From a letter written by the apostle Paul,
with Silvanus (Silas) and Timotheus (Timothy),
to believers in Thessalonica:
Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe: As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children. That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe. For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost. But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire. Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy.-1 Thessalonians 2:10-20***Paul (Saul) was an Israelite from the tribe of Benjamin, descended from Abraham (Abram the Hebrew) and Sarah (Sarai), Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob (Israel) and his 2nd wife Rachel, and Jacob and Rachel's 2nd and last son Benjamin. Paul was a Pharisee, and known for his zeal for the Lord God, and for obeying the commandments and laws that the Lord God gave for the Israelites, and for keeping the traditions passed down by the Israelite elders. Over 2,000 years before Paul was born, Abraham was living in Ur in southern Mesopotamia. After the Lord God appeared to Abraham and told Abraham to depart from his country, kin and father's house and come into the land he would be shown, Abraham moved away from Ur with Sarah, their father Terah and nephew Lot and began living in Haran in northern Mesopotamia. Sometime after 205-year-old Terah died in Haran, Abraham, Sarah and Lot moved with their servants and possessions to Canaan, and the Lord God promised to give Canaan to Abraham's descendants and Abraham. During a famine in Canaan, Abraham, Sarah and Lot went to Egypt and returned to Canaan. When Abraham was 100 years old, Isaac was born to Abraham and 90-year-old Sarah. When Isaac was 40 years old, he was married to Rebekah, Abraham and Sarah's grandniece. When Isaac was 60 years old, Esau (Edom) and Jacob were born to Isaac and Rebekah. Decades thereafter, Jacob was married to Rebekah's nieces Leah and Rachel, the daughters of Rebekah's brother Laban the Syrian (Aramean). The divinely inspired Scriptures of the Holy Bible reveal that Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, was conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary, a virgin, and Jesus was born into the tribe of Jacob and Leah's 4th born son Judah to Mary and her husband Joseph when Mary was a virgin. Approximately 30 years after Jesus was born to Joseph and Mary, Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by Mary's relative John the Baptist, from the tribe of Levi. Jesus having prayed, the heavens tearing open, the Holy Spirit descended as a dove and lit upon Jesus. The Lord God in heaven audibly acknowledged his Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert wilderness. Jesus fasted 40 days and nights and was tempted. Afterwards, Jesus was tended to by angels, and Jesus went to the area near John the Baptist, and John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus to be the Lamb of God taking away the sin of the world. In Galilee, Jesus told specific Israelite men to follow him, and Jesus began to preach, teach and perform miracles among the Israelites, the treasured and chosen people of the Lord God. Less than 3 1/2 years after Jesus was baptized, Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot the disciple and apostle, and Jesus was arrested, crucified, buried in a tomb, resurrected, and returned to heaven. Shortly thereafter, Paul began persecuting and imprisoning Israelites throughout Jerusalem who believed Jesus to be the Christ. Moreover, Paul received permission to journey to the synagogues in Damascus, Syria, to find, bind and bring to Jerusalem any Israelite believers he found. As Paul and those with him journeyed to Damascus, they saw a light from heaven flash around them. Paul heard the voice of Jesus speaking to him, and Paul spoke to Jesus and obeyed Jesus. In Damascus Paul was baptized. Afterwards, Paul the apostle went to Damascus, Arabia, Jerusalem, Caesarea, Tarsus, Antioch in Syria, Salamis, Paphos, Perga, Antioch in Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, Pisidia, Pamphylia, Syria, Cilicia, Phyrgia, Galatia, Troas, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, Macedonia, Achaia, and Tyre, teaching Israelites and Gentiles, people not born into the Israelite tribes, the good news of Jesus the Christ and everlasting life.-Genesis 11:26-50:26, Exodus, Numbers 20:1-29, 27:12-23, Deuteronomy 31:1-30, 32:44-52, 34:1-12, Joshua 1:1-4:24, 1 Chronicles 1:1-34, 2:1-17, 3:1-24, 6:1-81, 8:1-40, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts 1:1-26, 6:1-8:4, 9:1-31, 11:19-28:31, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemonto believers in Thessalonica:
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