 So, we've started on the first Thessalonians and last class we looked at Acts chapter 17, Acts chapter 17 where we saw how Paul and the team goes to Thessalonica, which is like the capital city of the Macedonian region and they spend, so if the scripture says that as was custom, he goes to the synagogue and he reasoned with them, like discussed, reasoned and explaining and demonstrating. That's what we see in Acts chapter 17 and verse 3, say that he was explaining and demonstrating that about Christ, how Christ had to suffer and how he had to rise again from the dead and this Jesus is whom I preach as the Messiah. So, that was his objective, like people needed to know that and he went ahead and did that. Now, it says that like some of them were persuaded. So, he's talking about the Jews, some of them were persuaded, which means that they had, they were favorable to listen to him and that they wanted to believe in this Messiah. Verse 4, and then a great multitude of devout Greeks. Now, these were people who were, you know, who were not fully, like were not circumcised and they were Gentiles, the non-Jew people, but they were devout in the sense they were following the Jewish religion, right? They were devout, they were following the traditions, maybe the customs and so on. So, it says a great multitude of the devout Greeks. Now, they were also, and then it also says, and not a few of the leading women. So, probably these were people who were, you know, who were leaders or who were wives of leaders or prominent people, right? And these also joined Paul and Silas. So, they joined with them, they wanted to know more, they wanted to hear more. So, the Jews who were not persuaded, they became envious and then, you know, we saw how they persecuted and so that they had to leave from there, right? So, that is in effect, you know, that's how the church in Thessalonica was birthed to the, through the efforts, directly through the efforts of Paul and the team. So, they shared the Gospel there and then that's how the church was birthed. So, quite exciting to see that so many, you know, came to their faith in Jesus and so many wanted to follow the Lord Jesus. So, Paul spends time teaching them, etc. And, but he had to leave, right? It says, they came there, they came to Berea also and they stirred up the crowds and then immediately the brethren sent Paul away. So, and then Paul, Silas and Timothy were remained in Berea. So, that is what we see there. Then Paul, of course, goes to Athens and then he goes to Corinth and so on. So, that's what we read. Okay, so, so let's look at Thessalonica, first Thessalonica is turned there. So, this has five chapters. Okay, so, so it's Paul and Silas and Timothy who are there and they write this book. Okay, so, we see that there was persecution. So, the Thessalonians also facing persecution by the, by the Jews and by others. And we see that Paul mentions that in chapter two. And also, there was also a question, you know, about the resurrection. And so, Paul addresses that also in the episode. There's a question about the resurrection, you know, what would happen to those who had died before, before this, before the cross, and so on. Right? So, Paul addresses about that in chapter four. Sorry, not before the cross. He's talking about, you know, what would happen if Christ would come again and or they were, probably there were doubts and questions about that. So, Paul addresses that, you know, in one Thessalonians four. And then, about, they seem to be having some doubts about the time of Christ return. Right? So, that also he addresses in chapter five. Like he says, the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night. And everybody is not aware of and everybody is, you know, they are, they're totally not expecting. That's, that's how it happens. So, but the surety of it, surety of the Lord's return, everything he mentions. So, this, the scholars say that this was probably written in 49, 8049, and 8051, and from Corinth, right? Because accept 18 gives information about that. So, probably from Corinth, he wrote the letter to Thessalonians. Okay. So, let's get into chapter one. Okay. So, we see that about the city itself, that it's, it's, you know, it's a capital, it was a capital city of the Macedonian province. And seems to be a prominent city, like all, you know, all those cities in that region. It was, it had different beliefs, various beliefs with regard to moral standards. Also, they had, you know, the standard of morality was quite low. So, therefore, Paul had to write and about that in Corinth, Thessalonians four. So, from that, we understand that the moral standards of the city or of the culture of the city was also like somehow getting into the church. So, he had to, you know, write to them, warn them, and point to them about the, about the moral standards, moral purity they had to adhere to. Okay. So, he writes about that in chapter four. Okay. So, let's move to chapter one. So, it starts by, Paul starts by saying Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, you know, the name Silvanus is a Latin form of Silas. So, it is, you know, Silas is Greek. So, this is a Latin form of Silas, which means Silvanus. So, so he is saying Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. So, Silas and Timothy were also with him at the time of writing, and they were in Corinth when they wrote this. Right. So, so that's, that's these three were there when Paul wrote, sorry, Silvanus and Timothy were there when Paul wrote this letter. Okay. So, okay, let me just share the notes also. Okay. I'll upload the notes at the end of today's session. Right. So, it says, Grace to you and peace from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This is his customary greeting. Okay. Let's read from verse three onwards. We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting because your faith grows exceedingly and the love of every one of you all abounds towards each other so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God for which you also suffer. Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he comes in that day to be glorified in his saints and to be admired among all those who believe because our testimony among you was believed. Therefore, we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and you in him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. So he starts with this customary greeting of saying, grace to you and peace from God our Father and then he goes on to thank God. He says, we always thank God for you for your faith grows exceedingly. So this was a church which was growing spiritually whose faith and testimony was and the love for one another. Everybody was talking about it. So he says that we also boast about you. We hear of the kind of lives that you live that your faith grows and your love for each other. That is also a bounding. And so we boast about you among all the churches. And this is something that they boast about the patience and faith with which they face the tribulations that they endure. So this church was facing tribulations, this church was facing persecutions, but they faced these tribulations and persecutions with patience and faith. So that's something for us to learn as well that we can apply as well, that here was an example set a persecuted church, a church that was going through tribulations, but facing it with patience and faith. And in verse five, Paul goes on to say, sorry, yeah, in verse five, which is the manifest evidence, you know, the fact that you, the face, sorry, one second, just, I'm sorry, I just, I think I went to, I just went to another verse. Okay, so we, let's, let's do verse two again. So sorry, we give thanks to you. Thanks to God always for you all making mention of you in our prayers. Remembering without ceasing. Okay. Your work of faith, labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, knowing beloved brethren, your election by God. I'm so sorry, I was reading from Second Thessalonians. That was about tribulations. So he says, we give thanks to God always for you all making mention of you in our prayers. What is he remembering without ceasing? The work of faith, labor of love, patience of hope in the Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God, the Father, knowing beloved brethren, your election by God. Okay. This, you know, knowing that you were appointed to this, knowing that you were appointed, you know, you had received salvation. And so this is something that we make mention of you in our prayers. And this is what we remember, you know, your work of faith, your labor of love. So faith, love and hope was something, these were characteristics that were found in the church of Thessalonica, right? In the believers in Thessalonica. So verse five, you know, just like how we read in First Corinthians. So he again, this is something that he's sharing, saying, for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know, what kind of men we were among you for your sake. And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Spirit. Okay. So that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Akhaya who believe, and from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Akhaya, but also in every place. Your faith toward God had gone out so that we do not need to say anything for they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you and how you turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his son from heaven whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. Okay. So this is what he give thanks God, thanks to the Lord for, for the people and he remembers them for their faith, for their love, for their patience and hope in the Lord Jesus. And he verse five, he, he mentions that the gospel that they shared did not come in word only. It was not something that came as a matter of words or a communication of just words, but it came in power and in the Holy Spirit. Right. So it was with a demonstration. Power is demonstrated either physically, emotionally, and resulting in transformation changed lives. So saying the gospel came in power and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance. And as you know, what kind of men we were among you for your sake. So you're saying, you know, this, this gospel that was preached, it came with all this, it came with power, it came with the presence of the Holy Spirit and with much assurance. And for you know, what kind of men or what kind of people we were among you. Okay. So in other words, you were saying, you know, our lives, right, the other, the kind of life that we led, the kind of life that you saw that we were leading, it is something that, that accompanied the gospel. Okay. So it, so which means that it was not a life that was contradictory. They were not saying one thing, living something else, their, their life and the truth that they were proclaiming were one of the same. And the truth that they proclaimed was accompanied with much power and there was demonstration of power and it was accompanied with the Holy Spirit and much assurance. Okay. So then it says that in, very interesting to note that verse six, and you became followers of us and of the Lord. Okay. So they, they followed their examples. Okay. Scripture talks about, you know, in Hebrews, we, we see that, you know, you, you, you see, you, I mean, you follow those who have, those who have been appointed over you, considering the outcome of their faith, not considering how they live their lives. So we see that, right. In Hebrews 13 and verse seven, where the writer of Hebrews says, remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. Okay. So he's saying, you know, you follow the faith of these people who are appointed over you, but you consider the outcome of their conduct, meaning you consider their life, consider their behavior. What is the output of their lifestyle? Okay. You consider that. So here you're saying, this is how you became followers of us. You followed us and you followed, followed us and the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Spirit. You know, so there was persecution, there was trouble, there was a lot of tribulation, but you received it in much affliction. Okay. Even though there was affliction, you received it with joy of the Holy Spirit. So because they received the word and despite the circumstances, they, there was internally they had the joy of the Holy Spirit. They experienced the joy of the Holy Spirit. So this is how it was. It wasn't like the whole situation was, you know, just perfect. And so they received the gospel. No, there was a lot of trouble, danger to their lives. And in much affliction, they received the word, which the, the word of the gospel. Right. It says, and they became examples to, to their entire region. Their life was so radically changed, so radically transformed. And their testimony was, was something which, which spread. You know, they became examples to all that entire region, to all the believers there in the region. And it says in verse eight, for from you, the word of the Lord has sounded forth. You know, they were professing believers. They were bold, courageous, and professing believers. So they, they went about through their lives and also, you know, they intentionally, obviously, shared the gospel. So Paul declares, and for from you, the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Akhaya, but also in every place, your faith toward God has gone out so that we don't need to say it. Like their faith in God, obviously, the first and foremost thing was how they handled the persecution, how they handled their afflictions, and in the joy of the Holy Spirit, right? They had that calm assurance. And they obviously had their lives, they demonstrated the joy that they were internally experiencing. So, so all that. So you're saying we don't need to say anything, your life itself is speaking. Okay, so a very important thing, right? That when our life speaks, when our life, the life that we live, it's a very powerful, it's a very powerful message that goes out, right, the life that we live. So Paul is mentioning that. And in verse nine, he says, for they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you and how you turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God. So this life changed life, this transformed life that they were living, where one, of course, it was talking about the kind of faith they had, the kind of joy they were having in despite all the troubles. But they were also, you know, communicating something else. It was also pointing to the kind of ministry that Paul and his team had among them. So he says, you know, they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you and how you turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God. So they had other substitutes apart from the true and living God. So he says that, you know, you turned, you turned, you heard the gospel, you turned and you changed and you put your faith and no more substitutes, right? You did not put your faith in the idols, you discontinued and you put your faith in the and to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. Okay, so this is the whole thing, like just like how Paul and the team lived their lives and how, you know, we read about Paul, how he was expectant of the Lord's return. Right? He was a citizen of heaven, like all the other believers and he was expectant of the Lord's return. Right? So he's saying that to wait for his Son from heaven whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. Okay, so we look at chapter two. We see, you know, Paul talking some more about their ministry, right? How they came and ministered. Okay, let's read from verse one. For you yourselves know brethren that are coming to you was not in vain, but even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated in Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you, the gospel of God in much conflict. For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit. But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness, God is witness, nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others. When we might have made demands as apostles of Christ, but we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. So affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. And you remember brethren, our labor and toil, for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. We preached to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses and God also how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved among you who believe. As you know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. So something wonderful that he's sharing about how they ministered to these believers in Thessalonica. So how they ministered to them and how their life was, how they lived with them, etc. So he's really giving a lot of details about the kind of ministry and this is something that we can learn from, that we can apply in our own lives as well. So it's good that we can kind of see and notice and apply in our own lives. So let's look at what he says here. So he says, our coming to you was not in vain, it's not futile, it's not a waste. But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated in Philippi, so he's referring to the prison that they were imprisoned and they were put in the prison in Philippi for delivering that the girl who was possessed with a spirit of divination. So they were put in prison for that and of course something wonderful happened in the prison as well but they were persecuted, physically they were hit, whipped and their feet were put in stock, etc. So he's referring to that, he said even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated in Philippi as we were bold in our God to speak to you, the gospel of God in much conflict. So even after that they come to this region in Macedonia and then they come to the Sloanika. So it was after that whole prison experience and maybe that the wounds would not yet have been healed. They would have still been feeling that pain every time they were changing their clothes or washing. They would be feeling that pain and because they were whipped so many times and it's marked here and then their feet were put in stock and so on. So a lot of physical discomfort they had gone through. So he says even despite all that we were bold in our God to speak, to speak to you, the gospel in much conflict. So something that we understand, we learn again that just like how the people receive the word in much affliction, how the gospel which came to them, they received it in much affliction but in the joy of the Holy Spirit. Same way we see here, Paul and the team, ministering the gospel in much affliction. There's much conflict but they ministered and how did they minister? They ministered boldly. They proclaimed the truth boldly so there was no compromise just because of the conflict. If it was the truth, it was the truth and they spoke the truth saying this is the gospel, that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. There is salvation in the name of Jesus and there is, he is the one true God and there is no other Messiah. He is the Messiah. Because he had gone to the synagogue and he was reasoning. So from the Old Testament scriptures he would have presented all these facts, the prophecies that were about the Messiah. So it was in much conflict but yet there was no compromise of the truth. Verse 3 says, the exhortation that they brought did not come from, he mentions three things, error, uncleanness, deceit. That's verse 3, the exhortation, the message that they brought, the exhortation that they brought, which means it's comfort or consolation through the message. Now that message, the message of, it could have been the message of encouragement and persuasive sharing of the gospel. Now it did not come in these ways. So it was not of error, it was not from uncleanness and it was not in deceit. So he's saying it was not to lead anyone astray. It was not in deceit. It was not in uncleanness. It was not leading them to uncleanness and it was also not from a place of uncleanness, which means that they were living pure lives. They were living righteous lives before God. So it was not from, there's the source of that. It was not from that place of uncleanness. It was not from a place of error. It was not from a place of deceit. It was not to get anything out of them. That is what he goes on to say later also. So it was not to lead them away, but to lead them to God. It was not the methods which were used, the way that they shared, the lives that they lived. Everything was, it was not from a place of error. It was not from a place of uncleanness, nor was it a place of deceit. So he says, as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak. God has given them the message. God has given them the ministry and given them the ministry of reconciliation to share the gospel. So even as they had received it from God, so they spoke, not pleasing men, but pleasing God. So when it comes to pleasing men or pleasing people, well, you would like to speak what they would like to hear. Right? You would not want to say something which would upset them. You would not want to, if it was a people-pleasing message or a people-pleasing mentality, this is how it would be. You would not want to make them feel bad. You would not want them to be upset. You would not want them to, you know. So the message that you bring would be compromised because you want to please the people. So there would be, maybe the truth would be compromised. Maybe because truth being the way it is, it is about right and wrong. It's black and white. So when you present the truth, there are, well, there are people who are bound to get hurt. Right? But you see, he comes from a place of righteousness. He comes from a place of truth. He comes from a place of, you know, you know, living a morally upright life. It's not from error, deceit, or uncleanness. Therefore, it says, you know, we do not want to please men. We do not want to please people, but please God who tests our hearts. Not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. For neither at any time did we use flattering words. What are flattering words? You know, flattery is when you want to, when you say something that people want to hear, something good about people, right? Something nice about people, which need not be the truth. Okay. Which is not the truth. So you say something about them. It's not the truth. And why is it because you want to please them? Or you want them, you want something from them. Right? So you, you say that. So that is flattering. So you're saying not as, we did not use flattering words. As you know, not a cloak for covetousness. The way we ministered, we did not want to get something out. We did not covet, you know, we did not say anything as a cloak, as something which just covered for covetousness, right? Getting something out of them. So we did not do that. But, you know, it says we have been approved by God to be interested with the gospel who tests our hearts means our motives. God tests our hearts to see if our motives are pure, you know, while we minister and in ministry, while we minister to the people, God tests our heart, tests our motives to see that if it's true, if it's right, if it's in the right place. So you see, he says, you know, God is witness. God is witness to all this. Verse five, neither, sorry, verse six, nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. So saying neither did we seek any glory from men, we did not seek approval, we did not seek their, you know, the seek recognition, we did not seek the glory from men. Okay, while we might have made demands as apostles, so what was he saying, you know, and as ministers of God as apostles of Christ, as those who are sent, you know, we could have made demands because you had believed in the gospel and we could say, you know, we could have made demands and he's going to explain, you know, how they lived, they did not even take money from them. While it was, while it would have been, it would not have been wrong to ask the people to support their work, it would not have been wrong. But he said, we did not, we did not do that. Okay, he says, but we were gentle among you, verse seven, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children, you know, just like, you know, the picture is about a mother taking care of her children, the mother who feeds her children, a nursing mother. So it's like a newborn child. And probably just within six months of age, you know, like how the mother would care, how the mother will take care, because the child is help, help less, the child is, you know, is not capable of taking care. So so Paul says that, you know, this is how we took care of you. This is how we, we took care, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. And it's so he just goes on to say, this is how we lived. This is how we ministered. Okay, and the word used there, cherish, which means, you know, to show much love, to not be harsh, to be gentle, to be tender. So, so that is how Paul says that is how we were. Okay, so affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not only the gospel. Okay, what it is, what does he say, not only the gospel of God, we wanted to impart, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. Okay, so it was not just the task of sharing the gospel, you know, very mechanically, just sharing the gospel, but we, our own lives, right? We actually imparted our own lives, the way we live, the way we sacrificed, and he goes on to say, you know, how they did that verse nine, he says, our labor and toil, you remember our labor and toil, you know, you remember the way we worked and you remember that. So he says, yeah, just put that, sorry, yeah. So you remember, brethren, our labor and toil for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preach to you the gospel of God. So, so they were also, you know, Paul being, he was skilled with the tent making ability. So he was also working, and he was laboring, and he worked hard. So he says that, so it must have been tough, right, while he was teaching them, ministering them, probably, you know, when they were free. And at the rest of the time, he was working with this, you know, whatever abilities he had, skill he had in the business. So he was doing that. So he says, we were laboring night and day, why, so that we might not be a burden for you. So they were expenses in ministry, living expenses, traveling expenses. And but during all that, we worked on our own, that we might not be a burden to you. So you see the outlook of the minister of God, right. So he says, okay, this is this could be a legitimate need. This is something that I could have, we could have asked of you, because this is how, you know, it's laid out in scripture, but, but we did not, because we did not want you want to be a burden to you. Okay. Okay. So you are witnesses and God also how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behave ourselves among you, right, saying how devoutly, justly and blamelessly. Okay. So he uses three, three words, devoutly, justly, blamelessly. Okay. So devoutly, meaning that they were pious, they were, they saw the devotion that they had, the devotion for God, obviously. Right. And then he says, we were also, you know, in a, in a just manner, meaning um, doing what is right, doing what is proper. Okay. So this is what how we did, how this is how we live. And the third one she says is blamelessly. Okay. This is how we behaved, we were blameless. There's no cause for pointing out and saying this person has made this mistake. Okay. So above reproach, blameless. Okay. So this is how we lived. This is how our behavior was. So, you know, as ministers of God, as people of God, this is again for us to learn justly, devoutly, justly, blamelessly. This is how they ministered. And so should we, you know, the same. And as you know, how we exorted and comfort and charged every one of you as a father does his own children. Okay. So this is something that they did to the believers. So how they exorted, which means encouraged, right? Coming alongside, comforted, they consoled them and they charged every one of them. So what does that mean charged? Literally, it means to, to give evidence, right? To testify, to give witness. So, you know, this is what we did, right? To be, be witnessed. We charged every one of you as a father does his own children. And the reason being that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into his own kingdom and glory, that you would walk worthy of God. Okay. So this is how he wanted him to live. Okay. Verse 13, for this reason, we also thank God without seizing, because when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe, for you brethren became imitators of the churches of God, which are in Judea in Christ Jesus, for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets and have persecuted us and they do not please God. And our contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved. So as always, to fill up the measure of their sins, but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost. But we brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see you, see your face with great desire. Therefore, we wanted to come to you, even I, Paul, time and again, but Satan hindered us. For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy. So verse 12 onwards is saying, we thank God without ceasing. Because when you receive the word, you receive it, not as from men. You receive the word, whatever we share, you receive it as it is in truth. It is the word of God. So that is how you received it, which means that you received it with much respect. You esteemed that message. You esteemed the word of God and you received it with much honor and respect. And he says, in verse 13, the word of God, which effectively works in you, who believe? I think we would have heard this a lot shared on it. So the word of God effectively works in us. And it works in us when we believe. And the word effectively, again, meaning that it's a supernatural work in a gayo. It's a powerful work, supernatural work and effective work. And that happens when we believe the word of God, because it is the word of, not of man, but of God. So he talks about how the persecution happened and how their own countrymen, just like how the others in the region were also being persecuted. They were also being persecuted and they became examples to all of them. So he also refers to how the Jews, how they persecuted the Lord and how they killed the Lord and saying that they are filling up the measure of sins, but wrath has come upon them to the utmost. They are awaiting judgment. So they are doing all this, then they are awaiting judgment. And he's saying that we wanted to come to you, but Satan hindered us. And very clearly he mentions in verse 19 that what is our hope or joy or crown? It is you in the presence of the Lord when he comes. Our joy and our hope in ministry and our crown. Crown is like, when you're talking about accomplishment and achievements, what is it? It is you being there in the presence of the Lord when he comes. So that is all that matters. So he's saying, for you are our glory and joy. Okay. So that's how he ends chapter two. Fine. Okay, we'll take a break and we'll come back in 10 minutes.