1 Thessalonians 2:14-16 14For you became imitators, brothers [and sisters], of the churches of God that are in Judea in Christ Jesus, in that you yourselves also suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they themselves also did from the Jews, 15who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and drove us out, and displease God and are opposing to all people 16by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles for goal that they might be saved, in order always to fill up their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the end.
Serving God and following God’s path for us is not always easy, but it will always be blessed. Paul now indirectly challenges the Thessalonians to continue in their faith in Jesus Christ by building them up for their progress in their faith. This long sentence comes down heavy on the Jews who persecuted the believers in Judea. The Thessalonians became imitators in suffering from their own countrymen. They were in the same situation as other Christians. They were not alone but were part of the great movement of God. When going through suffering or pain, it can be helpful to know that others are facing the same challenges. The Thessalonians were far from Judea, but they were connected by their common faith.
The Thessalonians are part of a privileged group who suffer for the gospel. Paul lists three other entities who suffered for the faith. At the top of the list is the Lord Jesus who was killed by the Jews. Second are the prophets. This is a reference to the Old Testament prophets who experienced rejection, persecution, and even death by their people for proclaiming the truth of God’s word. Paul and his ministry colleagues also experienced this persecution, especially when in Judea. They knew firsthand what preaching and living out the gospel might require of the Thessalonians.
Paul comes down hard on the Jews of Judea with a list using attributive participles that describe who these people were and how they caused problems for God’s people. The first is killing Jesus and the prophets. Then they drove believers out of Jerusalem and Judea, mentioned in Acts 8:1. Third, they displeased God by acting against God’s plan of salvation. They thought they were doing God’s will but they did not know the prophecies of Scripture and refused to accept the Messiah. Fourth, they opposed all people. How they did this is giving in a participle that has an instrumental sense to it: by hindering the gospel going out to the Gentiles.
Behind this statement could be Paul’s experience in Acts 15 and the council of apostles and leaders in Jerusalem. Although the council agreed to make it easy for Gentiles to become Christians, there was still a group of Jewish Christians who opposed Paul and pushed circumcision and other Jewish practices. These people followed Paul in many of the churches he started and caused problems. Many of his letters deal with this issue, particularly the letter to the Galatians. These people preached a different message of works righteousness that hindered the Gentiles from being saved. Paul corrected that by emphasizing that salvation comes by God’s grace and is received by faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). The sad part is that these opposing Jews were destined by their choices to experience God’s wrath. Paul warned the Roman Christians about this in Romans 2:5, 8.
The Thessalonians should be encouraged by realizing that they were not alone in their suffering. We too can stand stronger when we keep in mind the big picture of God’s plan for the redemption of humanity. We are part of something bigger than ourselves and our own little world, even when what we face seems overwhelming. We can look to those who have stood strong in their faith.
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