----------1 Thessalonians--------------- 

Praescriptio: 1:1 

    1:1 Paul, Silva'nus, and Timothy, 
    To the church of the Thessalo'nians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 
    Grace to you and peace. 
Proem: 1:2-10 
    1:2 We give thanks to God always for you all, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 1:3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1:4 For we know, brethren beloved by God, that he has chosen you; 1:5 for our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.1 You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 1:6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit; 1:7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedo'nia and in Acha'ia. 1:8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedo'nia and Acha'ia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 1:9 For they themselves report concerning us what a welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, 1:10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. 
Body:  
Divisions (anticipated in the Proem expansion elements): 
1. Chapters 2-3 (1:3-9): Paul's positive relations with the Thessalonian Christians 
    3:1-10 (Designated Text):2  
    3:1 Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, 3:2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's servant in the gospel of Christ, to establish you in your faith and to exhort you, 3:3 that no one be moved by these afflictions. You yourselves know that this is to be our lot. 3:4 For when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction; just as it has come to pass, and as you know. 3:5 For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent that I might know your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and that our labor would be in vain. 

    3:6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you — 3:7 for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith; 3:8 for now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord. 3:9 For what thanksgiving can we render to God for you, for all the joy which we feel for your sake before our God, 3:10 praying earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith? 

2. Chapters 3-4 (1:10): Preparing for the Second Coming of Christ 
    4:3-8 (Designated Text): 
    4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from unchastity; 4:4 that each one of you know how to take a wife for himself in holiness and honor, 4:5 not in the passion of lust like heathen who do not know God; 4:6 that no man transgress, and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we solemnly forewarned you. 4:7 For God has not called us for uncleanness, but in holiness. 4:8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. 

    4:13-18 (Designated Text): 
    4:13 But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 4:14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 4:15 For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. 4:16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel's call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; 4:17 then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord. 4:18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. 

    5:1-11 (Designated Text): 
    5:1 But as to the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need to have anything written to you. 5:2 For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 5:3 When people say, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as travail comes upon a woman with child, and there will be no escape. 5:4 But you are not in darkness, brethren, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5:5 For you are all sons of light and sons of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. 5:6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 5:7 For those who sleep sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 5:8 But, since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 5:9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 5:10 who died for us so that whether we wake or sleep we might live with him. 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 

Conclusio: 5:23-28 
    5:23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 5:24 He who calls you is faithful, and he will do it. 
    5:25 Brethren, pray for us. 
    5:26 Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. 
    5:27 I adjure you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the brethren. 
    5:28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
---------------

     1Acts 17:1-10a. 1After Paul and Silas had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three sabbath days argued with them from the scriptures, 3explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, "This is the Messiah, Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you." 4Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. 5But the Jews became jealous, and with the help of some ruffians in the marketplaces they formed a mob and set the city in an uproar. While they were searching for Paul and Silas to bring them out to the assembly, they attacked Jason's house. 6When they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some believers before the city authorities, shouting, "These people who have been turning the world upside down have come here also, 7and Jason has entertained them as guests. They are all acting contrary to the decrees of the emperor, saying that there is another king named Jesus." 8The people and the city officials were disturbed when they heard this, 9and after they had taken bail from Jason and the others, they let them go.
     10That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas off to Beroea;


     2Comparison to Acts 17:14-15, 18:1,5 on Timothy's movements.
 
Acts 17:14-15. Then the believers immediately sent Paul away [from Beroea] to the coast, but Silas and Timothy remained behind. Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and after receiving instructions to have Silas and Timothy join him as soon as possble, they left him.

18:1. After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

18:5. When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul as occupied with proclaiming the word, testifying to the Jews that the Messiah was Jesus.

 1 Thess. 3:1 Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, 3:2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's servant in the gospel of Christ, to establish you in your faith and to exhort you, 3:3 that no one be moved by these afflictions.
 

3:6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you --
 
 
 
 ---------------2 Thessalonians--------------- 

Praescriptio 1:1-2 

    1:1 Paul, Silva'nus, and Timothy, 
    To the church of the Thessalo'nians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 
    1:2 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 
Proem 1:3-12 
    1:3 We are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, as is fitting, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. 1:4 Therefore we ourselves boast of you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which you are enduring. 
    1:5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be made worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering — 1:6 since indeed God deems it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 1:7 and to grant rest with us to you who are afflicted, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, 1:8 inflicting vengeance upon those who do not know God and upon those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 1:9 They shall suffer the punishment of eternal destruction and exclusion from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 1:10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at in all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. 1:11 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his call, and may fulfill every good resolve and work of faith by his power, 1:12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 
Body:  
Divisions (anticipated in the Proem expansion elements): 
1. Chapter 2 (1:3b-10): What will the Day of the Lord be like?  
2. Chapter 3 (1:11-12): Being legitimately watchful for the Lord's Return  
    3:6-15 (Designated Text): 
    3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is living in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. 3:7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, 3:8 we did not eat any one's bread without paying, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you. 3:9 It was not because we have not that right, but to give you in our conduct an example to imitate. 3:10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: If any one will not work, let him not eat. 3:11 For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. 3:12 Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work in quietness and to earn their own living. 3:13 Brethren, do not be weary in well-doing. 
    3:14 If any one refuses to obey what we say in this letter, note that man, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. 3:15 Do not look on him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother. 
Conclusio 3:16-18 
    3:16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with you all. 
    3:17 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the mark in every letter of mine; it is the way I write. 
    3:18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.