The first two words of the Greek (literally “but we”) mark a transition. “But” is the translation of King James Version Revised Standard Version Phillips Jerusalem Bible New English Bible Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch Biblia Dios Habla Hoy Luther 1984; Moffatt translates “now”; and the word is omitted by Knox Barclay Translator’s New Testament Bijbel in Gewone Taal Bible en français courant, as by Good News Translation. There is a general change of theme, from the doom of unbelievers to the salvation of believers, but there is no specific contrast such as the English term “but” suggests. Bicknell’s attempt (quoted in Morris, p. 236) to see a contrast between the evangelists, who thank God “in spite of the discouragement of some of their converts,” and those converts themselves, is not convincing. If the transition is marked in other ways in translation, the word “but” or “now” can be omitted without loss. We is emphatic, but any contrast is between the subjects of verses 1-12 and 13-17 as a whole. For this reason Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch makes explicit the contrast between unbelievers and believers and so renders “but for you, we must continually thank God.” Such an indication of the contrast is especially important at this point, particularly for the oral comprehension of the text. Usually the section headings are not read when one reads a passage aloud to a congregation.

The Greek sentence continues to the end of verse 14. It is not unduly long by Paul’s standards, but most translations divide it. In dividing the sentence translators sometimes tend to alter the emphasis on the various statements. These statements may be listed as follows, in simplified form:

1. We must thank God for you.
2. The Lord loves you.
3. God chose you.
4. God called you (v. 14).

King James Version Revised Standard Version Moffatt do not divide the sentence. Jerusalem Bible New English Bible Biblia Dios Habla Hoy Traduction œcuménique de la Bible divide it at the end of verse 13, thereby linking items 1, 2, and 3 of the above list. Knox Phillips Bijbel in Gewone Taal Bible en français courant, like Good News Translation, make three sentences, linking items 1 and 2 and leaving “the Lord loves you” as a depended clause. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch makes four sentences, not specifying any relation between them. Barclay Translator’s New Testament reverse 2 and 1, thereby throwing extra emphasis on 2 (“brothers, you are dear to God, and we can do no other than always thank God for you”).

Which are the closest relations, not primarily in grammar, but in meaning, between the four statements? How are they most naturally grouped? Grammar alone would suggest (1) a link between 1 and 2, because 2 is subordinate to 1 in the original text; (2) a link between 3 and 4, because they have the same subject, God, and because 4 is a dependent clause, hanging on to 3, in the Greek text. In meaning, however, 2 is more closely linked with 3 and 4 than with 1. 1 is preliminary; 2 is a general statement which is spelled out in more detail (as Paul often does) in what follows. The possible difference of grammatical agent between 2 and 3-4 is not significant, for Paul constantly links the work of God and of Christ (he does so very closely in vv. 16-17). The general structure of the translation may be given as: “We must thank God for you, bothers. The Lord loves you. God chose you. God called you.” The relations between statements 2, 3, and 4 may even be made more explicit in some languages as: “The Lord loves you, which may be seen by the fact that God chose you and called you.” However, because of the intervening clauses, one may need to say: “The fact that the Lord loves you is evidenced by God having chosen you,” and then, following the intervening clauses: “The Lord’s love for you is also clear by God having called you.”

Lord may refer to God or to Christ. Though generally in Paul’s writings “Lord” refers to Christ, in this context, which speaks of “love,” “choosing,” and “calling,” one may be justified in understanding “Lord” as referring to God.

Loves is a participle whose meaning is not limited to a point in time, and often overlaps both the past and the present. In languages which have a tense structure similar to that of English, the past tense “loved” could imply that God or Christ no longer loved the Thessalonians, so it is best in such languages to use a present or a timeless tense (see 1 Thess. 1.4). Some languages have two quite distinct terms for “love,” one suggesting desire to possess and the other implying concern and care for another. Probably the latter emphasis is important in this particular passage. Such terms for “love” are often derived from expressions denoting the concern of parents for their children. In some instances this kind of love is expressed in an idiomatic manner, for example, “his heart goes out to us.”

The form of the verb translated chose implies “for himself.” This idea is reinforced by God’s holy people, but it does not normally need to be expressed here. The tense of the verb chose, like that of called in verse 14, normally indicates an event at a particular point in past time, though the context probably shows that this point is at the beginning of time. However, see the following paragraph. There is always some danger involved in selecting a term to render chose, for this almost inevitably suggests a kind of separation of items. It is important to make certain that the type of choice indicated here means selecting out what is accepted from what is to be rejected. Sometimes this is expressed as “God specially named you,” “God put a special mark on you,” or “God called out your name.”

The textual basis for the phrase as the first is not certain. It is followed by Moffatt Knox Phillips Barclay Translator’s New Testament Bijbel in Gewone Taal Bible en français courant, but most commentators, together with King James Version Revised Standard Version Jerusalem Bible New English Bible Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch Luther 1984 Bible de Jérusalem La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond révisée Le Nouveau Testament. Version Synodale Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, follow a text which reads “from the beginning.” Whichever text is used it is difficult to know exactly what Paul mean. (1) The Greek text followed by the Good News Translation contains a metaphor of harvest, Moffatt has “the first to be reaped for salvation,” and Knox “the firstfruits in the harvest of salvation.” Commentators tend to avoid this reading, partly because the Thessalonians were not the first to be converted in Macedonia (Paul visited Philippi first), and also because Paul usually adds some such expression as “of Achaia” (1 Corinthians 16.15 Revised Standard Version) to explain “firstfruits.” It may be necessary in some languages to be even more explicit and say, for example, “among the first to be saved,” or “among the first persons whom God was saving.” (2) If the text which reads “from the beginning” is followed, the question arises “from the beginning of what?” Some languages will need to specify this. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch does this in the most probable way: “Already before he made the world, he chose you.”

To be saved is literally “to (or for) salvation.” Many languages prefer an active verb to the abstract noun. Since there is a noun in the original, no tense is specified, and the context shows that Paul is thinking of salvation in the widest possible terms, from its beginning in God’s purpose to its completion at the last day. In the active form to be saved may be rendered as “whom God was saving.” But it may not be possible to find a ready equivalent to the term saved or “salvation.” In general, the equivalences of the biblical concept of salvation are of two types: one is based upon the idea of rescuing from danger or imminent death; and the other relates to restoration to health and soundness of body and mind. The latter meaning is increasingly used in translation of the Scriptures, because the concept of rescuing seems to be too narrowly restricted to a particular event, rather than focusing upon the results of such an event and the continuing relationship of the believer to God and his power.

By the Spirit’s power to make you God’s holy people is literally “in sanctification of spirit,” but the Good News Translation rendering is by no means a loose paraphrase. The text could mean simply that the (human) spirits of the Thessalonians are to be made holy, and this is how Moffatt and Knox understand it; but the great majority of translators and commentators understand Paul to be referring to the work of the Holy Spirit. Good News Translation makes explicit the meaning of “sanctification” as setting (someone or something) apart to belong to God.

By the Spirit’s power may be rendered as “by what the Spirit has done.” This may be expressed in some languages as a causative relation, for example, “God has caused the Spirit to make you his holy people,” or “… caused you to become his holy people.” In some languages God’s holy people can only be rendered effectively as “people who belong to God.” The emphasis is not upon the goodness of the people but upon their very special relationship to God.

Faith in the truth may also mean “faith which is created by truth,” that is, “truth which calls faith into being”; but note New English Bible “the truth that you believe” and also Knox. Verse 12 already linked faith (i.e. believe) with truth (see the notes on that verse). In both verses, truth has the specific meaning of the Christian message, like the Good News in the next verse. Good News Translation‘s translation fits the context well, since verse 12 has just mentioned believing the truth, and verse 15 will repeat the call to hold on to what has been received.

Note that in the event of salvation the primary agent is God but there are two secondary agents, the Holy Spirit and the person who believes. This relation must be expressed in some languages as cause, for example, “to be saved because of how the Spirit made you God’s holy people, and because of how you have put your confidence in the truth,” or “… in the true message.”

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

From here to verse 10, Paul refers back to his conduct while he was in Thessalonica, in order to support the statement in verse 6. The relation with verse 6 is shown in the text by an introductory “for,” which most modern translations leave unexpressed.

There is an inherent problem in the first sentence of verse 7, since you should do just what we did could refer to more than one kind of event. It could suggest, for example, that the Thessalonians were to keep away from fellow believers who were lazy, even as Paul and his colleagues kept away from them. However, this sentence refers to what follows and not to what precedes. Such a reference may be difficult in some languages, and therefore it may be better to use a term for do which suggests a general pattern of behavior or living, for example, “You yourselves know very well that you should live in the same way that we lived,” or even “… that you should work in the same way that we worked.”

Again, we were not lazy may be rendered as “we did not refuse to work.” But even this may be somewhat misleading. It could suggest, for example, some forced labor which Paul did not refuse to do. Therefore it may be useful to change the negative statement not lazy to a positive one, for example, “we worked hard.”

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

That is why translates a word which, in this context, indicates that the apostle’s boasting is the result of the Thessalonians’ growth in faith and love. We and you are close together in the original. As we have seen in the notes on 1 Thessalonians, Paul often uses this way of suggesting a close personal relationship. As usual in these letters, “we” is not just another way of saying “I”; Paul constantly associates Silas and Timothy with himself.

In some languages it may be necessary to specify at the beginning of verse 4 precisely what constitutes the reason for the boasting. It may be necessary to say “because of your trust and love, we ourselves boast about you.” In other languages it may be more appropriate to introduce verse 4 with a conjunction such as “therefore” or a phrase such as “as a result.”

In this verse and in the following verses, Paul repeats several expressions which he used in his first letter, though sometimes in a rather different context. Boast recalls the boasting of 1 Thess. 2.19, where Paul speaks of boasting at the last day, but here the boasting is present (contrast 1 Thess. 1.8b). The translator’s problem is to find an expression which conveys (1) pride, and (2) speaking, without (3) the negative component of speaking well about one’s own achievements (the Concise Oxford Dictionary gives “extol oneself” as the first meaning of the verb “to boast,” and “vainglorious statement” as the first meaning of the noun “boast”). Moffatt “we are proud of you” (cf. Jerusalem Bible) leaves out (2), and La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond révisée “we glorify ourselves” (cf. Luther 1984 Le Nouveau Testament. Version Synodale Zürcher Bibel) fails to avoid (3). Translator’s New Testament‘s “speak with pride” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “with pride we tell” (cf. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy) are preferable. It is possible in some languages to suggest the component of pride in the meaning of boast by translating “we are always talking about you in the churches of God,” or “we are always glad to talk about you.”

The Greek locative preposition translated in Good News Translation as in may have any one of three meanings: (1) Its commonest meaning, and the one chosen by most translations, is “in” or “within,” indicating simply location (King James Version Phillips Revised Standard Version cf. Bijbel in Gewone Taal Bible en français courant Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch Biblia Dios Habla Hoy La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond révisée Zürcher Bibel). (2) The same word, when followed by a noun in the plural, may mean “among,” as in Jerusalem Bible New English Bible (cf. Bible de Jérusalem Luther 1984). Knox attractively restructures the sentence to bring out this meaning and translates “as we visit the churches of God.” (3) Finally, the word may also mean “to,” emphasizing the delivery of a message by Paul to the churches. This interpretation is clearly followed by Translator’s New Testament: “This makes us speak with pride to the other churches” (cf. Le Nouveau Testament. Version Synodale) and seems to be the basis for Barclay “we cannot help telling God’s other congregations how proud we are of you.” 1 Corinthians 7.17 and 2 Corinthians 8.1 are possible parallels; in both these places, Good News Bible translates “in.” This translation seems rather static, and on the whole, perhaps the third meaning suits the context best. In any event, the meaning is simply a locative designation for the place and hence of the persons involved in the communication.

It is sometimes essential to translate the churches of God as “the other churches of God.” Otherwise the implication would be that either Paul and his companions had boasted about the faith of the Thessalonians to the people within the church of Thessalonica itself, or that the church of Thessalonica was not to be included among the churches of God. The phrase the churches of God poses an additional problem since it might be rendered in such a way as to refer to the buildings where the congregations met, rather than to the congregations themselves. If one wishes to emphasize the membership of the churches, it may be necessary to say “when speaking to the people of the other churches of God.” On the churches of God, see 1 Thess. 2.14. In rendering the phrase churches of God, it is important to make clear that these churches belong to God, avoiding any rendering which would suggest churches which God attends.

The Greek does not repeat we boast about. Good News Translation does so in order to divide the sentence, but the other common language translations do not find this necessary.

About the way you continue to endure and believe is literally “about your endurance and faith.” On both these qualities, see 1 Thess. 1.3. Good News Translation changes the original nouns into verbs, since the context shows clearly that the Thessalonians’ endurance and faith are expressed in active resistance in the face of persecutions and sufferings. These two words are often linked together (for example, in Mark 4.17, where the order is reversed and the nouns are in the singular). On sufferings, see 1 Thess. 3.3.

It would be possible to interpret to endure and believe as referring to “the endurance of faith,” that is, “continuing to believe” or “… to trust.” It is better, however, to assume that endure refers primarily to continuing faithfulness to God and believe to continuing trust. These meanings may be expressed in some languages as “how you stand firm and continue to believe.”

You are experiencing translated a rather unemphatic verb which, according to context, can mean undergoing persecution, “bearing with” someone, or even listening patiently to a speech. Moffatt, like Good News Translation, translates unemphatically “in which you are involved.” Bijbel in Gewone Taal and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch omit the verb altogether and translate “in all persecutions and sufferings.”

Through all the persecutions and sufferings you are experiencing may be rendered simply as “during all the times that you are persecuted and are caused to suffer.” However, the contrast between enduring faith and the persecutions which would tend to diminish faith may be expressed in some languages as “the way you continue to endure and to believe, despite all the ways in which you are persecuted and suffer.”

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

This verse is the same as 1 Thess. 5.28, except for the addition of all (cf. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “Jesus Christ our Lord keep you all in his grace,” Bijbel in Gewone Taal “our Lord Jesus Christ be gracious to you all”).

The final blessing must be expressed in the form of a prayer in many languages, for example, “I pray that our Lord Jesus Christ may be kind to you all.”

“Amen” and the final note included in King James Version are not part of the original text.

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

Do not let anyone deceive you in any way is equally emphatic in Greek and English. These words sum up the content of verse 2 and make it clear that Paul is thinking, not (or not primarily) that the Christians at Thessalonica might misunderstand something, but that someone might deliberately deceive them. An equivalent of do not let anyone deceive you in any way may be “do not permit anyone to fool you in the least.” In some instances an equivalent may be “do not believe at all the wrong words that people are telling you about this.”

For the Day will not come until makes explicit, as do virtually all translations from King James Version onwards, an idea which is implicit in the Greek, and which Paul would have expressed if he had not broken off his sentence at the end of verse 2. The key clause in verse 3 is literally “unless the apostasy comes first.”

The conjunction for would suggest a causal relation between not being deceived by the claims of the Day of the Lord having already come and the certainty of the future event for the Day of the Lord. Therefore it may be essential in some instances to translate “do not let anyone deceive you in any way, for you may be sure that the Day will not come….” It may also be important to render the Day as “that special Day.”

In some languages there is a problem involved in speaking about “a day coming.” Objects may come, but not time. However, in most instances one may speak of “a day happening” or say “it will be that day.”

From this point until at least verse 10, the translator has the difficult but necessary task of distinguishing between the meaning of the language Paul uses and the theological or other realities to which they are intended to refer. The latter aspect is the task of the biblical theologian. For example, general commentaries and many special studies try to answer the question: who is the one who holds it back in verse 7? (cf. v. 6). The translator should be aware of this and similar problems, but he should avoid any attempt to present a particular solution in his translation.

Final Rebellion translates a single word (cf. Revised Standard Version “rebellion”) which in secular Greek mean “desertion,” often associated with treason and rebellion against a lawful ruler. In the Greek Old Testament, including the deuterocanonical books (or Apocrypha), the word is used to describe unfaithfulness to God or the denial of God. This is the meaning of the closely related English word “apostasy.” Acts 21.21, the only other place in the New Testament where this term is used, speaks of those who “abandon the Law of Moses” (Good News Bible). The element of rebellion is perhaps implied, and is certainly present in later verses of the present chapter, but the central meaning is that of being unfaithful to, abandoning, or denying something or someone. A previous relationship with the person or belief denied is strongly presupposed. The translation should not, however, specify a denial of faith in Christ, since the context does not refer only to people who have been Christians. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “first must many fall away from God.” As Good News Translation makes clear, “first” means “before the day of the Lord.” Paul is not beginning to number a series of points, and the translation should not leave the reader expecting a later sentence beginning “second” or “next.”

In many languages Rebellion can only be expressed as a verb, with some type of indication of those who participate in the rebellion. Until the final Rebellion takes place must thus be rendered in some languages as “until the time when so many people rebel against God,” “… turn against God,” or “… refuse to have anything to do with God.”

Appears is literally “is revealed” (Revised Standard Version). Passive verbs often indicate the activity of God, but this seems rather far-fetched here. “Reveal” in this verse does not have a technical theological meaning; it simply means that someone who had been hidden now comes out into the open, so the translation appears is satisfactory.

The Wicked One is literally “the man of lawlessness,” according to the most likely reading of the Greek, though some manuscripts, followed by King James Version, have “man of sin.”

In 1 Corinthians 9.21, a related form of the word translated here Wicked is used, not with a bad meaning, but to refer to non-Jews who do not know the law of Moses. Almost always, however, this and related words refer to those who actively disobey a law which they do know. Verse 4 shows that Paul is not thinking only of those within the Jewish and Christian tradition.

Good News Translation‘s the Wicked One, even with the capitals, is perhaps not quite as strong as the original. Bijbel in Gewone Taal‘s tempting “the one … who is lawlessness in person,” on the other hand, is a slight overtranslation. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch strikes a balance with “the enemy of God,” anticipating verse 4, and adds a glossary note. In a number of languages the Wicked One is rendered as “the one who completely opposes God,” or “the one who is against everything that God has ever said.”

Who is destined to hell is literally “the son of perdition.” There is no doubt that this is the same person as the Wicked One, who is described in more detail in verse 4. The literal translation “son of perdition” is unnatural in English. It reflects a Hebrew idiom which describes, first, character (e.g. Acts 4.36 “son of encouragement,” Good News Translation “ ‘One who Encourages’ ”), and second, the group to which one belongs (e.g. Mt. 13.38 “sons of the kingdom,” Good News Translation “the people who belong to the Kingdom”). In the present verse, “son of perdition” almost certainly means neither “the perverter” nor “the corrupter” (Bijbel in Gewone Taal); not “the product of all that leads to death” (Phillips, a literal misunderstanding of the Hebrew idiom), but “the one who is to be destroyed” (“by God” [implied], therefore “in hell”). In verse 10 he will appear as the leader of others who are also to be destroyed.

In order to make certain that the relative clause who is destined to hell is a nonrestrictive attributive and qualifier of the Wicked One, it may be necessary in some languages to employ a new sentence, for example, “He is the one whom God will destroy” or “… destroy in hell.” It may be even useful in some cases to indicate the certainly of the destruction by saying “whom God will surely destroy in hell.” Destruction should be rendered, not merely as “killing” or “causing to suffer,” but by some such expression as “cause to come to an end” or “utterly ruin.”

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

This verse links God’s purpose for men with specific events which happened during Paul’s visit to Thessalonica. The verb called refers to a particular point in time, and through the Good News we preached to you (literally “through our gospel,” cf. 1 Thess. 1.5) tells us to what point in time Paul is referring. Some difficulties may be encountered in translating called, for this is not the idea of “shouting at” or “calling a person’s name at a distance.” The closest equivalent in some languages is “earnestly invite” or even “urge.”

To this means everything Paul has mentioned as part of God’s purpose: salvation, sanctification, and faith. The purpose of to this is explained in the second part of the verse as to possess your share of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though the implication of to this are spelled out later in verse 14, it may be necessary in the first part of the verse to employ some such phrase as “to this new kind of life” or “to be his people.”

He called you is not in the Greek, but is repeated from the beginning of the verse in order to divide the sentence.

On to possess, see 1 Thess. 5.9. Both there and here, the word means “gaining possession of.” In other contexts it can mean simply possess, but here the context shows that Paul is thinking of a process rather than a state. Bible de Jérusalem “enter into possession” combines both ideas rather effectively.

Your share of is implicit in the original. The idea is not that of dividing something, but of participating in the glory (see 1 Thess. 2.6) which is part of the nature of God himself. Barclay has “he wanted you to have as your own the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Though it is important to avoid the implication of dividing up the glory of Jesus Christ, it is also important to avoid the implication that one is to take over as one’s own the glory of Jesus Christ. The emphasis here is upon participating in the glory. This may be expressed in some languages as “to also be happy because of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” In some instances the closest equivalent may be “to have a little of that wonderfulness which the Lord Jesus Christ has.”

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

This verse restates in more detail what Paul has said in verse 7 about his own and his companions’ example. As often in Paul’s writings (e.g. 1 Thess. 1.5, 8), this verse consists of a negative statement followed by a positive one, and the two are contrasted by a strong “but.” Good News Translation brings out the contrast by beginning a new sentence with instead. Conversely, we worked and toiled and we kept working day and night (literally “but in work and toil night and day we worked”) should be taken closely together.

We did not accept anyone’s support without paying for it is literally “nor did we eat bread from anyone for nothing.” “Bread” is a common Hebrew idiom for food of any kind (cf. Jerusalem Bible “have our meals at anyone’s table,” Translator’s New Testament “we paid for all the food we were given”). Some translations, like Good News Translation, are even wider; New English Bible has “board and lodging,” and Barclay “maintenance.” There is a slight contradiction in meaning between accept … support and without paying for it, since to accept someone’s support implies becoming someone’s debtor. In translation into other languages, it is best to make it clear that Paul did not accept any object (food, or at most board and lodging) without paying for it.

Without paying for it is essentially a negative condition meaning “unless we paid for it,” or “if we did not pay for it.” The combination of a negative statement, we did not accept anyone’s support, with the negative condition may prove misleading in some languages, and a shift to a completely positive statement may be necessary, for example, “we accepted help from people only if we paid for it,” or “we let people help us, but we always paid them for what they did.” A more specific reference to food might be introduced as “we paid for all the food we received from anyone.”

The contrast between the first and second parts of verse 8 may be introduced in a somewhat fuller manner by saying “Instead of receiving something for nothing, we worked and toiled….”

Worked and toiled in Greek are nouns indicating events, which Good News Translation and some other translations therefore render by verbs. The same nouns are used in 1 Thess. 2.9. We kept working day and night so as not to be an expense to any of you is identical in Greek with part of 1 Thess. 2.9, where Good News Bible had trouble for expense. The difference in translation can be attributed to the difference in contexts. Paul’s point in 1 Thess. 2 is “we came to you with pure motives, asking nothing for ourselves, but eager to share the Christian message with you.” In 2 Thess. 3 Paul is concerned, not only to defend the evangelists’ own behavior, but to offer it as an example to his readers. His main interest now is not their behavior in general, but the work they did. In other respects, the notes on 1 Thess. 2.9 apply to this verse also.

It may be impossible in some languages to find two verbs corresponding to worked and toiled. The two words found in the Greek text do not indicate different kinds of activity; they are used simply to emphasize that much labor was involved. Therefore one may say “we worked very hard indeed.”

A literal rendering of we kept working day and night can be misleading in some languages, since it might be understood to mean “all day and all night,” thus allowing no time for rest or anything else. It may therefore be necessary to use a more general statement such as “we are working almost all the time,” or “we hardly stopped working.”

The purpose clause so as not to be an expense to any of you may be expressed in some languages as a reason, for example, “because we did not want to be an expense to any of you,” or “because we did not want any of you to have to pay something to help us.”

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

From this point onward Paul’s thought moves steadily toward the main theme of this letter: the last days and the final judgment. However, these events are not wholly in the future; what has been happening to the Thessalonians, and the way in which they have reacted, are directly related to the coming climax of history and the final victory of Christ. The exact relation between present and future events raises not only theological problems but problems of translation. These are not made any easier by the fact that, although many of the expressions Paul uses in this passage have a future meaning, it is not until verse 9 that he uses a verb in the future tense.

In this passage, Paul uses his favorite device of repeating the same ideas in increasing detail, so as to emphasize them and produce an emotive climax.

1. The activity of God is closely linked with that of Christ. In verse 7 the passive statement “the Lord Jesus is revealed” is equivalent to “God reveals the Lord Jesus,” and it should be so translated in languages where the passive voice is rarely used or does not exists.

2. Similarly, the translator may need to make it clear that the implied agent of “that you may be made worthy” in verse 5 is God; that “to be glorified” in verse 10 implies that “his saints” will glorify Christ (cf. Good News Translation to receive glory from all his people, and v. 12, the name of our Lord Jesus will receive glory from you); and that “was believed” in verse 10 means that the Thessalonian Christians believed the message.

3. The verbs which are underlined in the diagram are the only ones whose tense is explicit in the original. Nevertheless, it is clear that Paul is drawing a double contrast between present and future, and between the Thessalonian Christians and their persecutors. The Christians suffer now, but they will share the kingdom in the future. The persecutors cause suffering now, but they will themselves suffer in the future. The translator should try where possible to bring out, in the form as well as the content of his translation, this complex network of contrasts.

4. The main emphasis falls, towards the end of the passage (vv. 8-9), on the punishment of the persecutors. Indeed, the power of evil is a recurring theme in the letter as a whole.

The first group of problems for the translator concerns the relation of verse 5a to verses 4 and 5b. Within this group, the first difficulty, and perhaps the easiest to solve, is one of punctuation, since the oldest Greek manuscripts have no punctuation marks. The UBS Greek text puts a comma at the end of verse 5, and although individual commentators have at times suggested a different punctuation (see the general commentaries), translations generally agree with Good News Translation in taking the comma as the equivalent of a major pause. By far the most natural procedure is to begin a new sentence at this point.

The first part of verse 5 is rather abrupt: literally, “proof” (better, “evidence”; the exact meaning will be discussed later) “of the righteous judgment of God.” What is this “proof”? Some translators find it in something which Paul has mentioned earlier: either (1) the persecutions (e.g. Moffatt “they are proof positive of God’s equity”); or (2) the Thessalonians’ endurance and faith (e.g. Phillips 1st ed. “these qualities show…”; but compare 2nd ed. “[God] intends to use your suffering to prove you worthy of his kingdom”); or the Thessalonians themselves (e.g. Translator’s New Testament “you are a clear example…”); or (3) the whole of what Paul has just been discussing (e.g. Jerusalem Bible “it all shows that God’s judgment is just”). Other translators find the “proof” in something Paul mentions later. Knox, for example, translates “it will be a proof of the just award God makes, when he finds you worthy of a place in his kingdom.” A third group of translations do not make it clear whether the word “proof” is related to something in verse 4 or something later in verse 5. It is difficult to be certain whether Revised Standard Version‘s “this is evidence” and Good News Translation‘s all of this proves are intended to look backward or forward. In fact, the Greek text may be interpreted as pointing in both directions.

Jerusalem Bible‘s solution (cf. Barclay and [less explicitly] King James Version Bible en français courant Bible de Jérusalem La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond révisée Le Nouveau Testament. Version Synodale Zürcher Bibel) seems the most satisfactory, that is, a general backward-looking reference to the situation Paul has just been describing. How this situation constitutes evidence or proof of God’s righteous judgment is a question which takes us to the frontier between translation and exegesis. One possibility is: When people of such faith as the Thessalonians have to endure such fierce and undeserved persecutions, it is a clear sign that God must soon intervene in judgment, to reward the believers (cf. v. 5b) and to punish those responsible for the persecution (cf. v. 6). This interpretation fits well with the wider context (see also vv. 7-8). (Best’s interpretation, “Paul says: ‘I have boasted about you; this is a sign that God will count you worthy then’ ” [p. 255], seems somewhat forced in that it gives rather too great prominence to Paul’s “boasting.”)

If we followed such an interpretation as that suggested above, it would be difficult to accept the translation “proof.” The only place this particular word is used in the whole of the Greek scriptures is here, though it is related in form and meaning to a word used in Philippians 1.28, where Good News Translation translates “will prove.” The difficulty is that “proof” (especially if used with a verb in the present tense, such as “this is proof,” or the verb proves, as in Good News Translation) seems to refer to something which is already clear for everyone to see; but the context shows that this is not the case. The persecutions and the Thessalonians’ persistent faith belong to the present; but it is the main point of the entire letter to show that the final judgment does not belong to the present. On the other hand, such translations as “this is a sign” or “this shows” are regarded by some as being too weak; there are other expressions which Paul could have used if this were all he meant. Best’s “sure sign” (cf. Rigaux) and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “thereby already now God’s righteous judgment shows itself” combine effectively, though in different ways, the present and future elements of Paul’s message at this point.

Throughout this passage Paul makes repeated use of two groups of related words: (1) “persecutions” (v. 4), “suffering” and “suffer” (v. 6): “suffering” in verse 5 is related in meaning but not in form; (2) “righteous” (v. 5), “right” (v. 6), and “punish” (v. 8). The function of these repetitions is to maintain the momentum, and thereby the emotive level, of this long Greek sentence. In translation, it will not always be possible to reproduce this effect, but any loss can usually be compensated for in other ways. For example, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “Gottes gerechtes Gericht” (“God’s just judgment”) contains alliteration and other echoes which are not present in the original.

One of the difficulties with a literal rendering of “proof” is that it suggests merely some kind of verbal demonstration. Paul evidently has much more in mind. Perhaps the closest equivalent would be “clear evidence.” If one is to relate this to the persecution and suffering which the Thessalonians have endured, one may say “the fact that you have suffered so much shows clearly” or “… assures us.” This may then be followed by a verbal form of God’s judgment is just as “that God will judge justly.”

Judgment is the act of judging rather than the verdict which the judge gives. The distinction is not always significant, but in this case it is, since Paul is mainly thinking of the events which will precede and accompany the end. God’s judgment is just may be rendered in some languages as “God will judge people as he should,” “… as they should be judged,” or “on the basis of what they truly deserve.”

As a result translates a Greek construction which may indicate result (as in Good News Translation cf. Bible en français courant and Rigaux), purpose (as in Jerusalem Bible “the purpose of it is,” cf. Moffatt Barclay Traduction œcuménique de la Bible etc.), or some vaguer connection (as in Translator’s New Testament “and in the end you will be counted worthy,” cf. Bible de Jérusalem Best etc.). It is impossible to be certain, and in any case purpose and result, especially with God as the subject, are almost indistinguishable in many biblical contexts. It may be convenient to begin a new sentence at this point and to treat verse 5b as a fuller statement of what Paul has already said in verse 5a. This is typical of Paul’s style. The translation would then run: “all this is a sure sign of God’s righteous judgment. The result will be….”

It is important that one indicate clearly that as a result refers to what the Thessalonians had experienced. This relation is best expressed in some languages simply as cause, for example, “Because of what you have experienced, you will become worthy of God’s Kingdom.”

The verb translated will become worthy may have this meaning, but its literal, as well as its more common meaning, is “will be counted worthy.” The passive is a common indirect way of referring to God, and Knox makes this explicit: “when he finds you worthy of a place in his kingdom”; cf. Moffatt “he means to make you worthy of it” and Phillips. If some such translation as “count worthy” (cf. Translator’s New Testament) or “find worthy” (Knox) is chosen, it will be necessary to avoid any suggestion of a legal fiction by which God would treat as worthy those who really were not. Some translators render worthy simply as “good enough for.” But this introduces an element which is really foreign to the context. A more appropriate equivalent would be “deserving of” or “deserving the recompense of.”

On his Kingdom, see the notes on 1 Thess. 2.12. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates this phrase as “God’s new world”; Good News Translation Bible en français courant Biblia Dios Habla Hoy Translator’s New Testament Traduction œcuménique de la Bible add glossary notes. In a number of languages his Kingdom must be expressed in terms of God’s rulership; that is to say, “worthy of God ruling over you,” “deserving to have God as your king,” or “… as your ruler”. Though some persons might insist that this reference to God’s Kingdom does have temporal and spatial qualifications, the focus here seems to be essentially upon the believer’s relation to God—not simply upon some time or place in which God will eventually rule completely.

For which you are suffering. In Greek as in English, for is a word which covers a wide area of meaning. Here, the most likely meaning is not “on behalf of” but “because of.” It is particularly important to avoid the implication that the suffering of the Thessalonian believers would advance the Kingdom in some manner. Rather, it was because of their faithfulness to God as the king of their lives that they were suffering. One must also avoid the implication that the Thessalonians were suffering for the sake of getting into the Kingdom as though their suffering had as a goal their becoming good enough to be admitted into God’s Kingdom.

The Greek is literally “for which you also are suffering.” Good News Translation and many other translations omit the word “also.” Some kind of comparison is intended. There are two main possibilities: (1) Paul is comparing the Thessalonians suffering with that of others, including himself and his companions. This would fit in well with the words and to us as well (literally “with us”) in verse 7. However, Paul does not refer anywhere else in this chapter to his own sufferings. (2) The word “also” may simply link two statements about the kingdom: (a) “God reigns, and he will judge you worthy to share in his reign” (v. 5a), and (b) “it is because of his reign, because you acknowledge God as king, that you are suffering now” (v. 5b). Bible de Jérusalem (cf. Rigaux Best) understands “also” in the first way: “the kingdom of God for which you also are suffering”; but Jerusalem Bible, its English counterpart, implicitly takes “also” in the second way: “it is for the sake of this” (i.e. the kingdom) “that you are suffering now” (cf. Knox Bijbel in Gewone Taal). If the word “also” is omitted, as in Good News Translation, the second meaning tends to be implied. Some translations are ambiguous, but ambiguity should be avoided if possible. You are suffering, as already indicated in Diagram 1, is a real present tense. Knox‘s translation, “for which you are prepared to suffer,” has no basis in the Greek.

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