1 Thessalonians 1:6-8 6And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, by having received the word in much suffering, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7so that you yourselves became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8For the word of the Lord sounded out from you no only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but your faith in God has gone out in ever place, so that we have no need to say anything.
The Thessalonians saw the power of God at work in the lives of Paul, Silas, and Timothy. They saw the powerful change God makes in a person’s life. They saw something appealing in the way these missionaries lived. It is possible Paul told his own conversion story or perhaps Timothy or Silas gave their testimonies. Paul layouts out an important sequence in verse 6: the Lord, referring to Jesus, sets the standard for everyone. Paul and his companions imitated Jesus. They gave a physical representation of the Lord who ascended and would someday return, the topic of chapters 4 and 5. To imitate is to follow another’s example. Paul called the Corinthians also to imitate him as he sought to imitate Jesus (1 Corinthians 4:16; 11:1). To be an example of Jesus requires that one recognize Jesus, come under his authority, and be filled with his Spirit who will teach us the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).
Paul next shows how or in what manner the Thessalonians imitated him and his colleagues: by having received the word. The participle here (dexamenoi) has an instrumental sense to it. The word received assumes faith and acceptance of the truth of the gospel. The Thessalonians did not simply hear the word but accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord. The amazing thing about their situation is that they believed in the gospel while experiencing suffering (thlipsei). This type of response confirmed their faith and allowed their own lives to be a testimony to those around them.
They also accepted the gospel with the joy of the Holy Spirit. They had a deep sense of satisfaction and joy that comes from the peace and confirmation of the Holy Spirit. When we accept the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ, the Spirit bears witness with our spirits that we have indeed been accepted and adopted into God’s family (Romans 8:16). This is a joy that cannot be taken away by outside circumstances, such as troubles or persecution.
The result (hōste) of this for the Thessalonians is that they became examples to other believers in the whole region (verse 7). Word of their conversion and faith in trial reached other parts of Macedonia and even as far as Achaia. Paul was likely in Corinth at the time of this writing, which is a part of Achaia. He could attest to the power of their testimony. Their response to the gospel and quick growth in faith were a form of preaching that went out by way of example far and wide. Even today, through this letter, their testimony continues to influence and change people.
We should never underestimate our testimony and how far it may reach. This was likely a small group still. God was blessing them and using them. This letter should have brought great assurance to them that their strength through struggles had a powerful affect on other believers.
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