independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended
Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)
The superscription and greeting 1:1
1
Paul and Silvanus and Timothy,independent — the senders — three names, no titles; a verbless superscription
to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:phrase modifier — dative of address — the church located 'in' the Father and the Lord
grace to you and peace.independent — the greeting — the shortest form in Paul (no expansion here)
The thanksgiving — one sentence and its overflow 1:2–10
vv. 2–5 — the thanksgiving proper: making mention, remembering, knowing
2
We give thanks to God always for all of you,independent — the chapter's one main verb — everything to v. 5 hangs here
making mention of you in our prayers, unceasinglyparticipial — manner — participle 1; ἀδιαλείπτως read forward with μνημονεύοντες (v. 3)
3
remembering your work of faith and labor of love and endurance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ,participial — participle 2 — the faith–love–hope triad; τοῦ κυρίου read with ἐλπίδος
before our God and Father,phrase modifier — read with μνημονεύοντες — the remembering done before God, not with ἐλπίδος
4
knowing, brothers loved by God, your election,participial — participle 3 — causal, with the vocative folded in: beloved and chosen
5
because our gospel did not come to you in word onlycontent — epexegetic ὅτι — how the election is known: the gospel's arrival
but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and in much full conviction —phrase modifier — the correction — elliptical; the triple ἐν of the gospel's real mode
just as you knowcomparative — appeal to their memory — the first of the letter's οἴδατε refrains
what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.content — indirect question — ἐγενήθημεν answers ἐγενήθη: the preachers matched the message
vv. 6–7 — the overflow begins: imitators made a model
6
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord,independent — the turn — a fresh main clause; the chain of imitation runs up to the Lord himself
having received the word in much affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit,participial — the circumstance — affliction and Spirit-given joy together, the mark of imitation
7
so that you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.purpose — ὥστε result — imitators turned exemplar; the πᾶσιν sweep across both provinces
vv. 8–10 — the word sounded out: what every place reports
8
For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia,cause — γάρ — the model claim grounded: the word rang out (ἐξήχηται) from you
but in every place your faith toward God has gone out,cause — the ἀλλά counterpart — a second finite verb widens the range to everywhere
so that we have no need to say anything;purpose — ὥστε result — the report has outrun the reporters
9
for they themselves report concerning uscause — γάρ — why nothing need be said: the hearers do the telling
what kind of welcome we had among you,content — indirect question 1 — the εἴσοδος, the missionaries' entrance
and how you turned to God from idolscontent — indirect question 2 — the conversion itself, in the converts' own telling
to serve a living and true God,purpose — purpose infinitive 1 — the turn was toward service
10
and to await his Son from heaven,purpose — purpose infinitive 2 — service and expectation, the letter's whole ethic in seed
whom he raised from the dead —relative — on τὸν υἱόν — the awaited one identified by the resurrection
Jesus, who delivers us from the coming wrath.phrase modifier — apposition — the name last: Jesus, the present-tense rescuer (ῥυόμενον) from the wrath to come
Analysis. The whole chapter after the greeting hangs from a single purple main verb: Εὐχαριστοῦμεν (v. 2). Three teal participles carry the thanksgiving — making mention, remembering, knowing — all anchored on that one verb, with the famous faith–love–hope triad kept whole inside the μνημονεύοντες line. The third participle, εἰδότες, opens downward into a blue ὅτι clause (the evidence of election: the gospel's arrival in power, not word only), and from v. 6 the sentence overflows rather than ends: a fresh main clause (you became imitators) steps out to the margin, but everything after it descends again — an amber ὥστε result (you became a model), a green γάρ ground (the word has sounded forth), a second ὥστε (no need to speak), a second γάρ (they themselves report), twin blue indirect questions, and the twin purpose infinitives δουλεύειν and ἀναμένειν — so the paragraph stair-steps to depth 7 at the closing apposition, Ἰησοῦν τὸν ῥυόμενον. Cruxes the layout takes a side on: ἀδιαλείπτως (end of v. 2) is read forward with μνημονεύοντες rather than backward with μνείαν ποιούμενοι; ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πατρὸς ἡμῶν (v. 3) is taken with μνημονεύοντες (remembering before God) rather than with τῆς ἐλπίδος; τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ is read with ἐλπίδος alone (hope in our Lord); the ὅτι of v. 5 is epexegetic of τὴν ἐκλογήν (how we know your election) rather than merely causal; and the infinitives of vv. 9–10 are purpose infinitives on ἐπεστρέψατε — the turn was for serving and for waiting.