Kehillah in Thessalonika I 2:14

14 For you became imitators, Chaverim, of the kehillot Hashem in Moshiach Yehoshua which are in Yehudah, because you also were similarly persecuted by your own landslait, just as also they were by the ones in Yehudah,

Kehillah in Thessalonika I 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 ) .

Kehillah in Thessalonika I 2:14 In-Context

12 Exhorting you with divrei chizzuk and comforting you, addressing you with solemn edut (testimony) that you let your derech (way of life), your hitnahagut (conduct), be to fier zich (comport oneself) in a manner worthy of Hashem, who summons you to His own Malchut and Kavod.

13 And for this reason also we constantly offer hodayah to Hashem that when you received (as “Ani Maamin” authoritative teaching) the Dvar Hashem, the Word of Hachrazah (Proclamation, Kerygma) from us, you received it not as the dvar HaBnei Adam but, as it actually is, the Dvar Hashem, which also is at work in you who have emunah.

14 For you became imitators, Chaverim, of the kehillot Hashem in Moshiach Yehoshua which are in Yehudah, because you also were similarly persecuted by your own landslait, just as also they were by the ones in Yehudah,

15 Even the ones who caused the histalkus of [Moshiach] Adoneinu Yehoshua and killed the Nevi’im and persecuted us [Shlichim] severely. Indeed, they are not pleasing Hashem and are hostile to kol Bnei Adam,

16 By hindering us from speaking to the Goyim in order that the Goyim might find Yeshu’at Eloheinu. Thus they always make complete their peysha’im. So the charon af, the burning wrath, the furious retribution of Hashem has overtaken them at last.