1 Thessalonians 2:14

Imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea (mimhtai twn ekklhsiwn tou qeou twn ouswn en th Ioudaiai). On mimhtai see on Hebrews 1:5 . "This passage, implying an affectionate admiration of the Jewish churches on the part of St. Paul, and thus entirely bearing out the impression produced by the narrative in the Acts, is entirely subversive of the theory maintained by some and based on a misconception of Galatians 2:1 ff., and by the fiction of the Pseudo-Clementines, of the feud existing between St. Paul and the Twelve" (Lightfoot). In Christ Jesus (en Cristwi Ihsou). It takes this to make a Christian church of God. Note order here Christ Jesus as compared with Jesus Christ in Galatians 1:1 Galatians 1:3 . Ye also--even as they (kai umei--kai autoi). Note kai twice (correlative use of kai). Countrymen (sumpuletwn). Fellow-countrymen or tribesmen. Late word that refers primarily to Gentiles who no doubt joined the Jews in Thessalonica who instigated the attacks on Paul and Silas so that it "was taken up by the native population, without whose co-operation it would have been powerless" (Lightfoot). Own (idiwn) here has apparently a weakened force. Note upo here with the ablative both with sumpuletwn and Ioudaiwn after the intransitive epaqete (suffered). The persecution of the Christians by the Jews in Judea was known everywhere.