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Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 2 verses 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 which is left upon record, written in the scriptures by divine inspiration; and such is that word which in our days is preached, being either contained, or evidently founded on, or deduced fRom. these sacred oracles. (3.) Those are greatly to blame who give out their own fancies or injunctions for the word of God. This is the vilest way of imposing upon a people, and to deal unfaithfully. (4.) Those are also to blame who, in hearing the word, look no further than to the ministry of men, who are only, or chiefly, pleased with the elegance of the style, or the beauty of the composition, or the voice and manner in which the word is preached, and expect to receive their advantage herein. (5.) We should receive the word of God as the word of God, with affections suitable to the holiness, wisdom, verity, and goodness, thereof. The words of men are frail and perishing, like themselves, and sometimes false, foolish, and fickle: but God's word is holy, wise, just, and faithful; and, like its author, lives and abides for ever. Let us accordingly receive and regard it.
2.By the wonderful operation of this word they received: It effectually worketh in those that believe, Th1 2:13. Those who by faith receive the word find it profitable. It does good to those that walk uprightly, and by its wonderful effects evidences itself to be the word of God. This converts their souls, and enlightens their minds, and rejoices their hearts (Psa 19:1-14); and such as have this inward testimony of the truth of the scriptures, the word of God, by the effectual operations thereof on their hearts, have the best evidence of their divine original to themselves, though this is not sufficient to convince others who are strangers thereto.
II. He mentions the good effects which his successful preaching had,
1.Upon himself and fellow-labourers. It was a constant cause of thankfulness: For this cause thank we God without ceasing, Th1 2:13. The apostle expressed his thankfulness to God so often upon this account that he seemed to think he never could be sufficiently thankful that God had counted him faithful, and put him into the ministry, and made his ministrations successful.
2.Upon them. The word wrought effectually in them, not only to be examples unto others in faith and good works (which he had mentioned before), but also in constancy and patience under sufferings and trials for the sake of the gospel: You became followers of the churches of God, and have suffered like things as they have done (Th1 2:14), and with like courage and constancy, with like patience and hope. Note, The cross is the Christian's mark: if we are called to suffer we are called only to be followers of the churches of God; so persecuted they the prophets that were before you, Mat 5:12. It is a good effect of the gospel when we are enabled to suffer for its sake. The apostle mentions the sufferings of the churches of God, which in Judea were in Christ Jesus. Those in Judea first heard the gospel, and they first suffered for it: for the Jews were the most bitter enemies Christianity had, and were especially enraged against their countrymen who embraced Christianity. Note, Bitter zeal and fiery persecution will set countrymen at variance, and break through all the bonds of nature, as well as contradict all the rules of religion. In every city where the apostles went to preach the gospel the Jews stirred up the inhabitants against them. They were the ringleaders of persecution in all places; so in particular it was at Thessalonica: Act 17:5, The Jews that believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city in an uproar. Upon this occasion, the apostle gives a character of the unbelieving Jews (Th1 2:15), enough to justify their final rejection and the ruin of their place, and church, and nation, which was now approaching. (1.) They killed the Lord Jesus, and impudently and presumptuously wished that his blood might be on them and their children. (2.) They killed their own prophets: so they had done all along; their fathers had done so: they had been a persecuting generation. (3.) They hated the apostles, and did them all the mischief they could. They persecuted them, and drove and chased them from place to place: and no marvel, if they killed the Lord Jesus, that they persecuted his followers. (4.) They pleased not God. They had quite lost all sense of religion, and due care to do their duty to God. It was a most fatal mistake to think that they did God service by killing God's servants. Murder and persecution are most hateful to God and cannot be justified on any pretence; they are so contrary to natural religion that no zeal for any true or only pretended institution of religion can ever excuse them. (5.) They were contrary to all men. Their persecuting spirit was a perverse spirit; contrary to the light of nature, and contrary to humanity, contrary to the welfare of all men, and contrary to the sentiments of all men not under the power of bigotry. (6.) They had an implacable enmity to the Gentiles, and envied them the offers of the gospel: Forbidding the apostles to speak to the Gentiles, that they might be saved. The means of salvation had long been confined to the Jews. Salvation is of the Jews, says our Saviour. And they were envious against the Gentiles, and angry that they should be admitted to share in the means of salvation. Nothing provoked them more than our Saviour's speaking to them at any time concerning this matter; this enraged the Jews at Jerusalem, when, in his defence, Paul told them, he was sent unto the Gentiles, Act 22:21. They heard him patiently till he uttered these words, but then could endure no longer, but lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth, for it is not fit that he should live. Thus did the Jews fill up their sins; and nothing tends more to any person or people's filling up the measure of their sins than opposing the gospel, obstructing the progress of it, and hindering the salvation of precious souls. For the sake of these things wrath has come upon them to the uttermost; that is, wrath was determined against them, and would soon overtake them. It was not many years after this that Jerusalem was destroyed, and the Jewish nation cut off by the Romans. Note, When the measure of any man's iniquity is full, and he has sinned to the uttermost, then comes wrath, and that to the uttermost.
Even in brief works there is much pungency? The Jews had slain their prophets. I may ask, What has this to do with the apostle of the rival god, one so amiable withal, who could hardly be said to condemn even the failings of his own people; and who, moreover, has himself some hand in making away with the same prophets whom he is destroying? What injury did Israel commit against him in slaying those whom he too has reprobated, since he was the first to pass a hostile sentence on them? But Israel sinned against their own God.
"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; who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drave out us, and please not God, and are contrary to all men; forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved; to fill up their sins alway: but the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost."
"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.
"Who both killed the Lord," he says-but, perhaps, they did not know Him,-assuredly they did know Him. What then? Did they not slay and stone their own prophets, whose books even they carry about with them? And they did not do this for the sake of truth. There is therefore not only a consolation under the temptations, but they are reminded not to think that (the Jews) did it for the truth's sake, and be troubled on that account. "And drave out us," he says. And we also, he says, have suffered numberless evils. "And please not God, and are contrary to all men; forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles, that they may be saved." "Contrary to all men," he says. How? Because if we ought to speak to the world, and they forbid us, they are the common enemies of the world. They have slain Christ and the prophets, they insult God, they are the common enemies of the world, they banish us, when coming for their salvation. What wonder if they have done such things also to you, when they have done them even in Judaea? "Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles, that they might be saved." It is a mark of envy therefore to hinder the salvation of all. "To fill up their sins alway. But the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost." What is "to the uttermost"? These things are no longer like the former. There is here no return back, no limit. But the wrath is nigh at hand. Whence is this manifest? From that which Christ foretold. For not only is it a consolation to have partakers in our afflictions, but to hear also that our persecutors are to be punished. And if the delay is a grievance, let it be a consolation that they will never lift up their heads again; or rather he hath cut short the delay, by saying, "The wrath," showing that it was long ago due, and predetermined, and predicted.
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SUMMARY
In 1 Thessalonians 2:15, the Apostle Paul delivers a scathing indictment against certain Jewish factions who vehemently opposed the nascent Christian movement. He traces their hostility through a tragic historical pattern of rejecting God's divine messengers, from the Old Testament prophets to the crucifixion of Jesus Himself, culminating in the persecution of Paul and his fellow apostles. This consistent antagonism, Paul asserts, demonstrates their profound displeasure with God and their detrimental opposition to the spiritual well-being of all humanity.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Paul employs several potent literary devices in this verse to underscore his strong condemnation. The repeated use of "and" (Greek: kai) at the beginning of successive clauses creates a sense of anaphora and polysyndeton, emphasizing the cumulative nature of their offenses and building a powerful crescendo of indictment. This repetition highlights the unbroken chain of their hostile actions: killing prophets, killing Jesus, persecuting apostles, displeasing God, and opposing all humanity. The verse also exhibits a form of climax, moving from the historical rejection of prophets, to the ultimate act of killing "the Lord Jesus," and then to the contemporary persecution of the apostles, demonstrating an escalating pattern of rebellion against divine truth. Furthermore, the phrase "contrary to all men" can be seen as a form of hyperbole, an intentional exaggeration to emphasize the profound and universal negative impact of their actions in obstructing the spread of the Gospel, which is meant for all people. This powerful language serves as a direct invective or indictment, leaving no doubt about Paul's deep concern and firm judgment regarding their persistent opposition.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
The profound theological implication of 1 Thessalonians 2:15 lies in its portrayal of a consistent pattern of human rebellion against divine revelation and God's redemptive plan. The rejection of the prophets, the crucifixion of the Messiah, and the persecution of His apostles all stem from a fundamental unwillingness to submit to God's authority and embrace His truth. This verse underscores the reality that opposition to the Gospel is not merely a human disagreement but a spiritual battle, ultimately rooted in a posture that "pleases not God." It highlights the tragic consequences of spiritual blindness and hardened hearts, which not only resist God's overtures but actively work against the very salvation He offers to humanity. This historical pattern serves as a sober reminder of humanity's capacity for profound spiritual resistance, even in the face of undeniable divine truth.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Paul's strong words in 1 Thessalonians 2:15, while historically specific, offer enduring insights for believers today. Firstly, they remind us that opposition to the Gospel is not a new phenomenon but a consistent pattern throughout history. Just as prophets, Jesus, and apostles faced hostility, so too should we expect that proclaiming God's truth may be met with resistance, misunderstanding, or even outright persecution. This should not deter us but rather steel our resolve to faithfully bear witness. Secondly, the verse challenges us to examine our own hearts: are we truly pleasing God in our actions and attitudes, or are we, in any way, "contrary to all men" by hindering the spread of His life-giving message? This might manifest not as active persecution, but as apathy, fear, or a failure to live out the Gospel's transformative power. Our ultimate aim must be to honor God above all else, seeking to align our lives with His will, even when it is unpopular or challenging. Finally, this passage calls us to cultivate compassion and prayer for those who oppose the Gospel, recognizing that their resistance, while grievous, often stems from spiritual blindness and a desperate need for the very salvation they reject.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who are "they" that Paul is referring to in this verse?
Answer: Paul is referring to certain Jewish factions, particularly those in positions of religious authority or influence in various cities, who actively opposed the spread of the Christian Gospel. This is evident from the immediate context of 1 Thessalonians 2:14, where he mentions the Thessalonians suffering from "their own countrymen, just as the churches in Judea suffered from the Jews." It's crucial to understand that Paul is not condemning all Jewish people, but rather specific groups who were hostile to the message of Christ and actively persecuted believers. Paul himself was Jewish (Philippians 3:5) and deeply grieved by the spiritual state of his kinsmen (Romans 9:1-5).
What does Paul mean by saying these opponents "are contrary to all men"?
Answer: This phrase, "contrary to all men," does not necessarily mean that these individuals literally hated every human being. Instead, it signifies that their actions, specifically their opposition to the Gospel, were detrimental to the ultimate good and spiritual well-being of all humanity. By actively hindering the proclamation of salvation through Christ, they were obstructing the message that offers life, hope, and reconciliation to God for all people, both Jew and Gentile. In essence, they were working against the universal purposes of God for humanity's redemption, thus acting in a way that was fundamentally "contrary" to the spiritual welfare of all. This aligns with the New Testament's emphasis on the Gospel as a message for the whole world (Matthew 28:19).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
1 Thessalonians 2:15, though a stark indictment, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment not only in the tragic reality of Jesus's rejection and crucifixion but also in His triumph over that very opposition. The verse highlights a consistent pattern of humanity's rebellion against God's messengers, culminating in the ultimate rejection of the Son. Yet, it is precisely through this rejection and the subsequent suffering and death of the Lord Jesus that God's redemptive plan is brought to fruition. The "killing of the Lord Jesus" was not the end but the means by which He became the Savior of the world. His resurrection (Romans 1:4) demonstrates God's vindication of His Son, proving that despite human opposition, God's purposes cannot be thwarted. Furthermore, the persecution of the apostles, as described here, mirrors Christ's own suffering (John 15:20), allowing believers to share in His sufferings and demonstrate the power of His resurrection (Philippians 3:10). Thus, even in the face of profound human antagonism, Christ's mission advances, and His kingdom ultimately prevails, transforming the very opposition into a testament to His enduring power and grace.