This third petition is more closely linked with the second (v. 12) than the second is with the first (v. 11). The semantic relation between verses 12 and 13 is one of means and purpose (Revised Standard Version “so that he may establish”), while the relation between verses 11 and 12 is additive (or possibly contrastive). Good News Translation (cf. Translator’s New Testament Bible en français courant) makes this relation one of means and result: In this way he will strengthen you. Many translations begin a new sentence here, either without (New English Bible Le Nouveau Testament. Version Synodale) or with (Knox Jerusalem Bible Good News Translation Bible de Jérusalem) an indication of the link with verse 12. Some translators transfer the idea of purpose to a later point in the sentence, where it is indeed also implied and should be made explicit. Revised Standard Version‘s literal translation “establish your hearts unblamable” lacks clarity and therefore impact. Jerusalem Bible has “may the Lord so” (manner, “in such a way”) “confirm your hearts … that you may” (purpose) “be blameless…” (cf. Bible de Jérusalem Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Barclay clarifies the meaning in another way, by emphasizing an element of time which is implied later in the word when: It is our prayer that he may strengthen your hearts, until you can stand in blameless holiness.

The movement of thought, from the Lord (Jesus), who will strengthen you, to our God and Father, and back to the coming of our Lord Jesus, produces a rather awkward literary style, but it creates no great problems of understanding. Knox transfers “our Lord Jesus” to the first part of the verse: “So, when our Lord Jesus Christ comes…, may you stand boldly.”

The phrase used for strengthen you in the receptor language must be carefully checked to make sure that the translation corresponds to the meaning of the original. Literally the phrase is “make your hearts strong,” but it means not merely “strengthen your emotions, make your feelings warmer,” but “strengthen your whole inner being,” or strengthen you, with a special reference to the strengthening of the Thessalonians’ understanding and courage, in preparation for the final test which lies ahead of them. See also the notes on “heart” in 2.4, 17. This interpretation is supported by the fact that everywhere else in the New Testament the word “blameless” (Good News Translation perfect, see next paragraph) is applied to persons. Clearly “your hearts” is very close in meaning to “you yourselves.”

The phrase in this way (an expression of means) may be regarded by some persons as ambiguous, because it could refer either to the increased love of the Thessalonian Christians for one another and for other people, or to the Lord’s causing such love. If one assumes that the reference is primarily to the Lord’s action, one may translate in this way as “by doing this…” or “by causing you to love more and more, he will….”

The first Christian inherited from the Old Testament and from later Judaism a picture of the last days which they modified by putting Christ at its center. One element in this picture was a trial in which Satan would bring all kinds of accusations against people, and God would pass judgment. This may be in Paul’s mind as he uses the word “blameless,” which Good News Translation (cf. Bible en français courant Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch) translates perfect. The implied picture of a court of law is strengthened by the word used for in the presence of, which is most commonly used of being in the presence of a superior, especially an accused before a judge or a subject before a king. The same word is used in a similar context in 2.19.

In many languages perfect must be rendered as a negative, even as the Greek term itself suggests; that is, “people who cannot be blamed,” “those against whom there is no accusation,” or “those who have no fault.” A positive equivalent would be “people who will be acquitted,” which suits the wider context well. In this particular context a translation such as “innocent” might suggest too much the idea of immaturity.

The two words translated perfect and holy, literally “unblamable in holiness” (Revised Standard Version), complement and reinforce one another. The first word is negative in form, and the second positive. The central meaning of holy is that of being set apart from common use in order to be used only in God’s service. The implications of the phrase may therefore be “No one (particular Satan) will be able to blame you for anything, because you will belong so completely to God.”

As in 2.19 and 4.15-17, Paul marks the end of a section by speaking of the coming of Christ. On the word for “coming” (when our Lord Jesus comes), see the notes on 2.19 and also below.

A few manuscripts (followed by King James Version Knox Jerusalem Bible but not by Bible de Jérusalem) add “Christ” after Lord Jesus, but this is not likely a part of the original text.

The phrase with all who belong to him (cf. Translator’s New Testament), literally “with all his holy ones,” presents two problems, one of text and one of meaning. Some manuscripts add “Amen,” but it is not certain that this is part of the original text. The second edition of the UBS Greek New Testament puts “Amen” in a footnote; the third edition puts it in the text, but in square brackets.

The problem of meaning is easier to state than to solve. Who are the “holy ones” of whom Paul speaks? Are they Christians or angels or both? The coming of Jesus with angels is mentioned in 2 Thess. 1.7 (cf. 1 Thess. 4.16). The present text recalls Zechariah 14.5 (“the LORD my God will appear with all the holy ones” New English Bible), where angels are almost certainly meant. Moffatt (“all his holy ones”) and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (“his heavenly following”) appear to understand the present text in this way. So does Best, though he comments: “The argument is evenly balanced and saints’ is a real alternative; there is almost nothing to be said for the view that both are intended” (153). On the other hand, nowhere else does Paul call angels “saints” or “holy ones,” while this is one of his favorite names for Christians. In Colossians 1.26 he uses the same expression “his saints” (Good News Translation “his people”) in this way, the pronoun “his” reinforcing the idea of “holy,” that is, “the people who belong to God.” On the whole, it seems better to take “saints” as referring to Christians, that is, to human, not supernatural beings. Good News Translation in any case gives the basic meaning.

The thought of Christ coming “with all his saints” raises in the modern reader’s mind the question: “So will all Christians have died by then?” Chapter 4.15-17 shows that this is a problem, not only for the modern reader and the translator, but for the original readers also. However, the Greek word for “coming” (cf. 2.19) does not always express the idea of movement towards a given place.

It may be somewhat awkward to translate “surrounded by all the people who belong to him,” but one can simply say “all the people who belong to him will be with him.”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

We have already noted the similarities between the beginnings of verses 12 and 14 (cf. also 4.1). The words beg and urge are typical of those passages in which Paul appeals for action; cf. also 4.10, 18; 5.11 (and 5.27, where a different word is used in the Greek). There is little difference of meaning between the words translated urge here, and beg in verse 12; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates them by the same word: verse 12 “we ask you,” and verse 14 “we further ask you.” We have seen no reason for thinking that Paul, at this point, suddenly turns to address the leaders of the community. We must therefore suppose that the leaders were not the only people who had the right and responsibility to warn others. Paul uses here the word which in verse 12 was translated instruct. Since the admonition Paul directs to the Thessalonian Christians consists of four different activities, one may translate the introductory expression as “these things are what we urge you, brothers, to do.”

The word translated idle is found only here in the New Testament, but a related verb and adverb are used in 2 Thessalonians 3.6, 7, 11, where the context makes it quite clear that Paul is speaking of a refusal to work. The central meaning of the adjective in secular Greek is “not in good order.” It is used to describe an undisciplined army, and also someone who is not all his post of duty. Which element of meaning is dominant here? Is Paul thinking of “those who will not accept discipline” (Barclay), or of “those who do not want to work” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy)? The first alternative is supported by King James Version and Phillips (“unruly”), New English Bible (“careless”), cf. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond révisée Zürcher Bibel Le Nouveau Testament. Version Synodale Luther 1984 Bible de Jérusalem (2nd ed.) Traduction œcuménique de la Bible; the second alternative is supported by Moffatt (“loafers”) and Jerusalem Bible (“idlers”) cf. Bijbel in Gewone Taal Bible de Jérusalem (1st ed.). The immediate context is too indefinite to settle the question, but Paul’s wider concern in both letters to the Thessalonians suggests the second alternative (cf. 4.11). Idle is not to be understood as “the unemployed,” “those who have no work,” or even “those who do not work,” but rather as “those who refuse to work” (cf. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy).

In this context, warn implies a strong admonition not to behave in a particular way. A satisfactory translation may be simply “tell those who are idle that they must not be so,” “tell those lazy people that this is not right,” or “speak strongly to the lazy persons.”

Encourage the timid. Both encourage and timid translate rather uncommon words in Greek. Paul has used “encourage” in 2.12, where Good News Translation translate comforted. The word sometimes means “to console (someone who is mourning).” Paul may be thinking of the Thessalonians’ fears concerning death, which he has tried to meet in 4.13-18. The word translated timid not only refers to those who are nervous in personal contacts, but to people who are easily frightened. Traduction œcuménique de la Bible renders “give courage to those who have little of it.”

A literal translation of encourage the timid could result in precisely the wrong meaning, namely, “encourage the timid to be more timid.” A more satisfactory equivalent may be found in a rendering such as “give courage to those who are fearful,” “take away the fear from those who are afraid,” or “give confidence to those who are afraid.”

The four imperatives in this verse move in widening circles, from the specific problems of the Christian community (unwillingness to work and lack of courage) to a more general concern for the weak and patience with everyone. Within this setting, it is difficult to decide whether the weak are (as in Romans 14) weak members of the Christian community or people outside it. It is usually possible to leave both alternatives open in translation. In any case, it is clear that Paul’s use of the word weak, here as in Romans 14.1-2, does not imply any condemnation. Like the timid, the weak are people who need help, no doubt because they are immature or inexperienced. Since it is impossible to know precisely the meaning of weak in this context, it may be best to use a descriptive phrase which will fit with the meaning of “help,” for example, “help those who need help,” or “help those who are lacking in some way.”

Be patient with everyone may be expressed idiomatically, for example, “speak softly to everyone,” “move slowly with everyone,” or negatively, “do not speak sharply to anyone,” or “do not shout at anyone.”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Here, as in verse 10, there is a considerable overlap of meaning between three terms, and again the translator must aim to convey as fully as possible the total meaning of the three terms together. Encouraged is related to the noun translated appeal in verse 3. There Paul is thinking of his first appeal to non-Christians. Here he is thinking of his approach to those who are already believers, so encouraged is more appropriate. Comforted is a close synonym of encouraged; indeed both Greek words can have the meaning of either English word. All three verbs (“encourage,” “comfort,” “urge”) imply continuous action in Greek, but this force is brought out in Good News Translation only in connection with the third verb: kept urging. It would be stylistically clumsy to say “kept encouraging, kept comforting, and kept urging.” It is sometimes possible to combine a rendering of encouraged and comforted, since they are closely related concepts and may, in fact, be rendered by idiomatic expression, for example, “we strengthened your hearts,” “we made your liver warm,” or “we gave strength to you.” The expression kept urging may be rendered as “we said to you strongly that you should,” “we continued saying to you most clearly,” or even, idiomatically, “we kept on speaking to you with our hearts exposed.”

Live is literally “walk,” a Hebrew metaphor which cannot be literally transferred to current English. It refers to a person’s behavior or way of life, particularly from the moral point of view.

That pleases God is literally “worthily of God.” Paul does not mean that his readers should behave so well as to become worthy of God’s love or his gifts. It is rather that their behavior should be such as is appropriate in the relationship to God in which they now live. One might translate “behave like people who belong to God” (cf. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy and the notes on 1.4). That pleases God may be rendered in some languages as “that causes God to have a happy heart.” Often it is “God” who must become the subject of an expression for a pleased response, for example, “a life that God loves,” or “a life about which God says, This is how it should be.”

Instead of who calls you (present), some manuscripts have “who called you” (past). The latter is more common in Paul’s writings (cf. Galatians 1.6; 1 Thess. 4.7; 1 Corinthians 1.9). There is no contradiction between God’s initial call and his insistent renewal of that call, but Paul is thinking of the latter in this verse. In translating who calls you, it is important to avoid the implication that God is shouting to someone. The proper equivalent in some languages is “who invites you” or “who asks you,” in the sense of an urgent request.

God is calling the Thessalonians to share in his own Kingdom and glory. Paul does not speak very often about the kingdom of God, but it is a central theme in the Gospels, especially in the Synoptics. The expression does not mean a territory over which God rules (like “the Kingdom of the Netherlands”), but the kingship of God, his act of ruling over men and the world. In all the Gospels, Jesus speaks about “entering the kingdom” (e.g. Mark 10.25; John 3.5). This means “entering the community of those who acknowledge God as king.” The kingship of God is a dynamic concept having several aspects. In one sense, God was always king, and he was so worshiped in Old Testament times. Yet Jesus preached that the kingdom of God had come near (Mark 1.15), that is, that God’s kingship was about to become effective in a new way. However, the complete fulfillment of God’s reign is still to come (cf. Matthew 16.28), and it is this future aspect of the kingdom which is uppermost in Paul’s thought (see 1 Corinthians 15.24, 50; Ephesians 5.5; cf. 2 Thess. 1.5; 2 Timothy 4.1).

To share in may be most readily translated in many languages as “to have a part in” or “to be a party of,” though, in the Greek, the clause is literally “God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.” One should avoid an expression which would imply that the kingdom of God is divided among various individuals. Rather, the biblical writers think in terms of a group of people sharing together in the rule of God.

It is difficult, in translation, to find a term flexible enough to include all the aspects of New Testament teaching about the kingdom of God at the same time and to exclude geographical associations. Good News Translation retains the traditional word “Kingdom,” indicating by a capital letter that it has a specialized meaning. Good News Bible Bible en français courant Biblia Dios Habla Hoy include the expression in their glossaries. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch normally translates “God’s new world.” In this kind of context it is essential to employ a term for Kingdom which is the same as the one used in the Gospels, but it is most important that any term used for Kingdom focus upon the “rule of God”—especially his future rule—and not upon some territory over which God reigns. Hence, to share in his own Kingdom may be equivalent to “have a place in God’s ruling,” or possibly “be given by God a share in his ruling.”

It is possible that the focus here is on being part of God’s people. If Kingdom and glory are taken together, then the following possibilities are suggested: “to share in this wonderful experience of being part of God’s people,” or “to be part of God’s wonderful people.” If, on the other hand, Kingdom and glory are not taken together, it may be possible to render this expression as “to know God’s greatness and to be part of his own people.”

Against the protest of some scholars, Phillips translates Kingdom and glory together as “the splendor of his own kingdom.” Barclay and Translator’s New Testament have “glorious kingdom,” Jerusalem Bible (but not Bible de Jérusalem) “the glory of his kingdom,” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “share his glory with him in the new world.” There are four arguments in favor of a translation along these lines. First, in Hebrew one may expresses with two nouns a single idea which includes them both, and Paul’s style often shows the influence of Hebrew. Second, Paul links Kingdom and glory together with a single pronoun his (not “his kingdom and his glory”). Third, there is so much in common between the meanings of the two nouns that where Mark 10.37 reads “in your glory,” the parallel in Matthew 20.21 has “in your kingdom.” Fourth, the semantic overlap of the two terms is increased if we are right in thinking that Paul sees the kingdom of God as mainly a future event, since “glory” also had future connotations for him.

Glory is the word translated praise in verse 6. There it refers to human relationships, but here it refers to the visible splendor of God as it will be revealed in the “last days.”

If one combines Kingdom and glory into a single phrase, in which glory modifies Kingdom as “glorious ruling” (and in many respects this is a preferable rendering), it may be possible to translate as “have a share in God’s wonderful rule,” or “have a part in God’s ruling; it will be wonderful.” If, however, one separates Kingdom and glory as two different aspects of the future promise, it may be necessary to employ expressions which would appear to distinguish these aspects even more than they should be, for example, “have a part in God’s rule and in his wonderfulness.” In many languages it is not possible to speak of glory as “something shining” or “something brilliant.” More satisfactory equivalents are found in the area of “wonderful,” “majestic,” or “that which causes great admiration.”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The relation between “love for the brethren” in general and the specific instructions contained in this verse is not immediately clear. Paul seems to be more concerned in this verse with the “image” of the Christian community in the outside world than with relationships between individuals within the Christian community. However, in the situation in Thessalonica, the church’s external image and its internal relationships must have been closely linked. The church was under pressure from outside, and so any foolish or immature behavior by individuals within the church would have two effects: it would strain relationships with other, more balanced, members, and it would damage the witness of the Christian community to the outside world. It is therefore important in translation to avoid at this point any transitional expression which would suggest that Paul is introducing a fresh subject. For Paul’s concern for the “respectability” of the Christian community, see the notes on 4.4.

The three items of instruction which Paul gives in this verse are simply added to one another, as far as the surface grammatical form is concerned. There is, however, a progression within the verse, similar to the progression we have noted in verses 3-6. Each item is somewhat more specific than the one before it. The climax and the most sensitive point are reached with to earn your own living, after which Paul hastens to reassure his readers (rather like a dentist withdrawing his drill!) by the words just as we told you before.

Make it your aim often includes the suggestion of an ambition or a point of honor; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “consider it a matter of honor” (cf. La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond révisée Le Nouveau Testament. Version Synodale). The Greek verb may also be translated as “desire very much,” “try very earnestly,” or “decide this is the way you should….”

To live a quiet life translates a verb which Paul uses only in this text. A related noun is used in 2 Thess. 3.12. In other parts of the New Testament, it can mean “to be quiet,” either in the sense of “to rest” (for example, by not working on the Sabbath, Luke 23.56), or in the sense of “not to speak” (e.g. Luke 14.4). The first meaning is explicitly excluded by the context, and the second does not seem appropriate here; therefore a third meaning must be looked for. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “lead an orderly life,” and this suits the context very well, though close parallels for this meaning are difficult to find. If one asks, “How would the Thessalonians have behaved if they had not followed Paul’s instructions on this point?”, the phrases immediately following (and later 2 Thess. 3.6-12) seem to suggest the answer, “They would have behaved in such a way as to make themselves justifiably unpopular within the community at large.” The ideas of maintaining peace within the Christian community (or even within the individual life) are not excluded, but they are not in the foreground.

In many languages it is easier to describe a boisterous life than a quiet one. Therefore to live a quiet life may be best expressed in a negative manner, for example, “don’t go around always making a lot of noise,” in which “noise” would imply more than loud sound. It may be appropriate in some instances to translate this advice as “don’t go around all the time arguing loudly.”

To mind your own business is an idiom with a wide meaning, not being limited to financial or commercial activities. Paul means “go on fulfilling your normal responsibilities.” In some languages mind your own business is translated quite idiomatically, for example, “sit in your own shade.” Once again, in some languages this concept may be expressed in a negative form; for example, “do not meddle in other people’s affairs,” or “do not always tell other people how they should do things.”

All the infinitives in this verse, make, mind, and earn, like do in verse 10, imply activity over a period of time.

To earn your own living is literally “work with your hands,” as in most of the older translations and also in New English Bible and Translator’s New Testament (cf. Traduction œcuménique de la Bible Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). Jerusalem Bible and Bible en français courant agree closely with Good News Translation: Barclay has “do an honest day’s work”; Phillips, “do your work yourselves.” Bijbel in Gewone Taal combines the specific reference to manual labor with the wider meaning: “by handwork provide for your own (life-) support.” Most of the Thessalonian Christians were no doubt manual workers, but the words “your hands” are not emphasized, and the phrase is defined more closely in the next verse by you will not have to depend on anyone for what you need. Good News Translation is therefore not guilty of transculturating for a society in which manual workers are in a minority.

In some languages to earn your own living can be most effectively translated in a negative manner, for example, “don’t expect others to take care of you,” “don’t make others give you food,” or, idiomatically, “don’t rest on other people’s shoulders,” or “don’t lie in your hammock all day.”

We told you before clearly implies “when we were in Thessalonica.” The Greek has the same meaning as the English “to tell someone to do something”; that is, not “to inform,” but “to instruct” or “to order.” The authority on which Paul has insisted in verses 1, 2, 6 and 8 (as well as earlier in the letter) provides the basis, not only for general preaching and exhortation, but for specific instructions in a particular situation. In some instances it may be useful to translate just as we told you before as “this is just what we before ordered you to do,” or even “when we were with you, this is just what we told you you should do.” The clause “when we were with you” may be the only way in which the fact of a previous order can be clearly indicated, since an adverb like “before” might suggest only a previous letter.

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The dates at which Paul wrote his various letters are usually uncertain, and they are not very important for the translators. There is, however, good reason to believe that 1 and 2 Thessalonians, in that order, are the first two of Paul’s letters to survive. It is also fairly certain that 1 Thessalonians was written about fifteen years after Paul’s conversion, that is, early in the year 51 or late in the previous year. Paul was writing to young Christians, but he himself was already an experienced evangelist.

All of Paul’s letters follow the normal Greek pattern of stating at the beginning the name of the sender(s), the name of the person(s), to whom the letter is addressed, and a greeting. Paul, however, fills this conventional form with a new and Christian content. The introduction to this letter is the shortest we have in any of Paul’s letters to a church. Some early copyists, followed by the older translations, apparently found the ending of verse 1 too abrupt and so added “… from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” or a similar phrase (cf. 2 Thess. 1.1), but these words are probably not original here.

Three people are mentioned as senders of the letter: Paul, Silas, and Timothy. They had visited Thessalonica together, and they were together in Corinth while the letter was being written (see Acts 17.1–18.5). The repeated use of “we” in this letter, more frequently than in any other of Paul’s letters, shows that the message comes essentially from all three senders. Especially in the first three chapters, they refer continually to experiences they have lived through together. But there is no reason to think that either Silas or Timothy had much share in the actual writing of the letter. The sentence structure, vocabulary, and style are similar to those of Paul’s other letters, and in a few places (2.18; 3.5; 5.27) he speaks in his own name, using the first person singular.

In translating this opening salutation, it is necessary in many languages to introduce a verb indicating that the three are writing or sending the letter. Thus it may be necessary to translate “We who are Paul, Silas, and Timothy write to you people in the church at Thessalonica.” Since Paul is essentially the author of the letter, one may find it preferable in some languages to translate “I, Paul, together with Silas and Timothy, write to you people….” If a language requires the identification of Paul as “I” and of Paul together with his companions as “we,” it is almost inevitable that the people of the church at Thessalonica be addressed as “you.” This will fit quite readily with what is said in verse 2.

Here and in other places (for example, 2 Corinthians 1.19), Paul calls one of his companions “Silvanus,” but there is no doubt that this is the same person who is called “Silas” in Acts. Good News Translation and Bible en français courant rightly recognize this by using the form Silas everywhere; most older translations (also some modern ones, including New English Bible Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch New American Bible Translator’s New Testament) do not.

The repeated conjunction “and” (“Paul and Silas and Timothy”) of the Greek text is reproduced in older translations (for example King James Version Luther 1984 La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond révisée), but not in Revised Standard Version New English Bible Le Nouveau Testament. Version Synodale Bible en français courant Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch Bijbel in Gewone Taal. The repetition should not be made in translation unless it is natural to the receptor language.

At the time this letter was written, Thessalonica (now Salonika) was the most important city in Macedonia; but Paul writes, not to the population in general, but to the Christians in the city. The Greek word translated “church” does not refer to a special building (Christians met for worship in one another’s homes) but to the coming together of people, in this case of Christians. Best accordingly translates “the Christian community of the Thessalonians”; Knox “the church assembled at Thessalonika”; Good News Translation the people of the church in Thessalonica; Bible en français courant “the members of the Church of Thessalonica.” In some languages the only satisfactory equivalent of “church” in this context is “believers in Jesus Christ” or “followers of Christ” or “those who trust in Jesus Christ.” Such a rendering may be particularly important in situations where the common word for “church” identifies a building. Furthermore, the Greek word translated “church” indicates a group which recognizes itself as a group, and not just a collection of individuals. If possible, this fact should be reflected in translation.

The context shows clearly that Paul is not writing to the church universal but to the local gathering of Christians. In some languages, though not in Greek, this distinction is reflected in a difference of spelling, between “Church” (capital C) and “church” (small c) respectively. Since this distinction disappears when the passage is read aloud, it is better not to rely on it to make the meaning clear.

The Thessalonians are here mentioned for the first time. The Greek text marks this as new information by omitting the article (literally “the church of Thessalonians”). In Thessalonica may need to be translated in some languages with a classifier, for example, “in the city of Thessalonica.”

Grammatically it would be possible, but it would almost certainly be wrong, to link who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ with what follows, giving the translation: “May grace and peace be yours in God Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul often does speak of Christian individuals or groups as being “in Christ” or (less often) “in God,” and sometimes he uses both expressions. What does he mean? Clearly his use of “in” is figurative. For Paul Christ is a person, not a kind of gas physically diffused through the atmosphere. In some passages, it is possible to think that Paul is speaking of the mystical identification of two individuals; but that is not possible here, since he is referring to the whole Christian community. Who belong to God (Good News Translation cf. Bible en français courant Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch) is the essential meaning of this phrase. This may be rendered in some languages as “who are God’s possession,” “whom God possesses,” or even “who are God’s.”

In some languages the phrase God the Father poses a difficulty, especially if the term for “Father” must indicate whose father. In such cases it may be necessary to say “who belong to God our Father” or “to God who is our Father.” In languages which make a distinction between exclusive and inclusive first person plural, the inclusive form should be used, since Paul clearly includes the Thessalonian Christians with himself and his companions among those to whom God is Father.

Christ was originally not a proper name but a title, corresponding to “Messiah” and meaning “the Anointed (One).” For Paul, however, as for us, it is usually a proper name. In this and most other Pauline passages, Christ should therefore be transliterated and not translated.

For some languages the term Lord is not a title which can readily be added to the name of Jesus Christ, because it expresses a relation between men and Christ. Therefore, it may be rendered as “Jesus Christ who controls us” or “… who commands us,” equivalent in some languages to “Jesus Christ our chief.”

Paul wishes his readers grace and peace, as he does in all his letters. The context does not narrow the meaning of these words, which should therefore be taken in their widest sense. There is a considerable overlap of meaning between them. Grace here means, not physical gracefulness and not a specific favor, but God’s willingness to look upon Christians as his people, and to give them good gifts, such as forgiveness. In secular Greek peace meant the cessation or absence of war, just as it usually does in modern English. Paul, however, uses the term to mean a right and harmonious relationship among men or between men and God, a total well-being which God himself gives. Good News Translation Bible en français courant Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch New English Bible, like older translations, retain the traditional nouns, grace and peace.

Some scholars view the phrase grace and peace in this type of salutation as being a combination of a Greek and a Semitic greeting. At any rate, it is certainly a distinctive expression, and no doubt it has wide usage among the members of the early church. In view of the distinctive value of the expression, it is not easy to do justice to all the meaning which may be involved. In some languages an appropriate equivalent may be “May God be good to you and show you his peace” or “May God show goodness to you and cause you to have peace.” Since “peace” in this context suggests general well-being, it is expressed in some languages in a figurative way, for example, “May you be able to sit down in your heart” or “May you rest in happiness.”

In some languages it is difficult to express a wish or prayer such as may grace and peace be yours without indicating clearly the relation between the one who desires such a blessing for others and the agent, who is God. Therefore one may need to translate this clause as “I pray to God that he will be good to you and make you to have peace.”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The word translated turn back is not used anywhere else in the New Testament. Of its possible meanings in New Testament or later times, the most appropriate here is “disturbed” (Best), “shaken” (Translator’s New Testament Barclay), “unsettled” (Jerusalem Bible). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch interestingly transfers “your faith” from verse 2: “He was to strengthen and encourage you, so that no one should let himself be turned aside from the faith.”

In some languages there may be no meaningful connection between “turning back” and “faith” or “trusting.” Therefore it may be necessary to say “so that none of you would give up believing,” or “… would cease trusting Christ.”

These persecutions (already mentioned in 1.6 and 2.14) must often be rendered as “the way in which you have suffered persecution,” or “the ways in which people have caused you to suffer.”

You yourselves know. Good News Translation follows the Greek closely here in emphasizing you by the addition of yourselves; but the emphasis really attaches to the whole phrase; there is no contrast with any other group of people. Moffatt transfers the emphasis to know: “You know that well” (cf. Knox Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Barclay (cf. Translator’s New Testament) emphasizes both elements: “You yourselves well know.” Bijbel in Gewone Taal, like Moffatt, emphasizes the whole phrase by transferring it to the end of the sentence: “that you know.”

Such persecutions are part of God’s will for us. Good News Translation and Bible en français courant make explicit a reference to God which is implicit in the text, which could be translated almost literally “that is why we have been put here.” Here, as in many places, the passive implies an activity of God. References to “our appointed lot” (New English Bible, cf. Revised Standard Version), like the use of the verb “destined,” wrongly suggest an impersonal fate, which is far from Paul’s way of thinking. The context shows that here “we” includes Paul, his companions, and the Thessalonians. In the next verse, however, the Thessalonians are excluded from “we.”

The rendering of such persecutions are part of God’s will for us must be done with care. Otherwise the reader may think that God himself had purposely planned or even organized the persecutions against the Christians in Thessalonica. In some languages it may be necessary to say “God has permitted these persecutions to come to us,” or “God has allowed these people to cause us to suffer.” It is sometimes possible to speak of “God’s will” as being “God’s plan,” for example, “God’s plan for us includes our being caused to suffer.”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Paul’s use of figurative language raises several problems here. First, there is a transition from the Day in the sense of an unknown time at which God will bring history to its climax, to the day (v. 5) as an image of the openness of Christian living. This transition is indicated in Good News Translation by capitalization of Day in the first sense, but this device is inadequate to convey the distinction to anyone who only hears the passage read aloud. The second sense of day is well established by verse 5. The implication in verse 4 is that Christians have nothing to fear from that final Day in which everything will be known and judged, because they already live lives in which there is nothing to hide.

Second, the image of a thief reappears in a sense which cannot be defined until a decision is taken about the meaning of the word translated take … by surprise. This verb, in the meaning required by the context, may include the following elements: (1) being seized, so that one cannot escape; (2) being overtaken or surprised (as a traveler in Mediterranean latitudes could be overtaken unexpectedly by the sudden arrival of night); (3) suffering harm. All elements fit the present context well, but which is the translator to choose as central? (1) takes up the idea expressed in verse 3b, (2) reverts to the idea of verses 2-3a, and (3) takes up the thought of verse 3a (destruction). Most translations agree with Good News Translation in taking (2) as central, and this may well be correct. However, (1) is the common meaning of the verb where the context does not define it in some other way (but compare John 12.35).

If the translator chooses such an expression as “seize” or “catch,” he must be careful to make the two terms of the comparison clear. The meaning would not be: “the Day should not catch you as a thief is caught,” but “the Day should not seize you as a thief seizes someone” (for example, the occupant of the house he is about to rob).

The relation between the two parts of this verse is left open or implicit by Good News Translation (cf. Bible en français courant), which links them only by and. The relation indicated by the Greek is one of reason and result, for example, “you are not in darkness, and so you should not be surprised…,” or “since you are not in darkness, you should not be surprised….”

You … are not in the darkness is a figurative expression, and as such it may be difficult to render literally in some languages, since darkness may have nothing to do with either ignorance or the wrong kind of life. It may be important to change this metaphor into a simile, for example, “but you do not live as it were in the darkness,” or “… in the night.” One may also translate as “but you do not live as those who are ignorant of God and who sin.”

It is impossible to say in some languages “the day will take you by surprise,” since surprise is not something that a person experiences with regard to a particular day. Therefore, one may need to restructure this latter part of verse 4 to read “and therefore you will not be surprised when the day of the Lord comes, as a thief might surprise someone when he (the thief) grabs him.”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Again, Paul follows the negative statement of verse 1 with a positive one, marking the contrast with an emphatic “but.” In this case, however, the form of the sentence does not correspond to its content. The reader may expect some statement about the success of Paul’s visit to Thessalonica, and Paul may have intended to say something of this kind when he began dictating the sentence; but a new idea now occurs to him, and he abruptly changes the subject. Not until verse 13 does Paul come back to the theme of his visit and its results. In these circumstances, Good News Translation rightly leaves the misleading “but” untranslated. Phillips Jerusalem Bible Bible de Jérusalem Barclay Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch Bible en français courant Knox Moffatt Translator’s New Testament do the same, New English Bible (cf. Bijbel in Gewone Taal) emphasizes the misleading conjunction by rendering it as “far from it,” and so gives the impression that Paul is illogical (since he could have preached “frankly and fearlessly” and still have had a “fruitless” visit). Bible de Jérusalem and Jerusalem Bible, on the other hand, somewhat overemphasize the change of theme by beginning a new paragraph at verse 2.

The repetition of you know, so soon after you yourselves know in verse 1, shows that Paul is conscious of the change of theme; his readers know both that the visit to Thessalonica was not a failure and that the previous visit to Philippi had not been easy.

Two statements are included in this verse: (1) “we were illtreated and insulted in Philippi”; and (2) “God gave us courage to tell you the Good News.” The relation between these statements is not explicit in the Greek, and the Revised Version translates the sentence with such slavish faithfulness to the form that the content could easily be misunderstood: “having suffered before … at Philippi, we waxed bold….” The reader is likely to misunderstand the first statement as a reason and the second as a result (that is, “we had suffered so much in Philippi that nothing could frighten us in Thessalonica”), but that is not what Paul means. The courage of the evangelists did not come from their previous experience but from a new strengthening by God. Virtually all commentators and translators, therefore, take the first statement as meaning “although we suffered before in Philippi.” Good News Translation divides the sentence.

What happened to the evangelists in Philippi is described in Acts 16.12-40. Mistreated in Greek is the normal word for “suffer,” with a prefix meaning “before.” A pluperfect is clearly needed in English, since there is a double backward reference from Paul’s present situation in Corinth to his visit to Thessalonica, and the further back to Philippi. Before we came to you in Thessalonica (cf. Bible en français courant Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch Bijbel in Gewone Taal etc., but not Biblia Dios Habla Hoy) is implicit. Paul is mainly thinking, no doubt, of the attack by the crowds (Acts 16.22), the official whipping, and the discomfort of being fastened in the stocks. Insulted includes also the nonphysical aspects of the bad treatment Paul and Silas had received, something which, according to Acts 16.37, Paul had resented as deeply as the physical mistreatment.

There is, however, considerable overlap between the two terms. The Greek word which Good News Translation translates insulted in this verse is translated mistreat in Acts 14.5. It refers generally to insolent and outrageous behavior. In many languages mistreated can be translated as “caused us to suffer” or “caused us pain,” while insulted may be rendered as “spoke to us with bad words” or “spoke to humiliate us.” In some languages it may be necessary to indicate the agents of the mistreatment and insults, and therefore one can say “how the authorities had mistreated us and insulted us.” “The authorities” would be “the government officials” or “the local rulers.”

It is always possible to identify Philippi in this context by a classifier, for example, “in the city of Philippi.”

Opposition represents a Greek word which can refer either to the effort of one individual or (more often) to a struggle between two or more people, as, for example, in an athletic contest. Revised Standard Version Phillips Bible en français courant etc., like Good News Translation, take the latter meaning, and this seems to fit the context better. Moffatt comes down firmly for the first meaning and translates “in spite of all the strain.” Even if this interpretation is correct, Paul would still be thinking of his need for courage. Good News Translation‘s translation links verse 2b with 2a and verses 8-9. The idea of opposition may be expressed as a verb, for example, “even though many people were opposed to us, yet our God gave us courage to tell you the Good News that comes from him.” The opposition may be stated even more specifically, for example, “even though many people tried to make us stop talking,” or “… tried to prevent us from telling the Good News.”

There is some overlap of meaning between the verbs translated gave us courage and tell, since each of them refers to speaking. The first word, with its related noun, refers in nonbiblical Greek to democratic freedom of speech and to the openness of close friends in speaking to one another. In the Greek Old Testament, this verb describes the frankness of Job’s protests to God. In the New Testament, it indicates both the Christians’ confidence in approaching God and the confident and outspoken way in which the apostles preached (cf. Ephesians 6.19 f.; Philippians 1.20; and often on Acts). The second edition of Bible de Jérusalem changes “confidence” to the stronger term “boldness.” Barclay translates here “freely and fearlessly,” New English Bible “frankly and fearlessly.” The context suggests that our God probably still means the God of Paul, Silas, and Timothy, though a wider reference is not impossible.

The concept of courage is frequently rendered by a idiomatic expression, for example, “to have a strong heart,” “to be brave in our insides,” “to not fear anyone,” In some instances, our God gave us courage may thus be rendered as “our God took fear out of our hearts.”

The Good News that comes from him is literally “the gospel of God.” The form is similar to “word of the Lord” (Revised Standard Version) in 1.8, but the meaning is different (see the comments on that verse). The message is about the Lord Jesus Christ, but it comes from, God. Taking the two expressions together, Christ is the content of the Christian message, but God the Father is its source. The latter should be specified in translation, as Good News Translation and Bible en français courant do here and also in verses 8 and 9 (cf. Romans 15.16). “From God” should certainly not be omitted, as Phillips does here and in verse 9, and as Moffatt and Jerusalem Bible do in verse 8. (On the Good News, see the comments on 1.5.)

While it is most important to indicate the source of the Good News, it may not be possible in some languages to speak of it as “coming,” since only agents that are able to move about may be said to come. Accordingly, that God is the source may be indicated by such an expression as “the Good News that God caused us to hear,” or “… caused us to know.”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .