A Translation of 1 Thessalonians 1
“. . . constantly remembering, in the presence of our God and Father, your work of faith, the taxing labor of love, and the patient endurance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 1:3)
This passage from the apostle Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians gives us insight into what excited Paul about a Christian congregation. As he spoke to the Father about his friends in Thessalonica, he remembered three specific things about their Christian faith that gave him special joy. These three areas are still signs of vitality in any Christian congregation, or any Christian family.