帖撒罗尼迦前书1:4-10
4被神所爱的弟兄啊，我知道你们是蒙拣选的。5因为我们的福音传到你们那里，不独在乎言语，也在乎权能和圣灵，并充足的信心，正如你们知道我们在你们那里，为你们的缘故是怎样为人。6并且你们在大难之中，蒙了圣灵所赐的喜乐，领受真道，就效法我们，也效法了主。7甚至你们作了马其顿和亚该亚，所有信主之人的榜样。8因为主的道从你们那里已经传扬出来，你们向神的信心不但在马其顿和亚该亚，就是在各处，也都传开了。所以不用我们说什么话。9因为他们自己已经报明我们是怎样进到你们那里，你们是怎样离弃偶像归向神，要服侍那又真又活的神，10等候他儿子从天降临，就是他从死里复活的，那位救我们脱离将来忿怒的耶稣。
4We know, dear brothers and sisters,#1:4 Greek brothers. that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people. 5For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance#1:5 Or with the power of the Holy Spirit, so you can have full assurance. that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you. 6So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord. 7As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece—throughout both Macedonia and Achaia.#1:7 Macedonia and Achaia were the northern and southern regions of Greece. 8And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don’t need to tell them about it, 9for they keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the living and true God. 10And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.
