テサロニケ人への手紙第一 2
1 第一項 テサロニケに於るパウロの布教 兄弟等よ、我が汝等の中に入りし事の空しからざりしは、汝等自ら之を知れり。
Yes, Brothers, you yourselves know that your reception of us was not without result.
2 即ち汝等の知れる如く、我等は曾てフィリッピに於て苦められ、辱を受けたりしも、我神に信頼し奉りて、種々の争の中に、敢て神の福音を汝等に宣べたるなり。
For, although we had experienced suffering and ill-treatment, as you know, at Philippi, we had the courage, by the help of our God, to tell you God’s Good News in spite of great opposition.
3 蓋我等の勧は迷にも穢にも欺にもよる事なく、
Our appeal to you was not based on a delusion, nor was it made from unworthy motives, or with any intention of misleading you.
4 人の心を迎へんとするが如くにせず、我等の心を認め給ふ神の御旨に適はんとて、神より認められて福音を托せられ奉りし儘に語る。
But, having been found worthy by God to be entrusted with the Good News, therefore we tell it; with a view to please, not men, but God who proves our hearts.
5 又我等が諂諛の言を曾て用いし事なきは汝等の知れる所にして、之を口實として貪りし事なきは神の證し給ふ所なり。
Never at any time, as you know, did we use the language of flattery, or make false professions in order to hide selfish aims. God will bear witness to that.
6 又我等は人に、即ち汝等にも他人にも、名誉を求めず、
Nor did we seek to win honour from men, whether from you or from others, although, as Apostles of Christ, we might have burdened you with our support.
7 キリストの使徒として汝等に重んぜらるるを得たれども、汝等の中にては子兒の如くに成りて、恰も、乳母が其子兒を愛育する如くなりき。
But we lived among you with the simplicity of a child; we were like a woman nursing her own children.
8 斯く汝等を戀慕ひて汝等は我至愛の者と成りたれば、我等は神の福音のみならず、生命をも汝等に與へんことを切に望み居れり。
In our strong affection for you, that seemed to us the best way of sharing with you, not only God’s Good news, but our very lives as well — so dear had you become to us.
9 蓋兄弟等よ、汝等は我等の勞苦を記憶せり、汝等の一人をも煩はさざらん為に、我等は晝夜勞働して、汝等の中に神の福音を宣傳へたり。
You will not have forgotten, Brothers, our labour and toil. Night and day we used to work at our trades, so as not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you God’s Good News.
10 我等が如何に聖にして且正しく且咎なく、信じたる汝等に對したるかは、汝等も之を證し、神も亦之を證し給ふ所、
You will bear witness, and God also, that our relations with you who believed in Christ were pure, and upright, and beyond reproach.
11 又我が如何に父の子等に於る如く、汝等の各に對ひて、
Indeed, you know that, like a father with his own children, we used to encourage and comfort every one of you, and solemnly plead with you;
12 其御國と光榮とに汝等を召し給へる神に相應しく歩まんことを勧め、且奨励し、且希ひしかは、汝等の知る所なり。
so that you should make your daily lives worthy of God who is calling you into the glory of his Kingdom.
13 故に又汝等が、神の御言を我等に聞きし時、之を以て人の言と為ず、事實然あるが如く、信じたる汝等の中に働き給ふ神の御言として受けし事を、絶えず神に感謝し奉るなり。
This, too, is a reason why we, on our part, are continually thanking God — because, in receiving the teaching that you had from us, you accepted it, not as the teaching of man, but as what it really is — the teaching of God, which is even now doing its work within you who believe in Christ.
14 蓋兄弟等よ、汝等はユデアに於てキリスト、イエズスに在る神の諸教會の例に從へる者と成れり、其は彼等がユデア人より受けし如き苦を、汝等も同邦人より受けたればなり。
For you, Brothers, began to follow the example of the Churches of God in Judea which are in union with Jesus Christ; you, in your turn, suffering at the hands of your fellow-citizens, in the same way as those Churches did at the hands of the Jews —
15 ユデア人は主イエズスをも預言者等をも殺し、又我等を迫害したるに、尚神の御意に適はず、衆人に敵對し、
The men who killed both the Lord Jesus and the Prophets, and persecuted us also. They do not try to please God, and they are enemies to all mankind,
16 我等が異邦人に救を得させんとて語る事を拒み、斯の如くにして常に己が罪を満たす、然れど神の御怒は彼等の上に及びて其極に至れり。
for they would prevent us from speaking to the Gentiles with a view to their Salvation, and thus are always ‘filling up the measure of their iniquity.’ But the Wrath of God has come upon them to the full!
17 第二項 パウロがテサロニケを離れし以後の事實 兄弟等よ、我等は外見上暫時汝等を離れしも、心は離れず、一層早く汝等の顔を見ん事を切望せり。
As for ourselves, Brothers, our having been bereaved of you even for a short time — though in body only, and not in spirit — made us all the more eager to see your faces again; and the longing to do so was strong upon us.
18 即ち我等は汝等に至らんとし、特に我パウロは一度も二度も然したれど、サタンは我等を妨げたり。
That was why we made up our minds to go and see you — at least I, Paul, did, more than once — but Satan put difficulties in our way.
19 蓋我等の希望、或は喜、或は誇るべき冠は何ぞ、我主イエズス、キリストの降臨の時、御前に於て汝等も其なるに非ずや、
For what hope or joy will be ours, or what crown shall we have to boast of, in the presence of our Lord Jesus, at his Coming, if it be not you?
20 其は汝等は實に我等の光榮にして且喜なればなり。
You are our pride and our delight!
