1THESSALONIANS CHAPTER 2 - CONTEMPORARY ALIGNED VERSION (SPIRITCODE)

1. I hope you know that our mission in coming to you was not without reward.

2. And even though we had previously been physically abused at Philippi, we had confidence in God that we were to bring the Gospel to you and put up with whatever opposition we might encounter.

3. There was nothing fraudulent or deceitful, or immoral, or smacking of trickery in our appeal for you to listen to us,

4. but because we were seen fit to be trusted with this message of a shared life with Jesus, we tell it like it is, not worrying about what man’s opinion might be, but concerned only with God’s viewpoint - He knows our heart attitude in all of this

5. And as you well know, we never tried to smooth-talk you, and as God certainly knows we never used talk just to take.

6. We didn’t look for praise from you, or from anybody else, and never even thought of using our role as apostles of Christ to gain any advantage over you. 

7. We showed the same sort of kindness to all of you as a mother would give to her little children.

8. Feeling this deep love for you, we wanted to impart to you not only the truth of a shared life with Jesus; we wanted to also impart our own hearts and souls to you.

9. You must remember how we worked hard day and night to support ourselves, so that we would not put pressure on you to support us as we preached the Gospel to you.

10. And you can surely testify to the fact that before God we devoted ourselves to treating you fairly and justly. Our conduct in this was evident to you as believers.

11. Not to mention how we coached and cajoled you, like a father would his own children,

12. So that you would live lives that are appropriate to God’s invitation to share in displaying his kingdom to the world.

13. This is why we never stop thanking God, because when you accepted the word of God from us you embraced it as truly as if it was God speaking to you, and not just a man. That is why it has had such a tremendous effect upon your faith.

14. Then you walked in the footsteps of the Judean church, suffering persecution from your own countrymen, just as they were persecuted by their own fellow Jews,

15. Who not only killed the Lord Jesus as they did their own prophets before him, but they have persecuted us. This not only acts against God, but works against all of humanity,

16. Preventing us from bringing the message of salvation to the nations. They continue to top up their cup of sinfulness to its fullness, and they have brought God’s indignation against them to its fullness.

17. My dear friends, we were separated from you for a short time, even though we were still with you in mind and heart, but this made us all the more eager to see you again face to face.

18. I assure you that I, Paul, wanted to come to see you many times, except that Satan hindered us

19. So what is it that sustains us and gives us hope and joy? It will be joining with you at the return of Jesus and celebrating.

20. You are our reward that we will enjoy seeing on display in eternity.