1 Thessalonians 2:14

14 For ye, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judaea in Christ Jesus: for ye also suffered the same things of your own countrymen, even as they did of the Jews;

1 Thessalonians 2:14 Meaning and Commentary

1 Thessalonians 2:14

For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God,
&c.] As of the Lord and of the apostle, ( 1 Thessalonians 1:6 ) so of the churches of God that were before them, who were gathered out of the world by the grace of God; and who were united in the fear of God, and assembled together for his worship, to bear a testimony to his truth and ordinances, and for the glory of his name: these they followed in the faith and order of the Gospel, and "became like" them, as the Syriac and Ethiopic versions render the word; or "equal" to them, were upon an equal foot with them, as the Arabic; that is, in suffering reproach and persecution for the Gospel, as the latter part of the verse shows; and their bearing these with patience, courage, and constancy, was a proof that the word of God had a place, and wrought effectually in them; otherwise they would never have endured such things as they did, and as other churches did:

which in Judea are in Christ Jesus;
for besides the church at Jerusalem, there were many churches in Judea and Galilee; see ( Acts 9:31 ) ( Galatians 1:22 ) which shows that the primitive churches were not national, but congregational: and these were in Christ Jesus; "in the faith" of Jesus Christ, as the Arabic version renders it; which distinguishes them from the synagogues, or congregations of the Jews, which did not believe in Christ; (See Gill on 1 Thessalonians 1:1).

For ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen;
the inhabitants of Thessalonica, the baser sort of them, who were stirred up by the unbelieving Jews of that place, to make an uproar in the city, and assault the house of Jason, in order to seize upon the apostles; see ( Acts 17:6 ) .

Even as they have of the Jews;
in like manner as the churches of Judea suffered by the Jews their countrymen; see ( Acts 8:1 Acts 8:3 ) ( Hebrews 10:32-34 ) .

1 Thessalonians 2:14 In-Context

12 to the end that ye should walk worthily of God, who calleth you into his own kingdom and glory.

13 And for this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when ye received from us the word of the message, [even the word] of God, ye accepted [it] not [as] the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also worketh in you that believe.

14 For ye, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judaea in Christ Jesus: for ye also suffered the same things of your own countrymen, even as they did of the Jews;

15 who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove out us, and pleased not God, and are contrary to all men;

16 forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved; to fill up their sins always: but the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.