟨, und zwar⟩ jeden Einzelnen von euch, wie ein Vater seine Kinder (At 20,31)12ermahnt und getröstet[4] und beschworen[5] haben, des Gottes würdig zu wandeln, der euch zu seinem Reich[6] und seiner Herrlichkeit beruft. (1Co 4,14; Ef 4,1; 2Te 2,14; 2Ti 4,18)
Die gute Aufnahme des Evangeliums in Thessalonich
13Und darum danken auch wir Gott unablässig, dass, als ihr von uns das Wort der Kunde von Gott empfingt, ihr es nicht als Menschenwort aufnahmt, sondern, wie es wahrhaftig ist, als Gottes Wort, das in euch, den Glaubenden, auch wirkt. (Lu 8,15; At 8,14; At 17,4; Ga 1,11; Col 1,6; 1Te 1,2)14Denn, Brüder, ihr seid Nachahmer der Gemeinden[7] Gottes geworden, die in Judäa sind in Christus Jesus, weil auch ihr dasselbe von den eigenen Landsleuten erlitten habt wie auch sie von den Juden, (At 8,1; 1Te 1,6; Eb 10,32; 1P 5,9)15die sowohl den Herrn Jesus als auch die Propheten getötet und uns verfolgt haben und Gott nicht gefallen und allen Menschen feindlich sind, (At 7,52; At 17,10; Ro 11,28; 2Co 11,26)16indem sie – um ihr Sünden⟨maß⟩ stets voll zu machen – uns wehren, zu den Nationen zu reden, damit die gerettet werden; aber der Zorn ist endgültig[8] über sie gekommen. (Gen 15,16; Mat 23,32; At 13,50)
Sehnsucht des Paulus nach den Thessalonichern
17Wir aber, Brüder, da wir für kurze Zeit von euch verwaist waren, dem Angesicht, nicht dem Herzen nach, haben uns umso mehr mit großem Verlangen[9] bemüht, euer Angesicht zu sehen. (Ro 1,11; 1Te 2,8; 1Te 3,6; 2Ti 1,4)18Deshalb wollten wir zu euch kommen – ich, Paulus –, nicht nur einmal, sondern zweimal, und der Satan hat uns gehindert. (Ro 15,22)19Denn wer ist unsere Hoffnung oder Freude oder Ruhmeskranz – nicht auch ihr? – vor unserem Herrn Jesus bei seiner Ankunft? (2Co 1,14; Fili 2,16; Fili 4,1)20Denn ihr seid unsere Herrlichkeit und Freude. (1Te 3,9)
1For you yourselves know, brothers,[1] that our coming to you was not in vain. (1Te 1,9; 2Te 1,10)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. (At 4,13; At 16,22; At 17,2; Fili 1,30)3For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, (2Co 2,17; 2Co 4,2; 1Te 4,7; 2Te 2,11)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. (Sal 17,3; Ro 8,27; Ga 1,10; Ga 2,7)5For we never came with words of flattery,[2] as you know, nor with a pretext for greed— God is witness. (At 20,33; Ro 1,9; 1Te 2,10)6Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. (Giov 5,41; 1Co 9,1; 1Co 9,4; 2Co 4,5; 2Co 11,9; 1Te 2,9; 2Te 3,9; File 1,8; File 1,9)7But we were gentle[3] among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. (Is 49,23; Is 60,16; 1Co 14,20; 2Ti 2,24)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. (2Co 12,15)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. (At 18,3; Fili 4,16; 2Te 3,8)10You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. (1Te 1,5; 1Te 2,5)11For you know how, like a father with his children, (1Co 4,14; 1Te 2,7)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. (Ro 8,28; Ef 4,1; Ef 4,17; 1Te 5,24; 2Te 2,14; 1P 5,10)13And we also thank God constantly[4] for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men[5] but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. (Mat 10,20; Ro 10,17; Ga 4,14; 1Te 1,2; 1Te 1,3; Eb 4,12)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,[6] (At 17,5; 1Co 7,17; 1Te 1,6; 1Te 3,4; 2Te 1,4; 2Te 1,5; Eb 10,33; Eb 10,34)15who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind (Est 3,8; Ger 2,30; Mat 5,12; Mat 23,29; Lu 24,20)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![7] (Gen 15,16; At 13,45; At 13,50; At 14,2; At 14,19; At 17,5; At 17,13; At 18,12; At 22,21; At 22,22; 1Te 1,10)
1For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain:2But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.3For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:4But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.5For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:6Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.7But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:8So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.9For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.10Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:11As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,12That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.13For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.14For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:15Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:16Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.17But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.18Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.19For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?20For ye are our glory and joy.