La Iglesia primitiva
The Thessalonians Turn to the Living God
Paul describes how the church in Thessalonica received the gospel with power and joy amid suffering, turned from idols to serve the living and true God, and waited for Jesus' return from heaven. Their faith became an example for believers in Macedonia and Achaia, and the Lord's word rang out everywhere from them.
1 Tesalonicenses 1,3-10
3remembering before our God and Father your work of faith, your labor of love, and your endurance born of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
μνημονεύοντες ὑμῶν τοῦ ἔργου τῆς πίστεως καὶ τοῦ κόπου τῆς ἀγάπης καὶ τῆς ὑπομονῆς τῆς ἐλπίδος τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πατρὸς ἡμῶν,
4For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you.
εἰδότες, ἀδελφοὶ ἠγαπημένοι ὑπὸ ⸀θεοῦ, τὴν ἐκλογὴν ὑμῶν,
5For our gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake,
ὅτι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ἡμῶν οὐκ ἐγενήθη εἰς ὑμᾶς ἐν λόγῳ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν δυνάμει καὶ ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ ⸀καὶ πληροφορίᾳ πολλῇ, καθὼς οἴδατε οἷοι ἐγενήθημεν ⸀ἐν ὑμῖν διʼ ὑμᾶς·
6and you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the word in the midst of great affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit.
καὶ ὑμεῖς μιμηταὶ ἡμῶν ἐγενήθητε καὶ τοῦ κυρίου, δεξάμενοι τὸν λόγον ἐν θλίψει πολλῇ μετὰ χαρᾶς πνεύματος ἁγίου,
7And so you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
ὥστε γενέσθαι ὑμᾶς ⸀τύπον πᾶσιν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν ἐν τῇ Μακεδονίᾳ καὶ ⸀ἐν τῇ Ἀχαΐᾳ.
8For the word of the Lord has rung out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia; your faith in God has become known everywhere, so that we have no need to say anything.
ἀφʼ ὑμῶν γὰρ ἐξήχηται ὁ λόγος τοῦ κυρίου οὐ μόνον ἐν τῇ Μακεδονίᾳ ⸀καὶ Ἀχαΐᾳ, ⸀ἀλλʼ ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν ἡ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἐξελήλυθεν, ὥστε μὴ χρείαν ⸂ἔχειν ἡμᾶς⸃ λαλεῖν τι·
9For they themselves report about us what kind of welcome we received among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,
αὐτοὶ γὰρ περὶ ἡμῶν ἀπαγγέλλουσιν ὁποίαν εἴσοδον ἔσχομεν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ πῶς ἐπεστρέψατε πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἀπὸ τῶν εἰδώλων δουλεύειν θεῷ ζῶντι καὶ ἀληθινῷ,
10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.
καὶ ἀναμένειν τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν, ὃν ἤγειρεν ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, Ἰησοῦν τὸν ῥυόμενον ἡμᾶς ⸀ἐκ τῆς ὀργῆς τῆς ἐρχομένης.