1 Tesalonika 2:13-18

2:13 And so ¹  we too constantly thank God that when you received God’s message that you heard from us, ²  you accepted it not as a human message, ³  but as it truly is, God’s message, which is at work among you who believe. 2:14 For you became imitators, brothers and sisters, ⁴  of God’s churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, because you too suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they in fact did from the Jews, 2:15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets ⁵  and persecuted us severely. ⁶  They are displeasing to God and are opposed to all people, 2:16 because they hinder us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. Thus they constantly fill up their measure of sins, ⁷  but wrath ⁸  has come upon them completely. ⁹ 

Forced Absence from Thessalonica

2:17 But when we were separated from you, brothers and sisters, ¹⁰  for a short time (in presence, not in affection) ¹¹  we became all the more fervent in our great desire ¹²  to see you in person. ¹³  2:18 For we wanted to come to you (I, Paul, in fact tried again and again) ¹⁴  but Satan thwarted us.

[2:13]  ¹ tn Grk “for this reason,” which seems to look back to Paul’s behavior just described. But it may look forward to v. 13b and mean: “and here is another reason that we constantly thank God: that…”

[2:13]  ² tn Grk “God’s word of hearing from us.”

[2:13]  ³ tn Paul’s focus is their attitude toward the message he preached: They received it not as a human message but a message from God.

[2:14]  ⁴ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.

[2:15]  ⁵ tc ἰδίους (idious, “their own prophets”) is found in D¹ Ψ Ï sy Mcion^T. This is obviously a secondary reading. Marcion’s influence may stand behind part of the tradition, but the Byzantine text probably added the adjective in light of its mention in v. 14 and as a clarification or interpretation of which prophets were in view.

[2:15]  ⁶ tn Or “and drove us out” (cf. Acts 17:5-10).

[2:16]  ⁷ tn Grk “to fill up their sins always.”

[2:16]  ⁸ tc The Western text (D F G latt) adds τοῦ θεοῦ (tou qeou) to ὀργή (orgh) to read “the wrath of God,” in emulation of the normal Pauline idiom (cf., e.g., Rom 1:18; Eph 5:6; Col 3:6) and, most likely, to clarify which wrath is in view (since ὀργή is articular).

[2:16]  tn Or “the wrath,” possibly referring back to the mention of wrath in 1:10.

[2:16]  ⁹ tn Or “at last.”

[2:17]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.

[2:17]  ¹¹ tn Grk “in face, not in heart.”

[2:17]  ¹² tn Grk “with great desire.”

[2:17]  ¹³ tn Grk “to see your face.”

[2:18]  ¹⁴ tn Or “several times”; Grk, “both once and twice.” The literal expression “once and twice” is frequently used as a Greek idiom referring to an indefinite low number, but more than once (“several times”); see L&N 60.70.