SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Thessalonians 2002 – Page 5

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 5:9

5:9a

For: Here Paul wrote another reason for his commands in 5:6–8: Because God did not appoint Christians to suffer wrath, they must be alert and self-controlled.

appointed: Paul meant that God deliberately chose (or destined) to save those who have trusted in Jesus, rather than to punish them as he will punish unbelievers.

to suffer wrath: This refers to God’s anger. This is the usual phrase to express that God is angry with those who refuse to repent and trust in him and that God will punish them when the Lord Jesus returns.

5:9b

but to obtain salvation: In this context, salvation probably refers to when Jesus returns to judge everyone. At that time believers will be saved rather than being punished.

through our Lord Jesus Christ: It is God who saves people, but he does so by means of what Jesus has done through his death on the cross. This is made clear by the link to 5:10a. You may need to add this implied information in your translation.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 2:4

2:4a

Instead: This verse contrasts with 2:3, where Paul used negative statements. Rather than deceitful and wrong teaching (2:3), what Paul was preaching was approved by God (2:4).

we speak as those approved by God: The way that Paul and his companions preached and behaved wherever they went showed that God had examined their motives and behavior and had found that these were pure. Here is another way to translate this:

God…has judged us worthy to be entrusted (Good News Translation)

to be entrusted with the gospel: This is closely connected with the previous phrase. God had examined Paul and his companions and judged that he could trust them to preach the gospel faithfully.

2:4b

not in order to please men but God: Whatever Paul and his companions did, they did not do it so that human beings would praise them. It was God’s approval that was important to them.

men: The Greek word anthropos, which the Berean Standard Bible translates as men, is a word that means humans beings, male and female. It is not limited to males.

2:4c

who examines our hearts: Paul was using Old Testament language here to describe how God examines what people think. The Greek verb dokimazō, which the Berean Standard Bible translates as examines, is the same verb that Paul used in 2:4a (where the Berean Standard Bible translates it as “approved”). There is a similar idea in 2:5c, where Paul used the expression “God is our witness” in order to emphasize again that God had approved what they were doing.

hearts: People of different languages and cultures have unique ways to express what people think and how they feel. Many of these expressions refer to parts of the body as if they were the origin of these emotions. In Paul’s culture, the heart was considered to be the center of the inner life, including all thoughts, emotions and motives. You need to use the equivalent natural expression in your language.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 4:5

4:5a

not in lustful passion: The phrase lustful passion refers to the opposite of self-control. It refers to someone strongly desiring to have sexual intercourse with someone else, whether or not that person is their spouse.

4:5b

like the Gentiles who do not know God: The Greek word ethnē, which the Berean Standard Bible, King James Version, and New Revised Standard Version translate as Gentiles, is sometimes translated “heathen” (New International Version (2011 Revision), Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation). It is normally used by Jews to refer to those who are not Jews, those who do not worship the one true God. People who do not know God cannot behave in ways that please him.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 5:20

5:20

Do not treat prophecies with contempt: Here Paul gave a specific example of how people quench the Holy Spirit’s fire, that is, by rejecting prophecies without first evaluating them.

prophecies: Paul was not referring to Old Testament prophecies in this verse. Rather he was referring to prophecies that fellow believers were making. A prophecy could be about what would happen in the future or about present-day matters. For example, the prophecy could be a warning that God would punish those who were sinning unless they repented. Or it could be a promise that God would forgive, comfort, and encourage those who trusted him.

The emphasis in this command is on this word prophecies. See the note on 5:15b above. You should emphasize this in your translation in the way that is natural in your language.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 2:15

2:15a

who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets: Here Paul refers to the Jews as a collective whole across time. The Jews who killed …their own prophets refers to people who killed some of the Old Testament prophets from many generations ago. This refers to different people than those who plotted to kill Jesus, which happened only 20 years or so before Paul wrote this letter. In both cases, although the Jews are referred to as a whole, it was only certain people, or certain groups of people who wanted to have them killed.

who killed both the Lord Jesus: Although it was Roman soldiers who actually crucified Jesus, it was the Jewish leaders who handed Jesus over to the Romans and who were therefore responsible for his death. Notice that this group of Jews was not the same group of Jews who had persecuted the Judean churches (2:14b).

their own prophets: Paul was referring to the Old Testament prophets here. A literal translation of Paul’s words in some languages may imply that the Jews had killed all the prophets, so you may need to make it clear that it was only some prophets who were killed. For example:

who killed some of their own prophets

This is not referring to a specific event where many prophets were killed. It is referring broadly to the many generations during the Old Testament period where prophets were killed. Translate in a way that refers to many years of repeated incidents with different generations of people.

2:15b

and drove us out as well: The Greek word ekdiōkō, which the Berean Standard Bible translates as drove…out, can have several meanings. The commentators disagree about what it means in this verse. There are two possibilities:

(1) Paul used it with its literal meaning “to drive out.” This is what the Jews did to Paul in Thessalonica and Berea (Acts 17:5–10, 13–15).

(Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New International Version (2011 Revision), Revised English Bible, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version)

(2) Paul used the word with the secondary meaning “to persecute.” The way that Paul and his companions were being “driven out” is just one example of how they were “being persecuted.”

(King James Version, Good News Translation, God’s Word, NET Bible, New Jerusalem Bible)

In the context, the first option (1) makes the most sense and is therefore recommended. The Thessalonians would easily remember how Paul and his companions had been chased away from Thessalonica.

us: Most commentators agree that us refers specifically to Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy.

2:15c

They are displeasing to God: Commentators do not agree about how this should be understood here. There are two possibilities:

(1) The Jews were displeasing to God by the way that they were hindering Paul from preaching to the non-Jews (2:16a).

(2) The Jews were displeasing to God by the way that they were persecuting Christians.

Most English versions are ambiguous. It is recommended that you leave your translation ambiguous here if that is possible. However if you wish to make the connection clear, the Display shows one way to express the first interpretation (1).

2:15d-2:16a

and hostile to all men, hindering us from telling the Gentiles how they may be saved: The Jews were hostile to all people because they were trying to prevent believing people from sharing the Gospel with others. In Acts 13:45, 13:49, 14:2, 14:19, 17:5, and 17:13 there are examples of how the Jews tried to stop Paul from preaching to the non-Jews. They did not want God to save the non-Jews and cause them to also become part of his people. Here is another way to translate these verse parts:

they oppose everybody, trying to stop us(excl) from speaking to the non-Jews

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 4:16

4:16a

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven: The Lord Jesus is presently sitting at God’s right hand in heaven. See, for example, Luke 22:69; Acts 7:55. It is from there that he will descend to earth.

the Lord Himself: The Lord Jesus Christ will personally return to earth.

4:16b–d

with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God: Commentators disagree about whether this part of the verse describes three events, two events, or one event. However, the Greek text lists them as three events, and most English versions translate them in that way, so it is recommended that you also translate them as three distinct events.

4:16b

with a loud command: Most scholars agree that this refers to a command that Jesus himself will shout. If possible, do not state what or whom Jesus commands. Paul did not tell us, and so we can only guess. If it is necessary to include this information in your translation, you could translate it:

he will loudly command believers who have died to become alive again

4:16c

with the voice of an archangel: People will also hear an archangel speak. He may be speaking to other angels, but we do not know this.

an archangel: An archangel is a chief angel.

4:16d

with the trumpet of God: This does not mean that God will blow the trumpet, but that the trumpet belongs to God. Paul did not tell us here who will blow the trumpet. However, in Revelation, it is always angels who blow trumpets to announce events. See, for example, Revelation 8–11. If it is possible in your language, do not say who blows the trumpet, but that “God’s trumpet will be blown.” If it is necessary to indicate who blows the trumpet, you could say “an angel.”

4:16e

the dead in Christ: Most English versions understand this to refer to those who believed in Christ before they died, that is, “believers who have died.”

will be the first to rise: This means that the believers who have already died will become alive again, before those who are still living go to meet Christ in the air. It does not mean that those who have died will rise into the air before those who are still living.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 1:3

1:3a

and continually recalling before our God and Father: Of course, neither Paul nor God had forgotten the Thessalonians or what they had done. Rather, this phrase means that as Paul prayed for them, he remembered certain things about them (1:3b–d).

continually: The Greek word adialeiptōs, which the Berean Standard Bible translates as continually, actually occurs at the end of 1:2 in the Greek text. However, the commentators do not agree about which verb this word modifies. There are two possibilities:

(1) It modifies mnēmoneuō “recall” in 1:3a.

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (2011 Revision), King James Version, God’s Word, The Jerusalem Bible, New American Standard Bible, New Century Version, New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, SSA)

(2) It modifies the Greek phrase mneian poioumenoi “making mention” in 1:2.

(Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, New English Bible, NET Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New Living Translation (2004 Revision))

It is recommended that you follow the first option (1) because it is the most natural way to understand the Greek (see SSA, pages 22–23 for more details of why this is recommended).

before: This word is used in a figurative way here. Paul was saying that when he prayed to God, it was as if he was in the presence of a king to request something. You should translate this carefully so your readers do not misunderstand and think that Paul was talking about going to a specific place to pray.

our God and Father: In some languages using a possessive such as “our” with God might imply that God was in some sense possessed or owned. Clearly this phrase does not mean that here, because God cannot be owned by anyone. In other languages using a possessive might mean that Paul’s God was only one God among many. This is also not true, because Paul’s God is the only God. Here the expression our God means “the God whom we worship/serve.” Another method of avoiding the problem in this context is to combine the expression our God with and Father and say: “God who is our^(incl) Father.”

1:3b–d

your work of faith, your labor of love, and your enduring hope in our Lord Jesus Christ: In this part of the verse Paul listed the three aspects of the Thessalonians’ behavior that he remembered before God when he thanked God for them. The Greek here literally says: “…of you the work of the faith and labor of the love and endurance of the hope…” The following notes discuss the connection between faith and work, love and labor, hope and endurance.

your: In Greek the word humōn “of you (plur), your (plur)” only occurs once at the beginning of the list, but it belongs with all three phrases, as the Berean Standard Bible shows.

1:3b

your work of faith: Literally “of you the work of the faith.” Commentators suggest two meanings for this expression:

(1) Their work was the result of their faith. This means that they worked because they believed in Jesus.

(Good News Translation, New International Version (2011 Revision), New Century Version, SSA).

(2) Their work proved they had faith.

(Revised English Bible, The Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you follow the first option (1) because it has the strongest commentary support.

1:3c

your labor of love: Literally “of you…the labor of the love.” Most scholars think that this means that because the Thessalonians loved other believers, they worked diligently to help them. When you translate this, it may be necessary to make clear who loves and who is the one loved. One way to do this would be:

You work diligently to help other believers, because you love them.

1:3d

and your enduring hope in our Lord Jesus Christ: Literally “of you…the endurance of the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

enduring hope: Literally “endurance of hope.” Biblical scholars understand this expression in one of two ways:

(1) It means that the Thessalonians endured persecution because they believed strongly in the Lord Jesus. In other words, what they believed caused them to endure.

(New International Version (2011 Revision), New Century Version, SSA)

(2) It means that their hope was steadfast, that it endured. For example:

how your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ is firm (Good News Translation)

(Berean Standard Bible, Good News Translation, God’s Word, Contemporary English Version, New Jerusalem Bible).

It is recommended that you follow the first interpretation (1). 1 Thessalonians 1:6, 2:14, 3:4, and 3:8 support this. In these verses Paul spoke favorably about how the Christians had endured firmly while people were persecuting them.

hope in our Lord Jesus Christ: In this context, the event that the Thessalonians were hoping for was the time when the Lord Jesus would return. See 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18.

hope: In English a person can “hope” that something will happen without being sure in any way that it will happen. However, in the biblical sense it means “being certain that something will happen.” It is almost equivalent to “strongly believing that something will happen.”

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 3:7

3:7a

For this reason: This refers back to 3:6. Timothy had told Paul and his companions the good news about the Thessalonians (3:6), and For this reason, they felt encouraged despite their troubles.

brothers: See the note on 1:4.

our distress and persecution: The Greek words anagkē (distress) and thlipsis (persecution) mean almost the same thing. If you do not have two similar words to use here, one way you could combine the words in your translation would be to say: “we suffer much because people are persecuting us.” It seems that people were persecuting Paul and his companions in Corinth, where he was when he wrote this letter.

persecution: The Greek word thlipsis, which the Berean Standard Bible translates as persecution here, is the same word that was translated as “suffering” in 1:6c and “trials” in 3:3a.

3:7b

we have been reassured about you: What encouraged them was the good news that the Thessalonians were continuing to believe in Christ. Here is another way to translate this clause:

we were encouraged about you (New International Version (2011 Revision))

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Source: SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 2002

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 5:9

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 2:4

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 4:5

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 5:20

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 2:15

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 4:16

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 1:3

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 3:7

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