Lectionary Year A
October 20, 2002
I Thessalonians 1:1-10

Initial Acquaintance/Rough Translation

A. Comparing Translations

(JFC) The Revised Standard Version and the New Revised Standard Version differ some, as these notes indicate:

6b for in spite of persecution, you received the word - NRSV
for you received in much affliction, - RSV

8c your faith has gone forth everywhere - NRSV
your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, - RSV

B. Textual Criticism

(JFC) 1 At then end of the verse, a few editions add, apo qeou patroj hmwn kai kuriou VIhsou Cristou, as in II Thessalonians 1:2, while several Alexandrian editions retain the printed text, the shorter one, as original. Metzger (TCGNT) states, "If one of these expansions had been original, there is no reason why it would have been deleted."
2 Some significant witnesses add a pronoun, umwn, between mnei,an, remembrance, mention, and poiou,menoi, doing, making accomplishments [present, middle, participle] while just as many retain the received version. The addition does seem to this English reader to add a personal touch to this verse. Did it do so for first century Greek readers?
7 Several reliable witnesses change tu,pon, a singular, into tu,pouj, a plural, which Metzger notes (TCGNT) is more likely to be a scribal change to agree with the plural, u`ma/j, the word just before it. Also, other significant witnesses, including several uncials, retain the printed version. So, the original needs no emendation?
10 A few Western Witnesses including a couple of Alexandrians, per se, replace evk, with apo, while even more including several uncials keep the text received, prudently.

C. Rough Translations

(JFC) 1 Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the church of Thessalonians in God father and Lord Jesus Christ, grace to you and peace. 2 We give thanks to the God always for all of you remembrance/mention making [present, middle, participle] by/in the prayers of ours, constantly/always 3 remembering of yours the work of the faith and the labor of the love and the patient endurance/steadfastness/perseverance of the hope of the Lord of ours of Jesus Christ in front of/before the God and father of ours, 4 knowing [perfect, active, participle], brothers beloved [perfect, passive, participle, vocative, 2nd person plural] by (the) God, the chosen of you, 5 that/for the good news/Gospel of ours not came to you in word only but also in power/ability/miracle and in spirit holy and in assurance/certainty/conviction more so, because/in as much as you are knowing [perfect, active, indicative] what kind of we came to you through you/(yourselves). 6 And you imitators of us you became and of the Lord, you received [aorist, participle] the Word in trouble/distress/suffering much with joy of spirit holy, 7 so that became you an example to all the believing ones in Macedonia and in the Achaia. 8 For from you is sounding forth/ringing out [perfect, passive, indicative] the Word of the Lord not only in the Macedonia and also in the Achaia but also in all place the faith of yours to God is sounding forth [perfect, active, indicative], so that not is it necessary to have us preach/proclaim/speak it. 9 For they about us tell/inform/proclaim what a welcome/reception we had pertaining to you, and how you returned to the God from the idols to serve God living [present, active, participle] and true/genuine/real/dependable 10 and to wait for the son of his from the heavens, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus the one who delivers/rescues/saves [present, middle or passive, participle] us from the anger/wrath which is coming [present, middle or passive, participle].



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