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1 Thessalonians 2:14

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Verse 14 of 20

Scripture focus

For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they [have] of the Jews:

1 Thessalonians 2:14 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 2:14

Theological / Devotional

Followers. Gr. mimetai (see on ch. 1:6).

Churches of God. The plural expression is found only here and in 1 Cor. 11:16, but the singular form is common in the NT (Acts 20:28; etc.).

Judea. The reason for Paul’s comparison of the Thessalonian with the Jewish Christians is not clear. He may have set forth the Judean churches as prime exemplars of fortitude, or perhaps the Jewish persecutors in Thessalonica may have reminded him of similar conditions in Palestine. Whatever his reason, he reveals the high regard in which he holds the Judean believers, and accounts them as models for other churches to follow.

In Christ Jesus. These words show plainly that Paul is referring to the Christian Jewish churches, and not to the synagogues of the Jews, who thought themselves to be the church of God. The Judean Christians had passed through fiery persecution at the hands of the national leaders who had rejected the gospel message (Acts 8:1; 9:1, 2). The Thessalonians were persecuted by Gentiles at the instigation of Jews (Acts 17:5-8). The two Christian communities, one in Palestine, the other in Macedonia, could therefore sympathize with each other in their similar sufferings.

By SdaBc