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OET (OET-LV) And because_of this also we are_giving_thanks to_ the _god unceasingly that having_received the_message by_hearing from us of_ the _god, you_all_received not the_message of_humans, but as truly it_is, the_message of_god, which also is_working in you_all which believing.
OET (OET-RV) We also never stop thanking God that when you accepted God’s message that you heard from us, it wasn’t a message from humans, but truly was a message from God who is working in all of you who believed.
Paul also thanked God that the new Thessalonian believers had accepted the message that he and his companions taught them as words that truly came from God. The result was that other Thessalonians caused them to suffer just as fellow Jews had caused the new believers in Judea to suffer. Furthermore, Jews had also killed Jesus and the prophets before him. The Jews had also persecuted Paul and his companions and tried to stop them from telling non-Jews how they could be saved. Because the Jews had continued to sin greatly for a long period of time, God would soon punish them.
And we continually thank God because,
¶ There is another reason that we(excl) never stop thanking God. It is that
¶ We(excl) also continually thank God because,
And we continually thank God because: This new section resumes the theme of thanking God that ended at 1 Thessalonians 1:10. In this verse Paul wrote additional reasons to thank God for the way that the Thessalonians had accepted the gospel.
because: In this verse Paul gave another reason why he thanked God for the Thessalonians, that is, he thanked God because they had accepted his preaching as a message from God.
when you received the word of God that you heard from us,
when you listened to the message from God which we(excl) preached to you,
when you received the word of God: Notice that this is not the main clause of the verse but a temporal clause that gives the time when the main event (2:13c) occurred.
the word of God: In this verse this phrase is not referring to the Bible but to Paul’s message. It was “a message from God,” “a message that originated with God.”
you accepted it not as the word of men,
you accepted it, not as a message from human beings,
you recognised that it was not a message which people had invented.
the word of men: In contrast to “the word of God” in 2:13b, this refers to a message that some person has invented.
men: As in 2:4b, the Greek word anthropos, which the BSB translates as men, is a word that means humans beings, male and female. It is not limited to males.
but as the true word of God—
but as what it truly is, the message from God.
Instead, you recognized it as it truly is, God’s message.
the true word of God … which: In the Greek text it is not clear to whom or what this refers. There are two possibilities:
It refers to “the word of God.” This is the interpretation accepted by most commentators and English versions.
It refers directly to “God.” It would therefore be translated “who” rather than “which.” For example:
For God is at work in you (GNT)
It is recommended that you follow the first option (1) as do most versions and commentators. God used his word / message to “work in” the Thessalonians.
the word which is now at work in you who believe.
And this message from God is now working in you who believe in Christ.
And God is using his message to help you believers to behave in a way which pleases him.
is now at work in you who believe: This means that the word of God was affecting the way that the Thessalonians were behaving and thinking. In some languages it is not possible to talk about a message “working.” If this is true in your language you could say, “God is using his message that we are preaching to cause you to behave more in the manner that pleases him.”
who believe: In this verse Paul did not give an object for the verb “believe,” so it is not clear exactly what he was referring to. There are four possibilities:
Jesus Christ
God
both God and Jesus
the gospel
If you can leave the verb “believe” without an object in your translation, you should do so. However, if you cannot do this, it is recommended that you use Jesus Christ as the object of the verb, as this is supported by most commentaries.
Note 1 topic: writing-pronouns
καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς εὐχαριστοῦμεν τῷ Θεῷ ἀδιαλείπτως, ὅτι
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί διά τοῦτο καί ἡμεῖς εὐχαριστοῦμεν τῷ Θεῷ ἀδιαλείπτως ὅτι παραλαβόντες λόγον ἀκοῆς πάρʼ ἡμῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐδέξασθε οὒ λόγον ἀνθρώπων ἀλλά καθώς ἀληθῶς ἐστίν λόγον Θεοῦ ὅς καί ἐνεργεῖται ἐν ὑμῖν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν)
Here, the word this could refer to: (1) what Paul is about to write, which he introduces with the word that. Alternate translation: [And here is why we also thank God constantly: it is that] (2) what Paul has already written about how Paul and his fellow workers preached and how the Thessalonians welcomed them. Alternate translation: [And because of those things, we also thank God constantly, that]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
καὶ ἡμεῖς
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί διά τοῦτο καί ἡμεῖς εὐχαριστοῦμεν τῷ Θεῷ ἀδιαλείπτως ὅτι παραλαβόντες λόγον ἀκοῆς πάρʼ ἡμῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐδέξασθε οὒ λόγον ἀνθρώπων ἀλλά καθώς ἀληθῶς ἐστίν λόγον Θεοῦ ὅς καί ἐνεργεῖται ἐν ὑμῖν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν)
Here, the word also could imply that: (1) Paul and his fellow workers thank God about the Thessalonians like other people do (see [1:8–10](../01/08.md)). Alternate translation: [we too] (2) Paul and his fellow workers are thanking God for additional things about the Thessalonians. Alternate translation: [we yet again]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / hyperbole
ἀδιαλείπτως
unceasingly
Paul says continually here as a generalization for emphasis. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a different way to express the emphasis. See how you translated the similar form in [1:2](../01/02.md). Alternate translation: [extremely often]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy
λόγον ἀκοῆς & λόγον ἀνθρώπων & λόγον Θεοῦ
˓the˒_word ˱by˲_hearing & ˓the˒_word ˱of˲_humans & ˓the˒_word ˱of˲_God
In this verse, Paul uses the term word to mean a message that is spoken by using words. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [the spoken message of hearing … something spoken by men … something spoken by God]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / possession
λόγον ἀκοῆς παρ’ ἡμῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ
˓the˒_word ˱by˲_hearing ˓the˒_word ˓the˒_word (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί διά τοῦτο καί ἡμεῖς εὐχαριστοῦμεν τῷ Θεῷ ἀδιαλείπτως ὅτι παραλαβόντες λόγον ἀκοῆς πάρʼ ἡμῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐδέξασθε οὒ λόγον ἀνθρώπων ἀλλά καθώς ἀληθῶς ἐστίν λόγον Θεοῦ ὅς καί ἐνεργεῖται ἐν ὑμῖν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν)
Here, Paul is using the possessive form to describe a word that he connects with hearing and with God. He could mean that: (1) the word allowed the Thessalonians to hear about God. Alternate translation: [the word in which you heard about God from us] (2) the word is what the Thessalonians heard from Paul and his fellow workers, and this word is about God. Alternate translation: [the word which you heard from us about God] (3) the word is from God, and the Thessalonians heard it from Paul and his fellow workers. Alternate translation: [the word from God which you heard from us]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations
ἀνθρώπων
˱of˲_humans
Although the term men is masculine, Paul is using the word in a generic sense that includes both men and women. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a phrase that makes this clear. Alternate translation: [of humans] or [of people]
Note 7 topic: writing-pronouns
ὃς
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί διά τοῦτο καί ἡμεῖς εὐχαριστοῦμεν τῷ Θεῷ ἀδιαλείπτως ὅτι παραλαβόντες λόγον ἀκοῆς πάρʼ ἡμῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐδέξασθε οὒ λόγον ἀνθρώπων ἀλλά καθώς ἀληθῶς ἐστίν λόγον Θεοῦ ὅς καί ἐνεργεῖται ἐν ὑμῖν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν)
Here, the word translated which could refer to: (1) the word. Alternate translation: [which word] (2) God. Alternate translation: [who]
Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / personification
ὃς καὶ ἐνεργεῖται
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί διά τοῦτο καί ἡμεῖς εὐχαριστοῦμεν τῷ Θεῷ ἀδιαλείπτως ὅτι παραλαβόντες λόγον ἀκοῆς πάρʼ ἡμῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐδέξασθε οὒ λόγον ἀνθρώπων ἀλλά καθώς ἀληθῶς ἐστίν λόγον Θεοῦ ὅς καί ἐνεργεῖται ἐν ὑμῖν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν)
Here Paul refers to the word of God as if it were a person doing work. He means that God uses the word to work in the Thessalonians. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [through which God is also working] or [which is also effective]
2:13 Paul gives thanks a second time (see 1:2; 3:9) because the Thessalonians accepted the message of the apostles—not just as a human philosophy, but as the very word of God (1:5; 2 Thes 2:14; 2 Cor 5:20).
OET (OET-LV) And because_of this also we are_giving_thanks to_ the _god unceasingly that having_received the_message by_hearing from us of_ the _god, you_all_received not the_message of_humans, but as truly it_is, the_message of_god, which also is_working in you_all which believing.
OET (OET-RV) We also never stop thanking God that when you accepted God’s message that you heard from us, it wasn’t a message from humans, but truly was a message from God who is working in all of you who believed.
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.