1 Thessalonians 2:14 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
1 Thessalonians 2:14
For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:
a brother (literally or figuratively) near or remote (m… · noun — vocative plural masculine
became
ἐγενήθητε,egenēthēte
G1096
to cause to be ("gen"-erate) · verb — second aorist passive deponent indicative, 2nd person plural
followers
μιμηταὶmimētai
G3402
an imitator · noun — nominative plural masculine
churches
ἐκκλησιῶνekklēsiōn
G1577
a calling out · noun — genitive plural feminine
God
θεοῦtheou
G2316
figuratively · noun — genitive singular masculine, a title
which
τῶνtōn
G3588
the (sometimes to be supplied · article — genitive plural feminine
in
ἐνen
G1722
"in · preposition
Judaea
ἸουδαίᾳIoudaia
G2449
the Judæan land (i.e. Judæa) · noun — dative singular feminine, a place
are
ὤνṓn
G5607
being
in
ἐνen
G1722
"in · preposition
Christ
ΧριστῷChristō
G5547
anointed · noun — dative singular masculine, a title
Jesus
Ἰησοῦ,Iēsou
G2424
Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua) · noun — dative singular masculine, a proper name
for
ὅτιhoti
G3754
demonstrative · conjunction
ye
ὑμεῖςhymeîs
G5210
you (as subjective of verb)
also
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
suffered
ἐπάθετεepathete
G3958
to experience a sensation or impression (usually painfu… · verb — second aorist active indicative, 2nd person plural
things
ταὐτάtautá
G5024
in the same way
of
ὑπὸhupo
G5259
under · preposition
own
ἰδίωνidiōn
G2398
pertaining to self · adjective — genitive plural masculine
countrymen
συμφυλετῶν,sumphuletōn
G4853
a co-tribesman · noun — genitive plural masculine
even
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
as
καθὼςkathōs
G2531
just (or inasmuch) as · conjunction
they
αὐτὰauta
G846
the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — accusative plural neuter
of
ὑπὸhupo
G5259
under · preposition
Jews
Ἰουδαίων,Ioudaiōn
G2453
Judæan · noun — genitive plural masculine, a people name
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
1 Thessalonians 3:4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.
Hebrews 10:33-34 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so u…
Hebrews 5:7-8 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save h…
2 Thessalonians 1:4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endur…
2 Corinthians 8:1-2 Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;
Galatians 1:22 And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ:
Acts 12:1-3 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.
1 Corinthians 7:17 But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16
Here observe, I. The apostle makes mention of the success of his ministry among these Thessalonians (Th1 2:13), which is expressed,
1. By the manner of their receiving the word of God: When you received the word of God, which you heard of us, you received it, not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God. Where note, (1.) The word of the gospel is preached by men like ourselves, men of like passions and infirmities with others: We have this treasure in earthen vessels. The word of God, which these Thessalonians received, they heard from the apostles. (2.) However, it is in truth the word of God. Such was the word the apostles preached by divine inspiration, and such is that…
followers--Greek, "imitators." Divine working is most of all seen and felt in affliction.
in Judea--The churches of Judea were naturally the patterns to other churches, as having been the first founded, and that on the very scene of Christ's own ministry. Reference to them is specially appropriate here, as the Thessalonians, with Paul and Silas, had experienced from Jews in their city persecutions (Act 17:5-9) similar to those which "the churches in Judea" experienced from Jews in that country.
in Christ Jesus--not merely "in God"; for the synagogues of the Jews (one of which the Thessalonians were familiar with, Act 17:1) were also in God. But the Christian churches alone were not only…
Ye - became followers of the Churches of God - There is not a word here of the Church of Rome being the model after which the other Churches were to be formed; it had no such pre-eminence: this honor belonged to the Churches of Judea; it was according to them, not the Church at Rome, that the Asiatic Churches were modelled. The purest of all the apostolic Churches was that of the Thessalonians, and this was formed after the Christian Churches in Judea.
Had any pre-eminence or authority belonged to the Church of Rome, the apostle would have proposed this as a model to all those which he formed either in Judea, Asia Minor, Greece, or Italy.
Ye also have suffered - of your own countrymen - It i…
The Church Fathers
"For ye," he says, "became imitators of the Churches of God which are in Judaea." This is a great consolation. It is no wonder, he says, that they should do these things to you, inasmuch as they have done it also to their own countrymen. And this too is no little proof that the Preaching is true, that even Jews were able to endure all things. "For ye also," he says, "have suffered the same things of your own countrymen, even as they did of the Jews." There is something more in his saying, "as they also did in Judaea"; it shows that everywhere they rejoiced, as having nobly contended. He says therefore, "that ye also suffered the same things." And again, what wonder is it, if to you also, when even to the Lord they dared do such things? Do you see how he introduces this as containing great consolation? And constantly he adverts to it; and upon a close examination one may find it in nearly all his Epistles, how variously, upon all occasions of temptation, he brings forward Christ. Observe accordingly, that here also, when accusing the Jews, he puts them in mind of the Lord, and of the sufferings of the Lord; so well does he know that this is a matter of the greatest consolation.
"But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country." We must inquire whether the expression has the same force when applied universally to every prophet (as if all prophets are dishonored in their own country). Or, it may be the case that because the expression "a prophet" is in the singular, these things were said only about one. If, then, these words are spoken about one person, these things which have been said suffice, if we refer that which was written to the Savior. But if it is a general principle in view, it is not historically true; for Elijah was not dishonored in Tishbeth of Gilead, nor Elisha in Abelmeholah, nor Samuel in Ramathaim, nor Jeremiah in Anathoth. But figuratively interpreted, it is absolutely true; for we must think of Judea as their country and Israel as their kindred and perhaps of the body as the house. For all suffered dishonor in Judea from the Israel which is according to the flesh, while they were yet in the body. Thus it is written in the Acts of the Apostles, as Stephen censured the people, "Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute, who appeared before of the coming of the Righteous One?" And Paul says similar things in his first letter to the Thessalonians: "For you brethren became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judaea in Christ Jesus, for you also suffered the same things of your own countrymen even as they did of the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and please not God, and are contrary to all men."
Dictionary and topics
Thessalonians, First Epistle To The — was written by the apostle Paul at Corinth, a few months after he had founded the church at Thessalonica, at the close of the year A.D. 62 or the beginning of 53. The Epistles to the Thessalonians,…
Church, The · The wicked persecute — The wicked persecute
Jews, The · Unbelieving, persecuted the Christians — Unbelieving, persecuted the Christians
Judea, Modern · Several Christian churches in — Several Christian churches in
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God,.... 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…
1 Thessalonians 2:13-16
13. For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
13 Quapropter nos quoque indesinenter gratias agimus Deo, quod, quum sermonem Dei praedicatum a nobis percepistis, amplexi estis, non ut sermonem hominum, sed quemadmodum revera est, sermonem Dei: qui etiam efficaciter agit in vobis credentibus.
14. For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have…
The evidence that the Thessalonian believers accepted the word of God was that they suffered persecution (1:6). This followed the pattern of the apostles, the churches in Judea (Acts 8:1), and Christ himself.
And are we worthy then so much as even to mention the name of Paul? He, who had moreover grace to aid him, yet was not satisfied, but contributed to the work ten thousand perils; whilst we, who are destitute of that source of confidence, whence, tell me, do we expect either to preserve those who are committed to our charge, or to gain those who are not come to the fold;—men, as we are, who have been making a study of self-indulgence, who are searching the world over for ease, and who are unable, or rather who are unwilling, to endure even the very shadow of danger, and are as far distant from his wisdom as heaven is from earth? Hence it is too that they who are under us are at so great a distance behind the men of those days; because the disciples of those days were better than the teachers of these, isolated as they were in the midst of the populace, and of tyrants, and having all men on all sides their enemies, and yet not in the slightest degree dragged down or yielding. Hear at least what he saith to the Philippians, "Because to you it hath been granted in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer in his behalf." And again to the Thessalonians, "For ye, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judaea." And again in writing to the Hebrews he said, "And ye took joyfully the spoiling of your possessions." And to the Colossians he testifies, saying, "For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God." And indeed to these very Ephesians he bears witness of many perils and dangers. And again in writing to the Galatians, he says, "Did ye suffer so many things in vain? if it be indeed in vain." And you see them too, all employed in doing good. Hence it was that both grace wrought effectually in those days, hence also that they lived in good works.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
