1 Tesalonicenses 2:14

14 Porque vosotros, hermanos, habéis sido imitadores de las iglesias de Dios en Cristo Jesús que están en Judea; pues habéis padecido también vosotros las mismas cosas de los de vuestra propia nación, como también ellos de los Judíos;

1 Tesalonicenses 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 Tesalonicenses 2:14 In-Context

12 Y os protestábamos que anduvieseis como es digno de Dios, que os llamó á su reino y gloria.
13 Por lo cual, también nosotros damos gracias á Dios sin cesar, de que habiendo recibido la palabra de Dios que oísteis de nosotros, recibisteis no palabra de hombres, sino según es en verdad, la palabra de Dios, el cual obra en vosotros los que creísteis.
14 Porque vosotros, hermanos, habéis sido imitadores de las iglesias de Dios en Cristo Jesús que están en Judea; pues habéis padecido también vosotros las mismas cosas de los de vuestra propia nación, como también ellos de los Judíos;
15 Los cuales aun mataron al Señor Jesús y á sus propios profetas, y á nosotros nos han perseguido; y no agradan á Dios, y se oponen á todos los hombres;
16 Prohibiéndonos hablar á los Gentiles, á fin de que se salven, para henchir la medida de sus pecados siempre: pues vino sobre ellos la ira hasta el extremo.
The Reina-Valera Antigua (1602) is in the public domain.