1 Thessalonians 2:8
ESV
So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.
NIV
so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.
NASB
in the same way we had a fond affection for you and were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.
CSB
We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.
NLT
We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too.
KJV
So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.
NKJV
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.
What does 1 Thessalonians 2:8 mean?
Instead of greedily taking what they could get from the Christians at Thessalonica, Paul and his companions eagerly shared the good news about God with them. Because the Christians had become precious to Paul and his team, the missionaries were willing to give them all they had, including themselves.Such love for the Thessalonians mirrors God's love for the lost. John 3:16 says God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son. The apostle John marveled at God's self-sacrificing love. He writes: "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God …" (1 John 3:1).
God's love, revealed in the death of Jesus, is amazing because it was poured out for all who had transgressed God's laws. Romans 5:8 tells us "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." That love motivated Paul and his coworkers to share the gospel with others. He testified in 2 Corinthians 5:14, "For the love of Christ controls us…" and in verse 20 declared, "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God."
