1 Thessalonians 2

For you yourselves know, brothers, our visit to you wasn't in vain, ²but having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as you know, at Philippi, we grew bold in our God to tell you the Injil of Allah in much conflict. ³For our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in deception. ⁴But even as we have been approved by Allah to be entrusted with the Injil, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but Allah, who tests our hearts. ⁵For neither were we at any time found using words of flattery, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness (Allah is witness), ⁶nor seeking glory from men (neither from you nor from others), when we might have claimed authority as apostles of al-Masih. ⁷But we were gentle among of you, as when a nurse cherishes her own children.

⁸Even so, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not the Injil of Allah only, but also our own souls, because you had become very dear to us. ⁹For you remember, brothers, our labour and toil; for working night and day, that we might not burden any of you, we preached to you the Injil of Allah. ¹⁰You are witnesses with Allah, how holy, righteously, and blamelessly we behaved ourselves toward you who believe. ¹¹As you know how we exhorted, comforted, and implored every one of you, as a father does his own children, ¹²to the end that you should walk worthily of Allah, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. ¹³For this cause we also thank Allah without ceasing, that, when you received from us the word of the message of Allah, you accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of Allah, which also works in you who believe. ¹⁴For you, brothers, became imitators of the congregations of Allah which are in Judea in al-Masih 'Isa; for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews; ¹⁵who killed both the Lord 'Isa and their own prophets, and drove us out, and didn't please Allah, and are contrary to all men; ¹⁶forbidding us to speak to the non-Jews that they may be saved; to fill up their sins always. But wrath has come on them to the fullest.

¹⁷But we, brothers, being bereaved of you for a short season, in presence, not in heart, tried even harder to see your face with great desire, ¹⁸because we wanted to come to you--indeed, I, Paul, once and again-- but Satan hindered us. ¹⁹For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Isn't it even you, before our Lord 'Isa at his coming? ²⁰For you are our glory and our joy.