Year of the Bible
1 Thessalonians 2
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Commentary on the First Letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians, Chapter 2:
Co-senders Paul, Silas, and Timothy remind the believers in Thessalonica how they ministered and formed them in the faith, when they had been present in-person. They accompanied them in their new faith in Jesus as Lord, keeping the focus on God (vs. 4), with humility (vs. 5-6), with the care and affection of a nursing mother (vs. 8-9, and the encouraging exhortations of a father (vs. 11). Paul, Silas, and Timothy commend the Thessalonian believers for their witness (vs. 10) and for their desire to grow in faith, receiving the “word of God” as God’s transformative power, working “in” them as believers (vs. 13).
The First Letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians, Chapter 2:
Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica
1 For you yourselves know, brethren, that our visit to you was not in vain; 2 but though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the face of great opposition. 3 For our appeal does not spring from error or uncleanness, nor is it made with guile; 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please men, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5 For we never used either words of flattery, as you know, or a cloak for greed, as God is witness; 6 nor did we seek glory from men, whether from you or from others, though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. 7 But we were gentle among you, like a nurse taking care of her children. 8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.
9 For you remember our labor and toil, brethren; we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you, while we preached to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our behavior to you believers; 11 for you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you 12 to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. 14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus which are in Judea; for you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all men 16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they may be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But God’s wrath has come upon them at last!
Paul’s Desire to Visit the Thessalonians Again
17 But since we were deprived of you, brethren, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face; 18 because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20 For you are our glory and joy.
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
Paul speaks of how hard they've been working to encourage and support the community in growing to live and share the Gospel of Jesus and their very selves. Jesus, in what ways are you inviting me to work harder to conduct myself according to your commandments and ways?
Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan. Join a Catholic Biblical School of Michigan class this September at Holy Family in Grand Blanc or online.
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this.
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1 Conocéis bien, hermanos, que
nuestra estancia entre vosotros no
fue infructuosa, 2 sino que, como sabéis,
después de haber padecido sufrimientos
e injurias en Filipos, tuvimos
confianza en nuestro Dios para predicaros
el Evangelio de Dios en medio de
muchos combates. 3 Nuestra exhortación
no procede, por eso, del error ni
de la impureza, ni es engañosa. 4 Al contrario,
ya que Dios nos ha encontrado
dignos de confiarnos el Evangelio, hablamos
no como quien busca agradar a
los hombres, sino a Dios, que ve el fondo
de nuestros corazones. 5 Como sabéis,
nunca nos hemos movido con
palabras aduladoras, ni por avaricia disimulada
–Dios es testigo–, 6 ni buscando
gloria humana, ni de vosotros ni
de nadie. 7 Aunque, como apóstoles de
Cristo, podríamos haber impuesto el
peso de nuestra autoridad, sin embargo
nos comportamos con dulzura entre
vosotros. Como una madre que da
alimento y calor a sus hijos, 8 así, movidos
por nuestro amor, queríamos entregaros
no sólo el Evangelio de Dios, sino
incluso nuestras propias vidas, ¡tanto os
llegamos a querer! 9 Pues recordáis, hermanos,
nuestro esfuerzo y nuestra fatiga:
trabajando día y noche, para no ser
gravosos a ninguno de vosotros, os predicamos
el Evangelio de Dios. 10 Testigos
sois, y Dios también, de que nuestra
conducta entre vosotros, los creyentes,
fue santa, justa e irreprochable. 11 Como
un padre a sus hijos –lo sabéis bien–, a
cada uno 12 os alentábamos y os consolábamos,
exhortándoos a que vivierais de
una manera digna de Dios, que os llama
a su Reino y a su gloria.
13 Y por eso también nosotros damos
gracias a Dios sin cesar, porque, cuando
recibisteis la palabra que os predicamos,
la acogisteis no como palabra humana,
sino como lo que es en verdad: palabra
divina, que actúa eficazmente en vosotros,
los creyentes. 14 Pues, hermanos, os
habéis hecho imitadores de las iglesias
de Dios que están en Judea, en Cristo Jesús,
puesto que habéis sufrido también
de vuestros compatriotas lo mismo que
ellos han sufrido de los judíos. 15 Éstos
son los que mataron al Señor Jesús y a
los profetas, y también a nosotros nos
han perseguido. Y así no sólo no agradan
a Dios, sino que se hacen enemigos
de todos los hombres, 16 al impedir que
prediquemos a los gentiles para que se
salven; y así están siempre colmando la
medida de sus pecados. Pero la ira contra
ellos ha llegado al límite.
Hermanos, nosotros, privados por
breve tiempo de vuestra compañía –físicamente,
no de corazón–, ardíamos en
deseos de veros.
18 Por eso quisimos ir donde vosotros;
al menos yo, Pablo, lo intenté una
y otra vez, pero Satanás nos lo impidió.
19 Pues ¿quién sino vosotros será nuestra
esperanza, nuestro gozo, nuestra coron
de gloria ante nuestro Señor Jesús el día
de su venida? 20 Sí, verdaderamente sois
nuestra gloria y nuestro gozo.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
Pablo habla de lo mucho que han trabajado para estimular y apoyar a la comunidad en el crecimiento para vivir y compartir el Evangelio de Jesús y de ellos mismos. Jesús, ¿de qué manera me estás invitando a esforzarme para vivir según tus mandamientos y caminos?
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).