2020年10月18日（礼拜日）再读《帖撒罗尼迦前书 First Epistle to the Thessalonians》

第一章

【问好】

 1保罗、西拉和提摩太写信给在父神和主耶稣基督里的帖撒罗尼迦人的教会。

愿恩惠、平安临到你们！

【信心与榜样】

 2 我们常常为你们大家感谢神，在祷告中提到你们，

 3 在我们的父神面前，不断记念你们因信心而做的工作，因爱心而受的劳苦，以及因盼望我们主耶稣基督而有的坚忍。

 4 神所爱的弟兄们啊，我们知道你们是神所拣选的，

 5 因为我们的福音传到你们那里，不仅是借着言语，也是借着能力，借着圣灵和坚定的信念 。正如你们知道，我们在你们中间，为了你们的缘故是怎么样为人。

 6 你们效法了我们，又效法了主，在大患难中，怀着圣灵所赐的喜乐领受真道。

 7 这样，你们就成为了马其顿和亚该亚所有信的人的榜样。

 8 是的，主的道从你们那里传出去，不仅响遍马其顿和亚该亚——你们对神的信心，更是已经传遍各处，所以用不着我们说什么了。

 9 因为马其顿人和亚该亚人也在述说我们的事，说我们怎样进到你们那里，说你们怎样离弃偶像归向神，服侍这位又真又活的神，

10 等候他那从天上降临的儿子，就是神使他从死人中复活的耶稣——他拯救我们脱离将要来临的愤怒。

第二章

【保罗在帖撒罗尼迦的工作】

 1 弟兄们，事实上，你们自己知道，我们进到你们那里，并不是徒然的。

 2 其实，我们从前在腓立比吃过苦，受过凌辱，正如你们所知道的；可是，我们在激烈反对下，仍然靠着我们的神放胆向你们述说神的福音。

 3 因为我们对你们的劝勉不是出于错谬，不是出于污秽，也没有欺诈成分。

 4 相反，神已经考验过我们，把福音的工作交托给我们，我们就如实传讲，不是要讨人喜欢，而是要讨那位察验我们心思的神喜欢。

 5 因为我们从来不说奉承的话，正如你们所知道的；也从来不暗藏贪念，这是神可以作证的。

 6 我们也没有向世人求荣耀，既没有向你们求，也没有向其他人求，

 7 虽然身为基督的使徒，我们是值得受人尊重。相反，我们在你们当中却是温柔的，就像母亲哺育自己的孩子那样。

 8 我们这样疼爱你们，不但乐意与你们分享神的福音，连自己的生命也乐意与你们分享，因为你们是我们所爱的人。

 9 弟兄们，你们应该记得我们的辛苦劳碌：我们向你们宣讲神福音的时候，昼夜工作，不让自己成为你们任何人的负担。

10 我们待你们信的人是多么圣洁、公义、无可指摘，这是你们可以作证的，也是神可以作证的。

11 正如你们所知道的，我们待你们每一个人，就好像父亲待自己的孩子一样：

12 劝勉你们，鼓励你们，嘱咐你们，为要你们行事为人对得起神，就是呼召你们进入他自己的国和荣耀的那一位。

13 我们也为此不断感谢神，因为你们接受了从我们那里所听见的神的道，没有把它看作人的道，而是看作神的道来领受；这确实是神的道，而且在你们信的人里面运行着。

14 弟兄们，事实上，你们步了犹太地在基督耶稣里神的众教会的后尘，因为你们同样受到自己同胞的迫害，正如他们受到犹太人迫害一样。

15 这些犹太人杀害了主耶稣和众先知，又把我们赶了出去；他们得不到神的喜欢，并且与所有人作对，

16 阻止我们向外族人宣讲，不让外族人得救；这样，他们常常犯罪，恶贯满盈，但神的愤怒终必临到他们身上。

【保罗渴望重临帖撒罗尼迦】

17 弟兄们，我们既是被迫暂时与你们分开——人是分开了，心却没有——就怀着热切的渴望，想方设法要见你们的面。

18 事实上，我们很想到你们那里去，我保罗一再想要去，可是撒但拦阻了我们。

19 因为我们的主耶稣来临的时候，在他面前，我们的盼望、喜乐和所夸耀的冠冕是什么呢？不正是你们吗？

20 你们确实是我们的荣耀和喜乐！

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《1 Thessalonians》（New International Version）

Chapter One

 1 Paul, Silas and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace and peace to you.

（Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians’ Faith）

 2 We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.

 3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

 4 For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you,

 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.

 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

 8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it,

 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,

10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

Chapter Two

（Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica）

 1 You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results.

 2 We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition.

 3 For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you.

 4 On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.

 5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness.

 6 We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority.

 7 Instead, we were like young children[a] among you.Just as a nursing mother cares for her children,

 8 so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.

 9 Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.

10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.

11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,

12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.

14 For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same things those churches suffered from the Jews 

15 who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone 

16 in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.

（Paul’s Longing to See the Thessalonians）

17 But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you.

18 For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way.

19 For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? 

20 Indeed, you are our glory and joy.