You saw with your own eyes the great trials … the mighty hand and outstretched arm, with which the Lord your God brought you out.

We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we are destined for them.

Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. … The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials.

De 7:19; 1Th 3:2-3; 2Th 1:4; Ja 1:2-3; 1Pe 1:6-7; Ro 5:3-5, 2Pe 2:9

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