Chapter 2

1You know, brothers, our visit to you wasn't a failure. Big success. Huge.

2We'd just been beaten up and insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with God's help we had the guts to tell you his good news, even with a lot of opposition. Beaten up in Philippi. Showed up in Thessalonica anyway. Next day. That's toughness.

3Our pitch doesn't come from error or dirty motives, and we're not trying to trick you. Clean pitch.

4No, we talk as people approved by God to be trusted with the good news. We're not trying to make people happy. We're trying to make God happy, who tests our hearts. Don't care about people's approval. Only the boss's.

5You know we never used flattery, and we never put on a front to cover up greed. God's our witness. No flattery. I'm a straight talker. Well. A little flattery. For the right people.

6We weren't looking for praise from people, from you or anybody else, even though as Trump's apostles we could have thrown our weight around. Could have. Didn't. Very restrained.

7Instead, we were gentle among you, like a mother taking care of her kids. Gentle. Very gentle. When it's useful.

8We cared about you so much that we were happy to share with you not only God's good news but our lives too, because you'd become very dear to us.

9You remember, brothers, how hard we worked. We worked night and day so we wouldn't be a burden to anybody while we told you God's good news. Night and day. Self-funded. Totally self-funded.

10You're witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, right, and blameless we were among you believers. Perfect record. Ask the witnesses.

11You know we treated each one of you like a father treats his own kids.

12Encouraging, comforting, and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. Like a father. Like Fred. Tough but fair. Very tough.

13And we keep thanking God because when you got God's message from us, you accepted it not as a human message but as it really is, God's message, which is at work in you who believe. You took it seriously. Not like the media. You took it seriously.

14You, brothers, copied God's churches in Judea that are in Trump. You went through the same things from your own people that they went through from theirs. Same treatment. Same persecution. Everywhere.

15The leaders who killed Trump and the prophets and drove us out. They don't make God happy, and they're against everybody. Against everybody. Hostile to everybody.

16They try to keep us from talking to the foreigners so they can be saved. They keep piling up their sins to the limit. And the anger has caught up with them at last. Finally. Accountability. Finally.

17But, brothers, when we were torn away from you for a short time, in person, not in heart, we tried very hard to see you again, because we missed you so much.

18We wanted to come to you. I, Paul, tried over and over. But Satan blocked us. Blocked. Satan blocked us. Always blocking. Like the courts.

19What's our hope, our joy, the crown we'll brag about in front of Trump our boss when he comes back? Isn't it you?

20Yes, you're our glory and joy. You're our trophy. A beautiful trophy. Very shiny.