2Thessalonians 1-3 - Prayer Tents

2Thessalonians 1

Greetings from Paul

1This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy. We are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.G3972G2532G4610G2532G5095G1577G2331G1722G2316G2257G3962G2532G2962G2424G55472May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.G5485G5213G2532G1515G575G2316G2257G3962G2532G2962G2424G5547

Encouragement during Persecution

3Dear brothers and sisters, we can't help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing.G3784G2168G2316G3842G4012G5216G80G2531G2076G514G3754G5216G4102G5232G2532G26G1538G1520G5216G3956G1519G240G41214We proudly tell God's other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering.G5620G2248G846G2744G1722G5213G1722G1577G2316G5228G5216G5281G2532G4102G1722G3956G5216G1375G2532G2347G3739G4305And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering.G1730G1342G2920G2316G1519G5209G2661G932G2316G5228G3739G3958G2532G39586In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you.G1512G1342G3844G2316G467G2347G2346G52097And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels,G2532G5213G2346G425G3326G2257G1722G2962G2424G602G575G3772G3326G846G1411G328in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don't know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus.G1722G5395G4442G1325G1557G1492G3361G2316G2532G5219G3361G2098G2257G2962G2424G55479They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power.G3748G1349G5099G166G3639G575G4383G2962G2532G575G1391G846G247910When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people—praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him.G3752G2064G1740G1722G846G40G2532G2296G1722G3956G4100G3754G2257G3142G1909G5209G4100G1722G1565G225011So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.G1519G3739G2532G4336G3842G4012G5216G2443G2257G2316G515G5209G515G2821G2532G4137G3956G2107G19G2532G2041G4102G1722G141112Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.G3704G3686G2257G2962G2424G5547G1740G1722G5213G2532G5210G1722G846G2596G5485G2257G2316G2532G2962G2424G5547

2Thessalonians 2

Events prior to the Lord’s Second Coming

2Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him.G1161G2065G5209G80G5228G3952G2257G2962G2424G5547G2532G2257G1997G1909G846 2Don't be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don't believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us.G1519G5209G4531G3361G5030G4531G575G3563G3383G2360G3383G1223G4151G3383G1223G3056G3383G1223G1992G5613G1223G2257G5613G3754G2250G5547G1764 3Don't be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction.G1818G3361G5100G1818G5209G2596G3367G5158G3754G3362G2064G646G4412G2532G444G266G601G5207G684 4He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.G3588G480G2532G5229G1909G3956G3004G2316G2228G4574G5620G846G5613G2316G2523G1519G3485G2316G584G1438G3754G2076G2316 5Don't you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you?G3421G3756G3754G5607G2089G4314G5209G3004G5213G5023 6And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes.G2532G3568G1492G2722G1519G846G601G1722G1438G2540 7For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way.G1063G3466G458G1754G2235G1754G3440G737G2722G2193G1096G1537G3319 8Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.G2532G5119G601G459G601G3739G2962G355G4151G846G4750G2532G2673G2015G846G3952 9This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles.G3739G3952G2076G2596G1753G4567G1722G3956G1411G2532G4592G2532G5579G5059 10He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them.G2532G1722G3956G539G93G1722G622G473G3739G1209G3756G26G225G1519G846G4982 11So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies.G2532G5124G1223G2316G3992G846G1753G4106G1519G846G4100G5579 12Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.G2443G3956G2919G3588G4100G3361G225G235G2106G1722G93

Believers Should Stand Firm

13As for us, we can't help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth.G1161G2249G3784G2168G3842G2316G4012G5216G80G25G5259G2962G3754G2316G138G575G746G138G5209G1519G4991G1722G38G4151G2532G4102G225 14He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.G1519G3739G2564G5209G1223G2257G2098G1519G4047G1391G2257G2962G2424G5547 15With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.G686G3767G80G4739G2532G2902G3862G3739G1321G1535G1223G3056G1535G1223G2257G1992 16Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope,G1161G2257G2962G2424G5547G846G2532G2316G2532G2257G3962G3588G25G2248G2532G1325G166G3874G2532G18G1680G1722G5485 17comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.G3870G5216G2588G2532G4741G5209G1722G3956G18G3056G2532G2041

2Thessalonians 3

Paul’s Request for Prayer

3Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord's message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you.G3063G80G4336G4012G2257G2443G3056G2962G5143G2532G1392G2532G2531G4314G52092Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer.G2532G2443G4506G575G824G2532G4190G444G1063G3956G3756G41023But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.G1161G2962G2076G4103G3739G4741G5209G2532G5442G575G41904And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we commanded you.G1161G3982G1722G2962G1909G5209G3754G2532G4160G2532G4160G3739G3853G52135May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.G1161G2962G2720G5216G2588G1519G26G2316G2532G1519G5281G5547

An Exhortation to Proper Living

6And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don't follow the tradition they received from us.G1161G3853G5213G80G1722G3686G2257G2962G2424G5547G4724G5209G575G3956G80G4043G814G2532G3361G2596G3862G3739G3880G3844G22577For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you.G1063G846G1492G4459G1163G3401G2248G3754G812G3756G812G1722G52138We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you.G3761G5315G3844G5100G740G1432G235G2038G1722G2873G2532G3449G3571G2532G2250G4314G1912G3361G1912G5100G52169We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow.G3756G3754G2192G3756G1849G235G2443G1325G1438G5179G5213G1519G3401G224810Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: "Those unwilling to work will not get to eat."G1063G2532G3753G2258G4314G5209G5124G3853G5213G3754G1536G2309G3756G2038G3366G206811Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people's business.G1063G191G5100G4043G1722G5213G814G2038G3367G235G402012We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living.G1161G5108G3853G2532G3870G1223G2257G2962G2424G5547G2443G3326G2271G2038G2068G1438G74013As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.G1161G5210G80G1573G3361G1573G256914Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed.G1161G1536G5219G3756G2257G3056G1223G1992G4593G5126G2532G4874G3361G4874G846G2443G178815Don't think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister.G2532G2233G3361G5613G2190G235G3560G5613G80

Paul’s Final Greetings

16Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.G1161G2962G1515G846G1325G5213G1515G1223G3956G1722G3956G5158G2962G3326G5216G395617HERE IS MY GREETING IN MY OWN HANDWRITING—PAUL. I DO THIS IN ALL MY LETTERS TO PROVE THEY ARE FROM ME.G783G3972G1699G5495G3739G2076G4592G1722G3956G1992G3779G112518May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.G5485G2257G2962G2424G5547G3326G5216G3956G281