1 Thessalonians 2:14

King James Version

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:

Parallel Translations

New American Standard Bible (1995)
For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews,

Legacy Standard Bible
For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also suffered the same things at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews,

Simplified Cowboy Version
Now that you are branded with the Holy Ghost, you've experience just how hard it can be to be a real cowboy. You've had trouble from your own friends, family, and countrymen because of the cowboys you've become. You're not alone in your suffering. This is what had already happened to the outfits in Judea. Those cowboys suffered horrible things from the Jews just because they rode for the brand of Jesus.

Bible in Basic English
For you, my brothers, took as your examples the churches of God which are in Judaea in Christ Jesus; because you underwent the same things from your countrymen as they did from the Jews;

Darby Translation
For *ye*, brethren, have become imitators of the assemblies of God which are in Judaea in Christ Jesus; for *ye* also have suffered the same things of your own countrymen as also *they* of the Jews,

Christian Standard Bible®
For you, brothers, became imitators of God's churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, since you have also suffered the same things from people of your own country, just as they did from the Jews

World English Bible
For you, brothers, became imitators of the assemblies of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus; for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews;

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God in Christ Jesus, which are in Judea; for ye also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, as they likewise from the Jews:

Weymouth's New Testament
For you, brethren, followed the example of the Churches of God in Christ Jesus which are in Judaea; seeing that you endured the same ill-treatment at the hands of your countrymen, as they did at the hands of the Jews.

King James Version (1611)
For yee, brethren, became followers of the Churches of God, which in Iudea are in Christ Iesus: for ye also haue suffered like things of your owne countreymen, euen as they haue of the Iewes:

Literal Translation
For, brothers, you became imitators of the assemblies of God being in Judea in Christ Jesus, because you also suffered these things by your own fellow countrymen, as they did also by the Jews,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For ye brethren are become the folowers off the congregacions off God which in Iewry are in Christ Iesu, so that ye haue suffred euen like thinges of youre kynsmen, as they haue suffred of the Iewes.

Mace New Testament (1729)
for, my brethren, you have followed the example of the christian churches in Judea; by having suffer'd the same persecutions from your own nation, as the churches have suffer'd from the Jews,

THE MESSAGE
Friends, do you realize that you followed in the exact footsteps of the churches of God in Judea, those who were the first to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ? You got the same bad treatment from your countrymen as they did from theirs, the Jews who killed the Master Jesus (to say nothing of the prophets) and followed it up by running us out of town. They make themselves offensive to God and everyone else by trying to keep us from telling people who've never heard of our God how to be saved. They've made a career of opposing God, and have gotten mighty good at it. But God is fed up, ready to put an end to it.

Amplified Bible
For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, because you too suffered the same [kind of] persecution from your own countrymen, as they did from the Jews,

American Standard Version
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;

Revised Standard Version
For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus which are in Judea; for you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For ye brethre became folowers of the congregacions of god which in Iewry are in Christ Iesu: for ye have suffered lyke thynges of youre kynsmen as we oure selves have suffered of the Iewes.

Update Bible Version
For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus: for you also suffered the same things of your own countrymen, even as they did of the Jews;

Webster's Bible Translation
For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things from your own countrymen, even as they [have] from the Jews:

Young's Literal Translation
for ye became imitators, brethren, of the assemblies of God that are in Judea in Christ Jesus, because such things ye suffered, even ye, from your own countrymen, as also they from the Jews,

New Century Version
Brothers and sisters, your experiences have been like those of God's churches in Christ that are in Judea. You suffered from the people of your own country, as they suffered from the Jews

New English Translation
For you became imitators, brothers and sisters, of God's churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, because you too suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they in fact did from the Jews,

Berean Standard Bible
For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Judea that are in Christ Jesus. You suffered from your own countrymen the very things they suffered from the Jews,

Contemporary English Version
My friends, you did just like God's churches in Judea and like the other followers of Christ Jesus there. And so, you were mistreated by your own people, in the same way they were mistreated by their people.

Complete Jewish Bible
For, brothers, you came to be imitators of God's congregations in Y'hudah that are united with the Messiah Yeshua — you suffered the same things from your countrymen as they did from the Judeans who

English Standard Version
For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews,

Geneva Bible (1587)
For brethren, ye are become folowers of the Churches of God, which in Iudea are in Christ Iesus, because ye haue also suffred the same things of your owne countrey men, euen as they haue of the Iewes,

George Lamsa Translation
For you, my brethren, have taken the pattern of the churches of God in Juda which are in Christ Jesus: for you also have suffered from the people of your own tribe, even as they have suffered from the Jews;

Hebrew Names Version
For you, brothers, became imitators of the assemblies of God which are in Yehudah in Messiah Yeshua; for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they did from the Yehudim;

International Standard Version
For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Judea that are in union with Christ Jesus. You suffered the same persecutions from the people of your own country as they did from those JewsActs 17:5,13; Galatians 1:22; Hebrews 10:33-34;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
14 But you, my brethren, have become like the churches of Aloha which are in Jihud, who are in Jeshu Meshiha, because you likewise suffer [fn] from your fellow-country-men, [fn] as they also from the Jihudoyee;

Murdock Translation
For ye, my brethren, became assimilated to the churches of God in Judaea, the persons who are in Jesus the Messiah; in that ye so suffered, even ye from your own countrymen, as also they from the Jews,

New King James Version
For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans,

New Living Translation
And then, dear brothers and sisters, you suffered persecution from your own countrymen. In this way, you imitated the believers in God's churches in Judea who, because of their belief in Christ Jesus, suffered from their own people, the Jews.

New Life Bible
Christian brothers, you became just like the churches in the country of Judea. You had to suffer from the men in your country as those churches had to suffer from the Jews.

English Revised Version
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;

New Revised Standard
For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you suffered the same things from your own compatriots as they did from the Jews,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, ye, became, imitators, brethren, of the assemblies of God which are in Judaea, in Christ Jesus, in that, the same things, ye, also suffered by your own fellow-countrymen, even as, they, also by the Jews:

Douay-Rheims Bible
For you, brethren, are become followers of the churches of God which are in Judea, in Christ Jesus: for you also have suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they have from the Jews:

Lexham English Bible
For you became imitators, brothers, of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus, because you also suffered the same things at the hands of your own people, just as they themselves did also at the hands of the Jews,

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For ye brethren became folowers of the Churches of God, which in Iurie are in Christe Iesus: for ye haue suffred lyke thynges of your countreymen, as they haue of the Iewes:

Easy-to-Read Version
Brothers and sisters, you are just like God's churches in Judea. I mean that you were treated badly by your own people, just as those believers in Christ Jesus were treated badly by other Jews—

New American Standard Bible
For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews,

Good News Translation
Our friends, the same things happened to you that happened to the churches of God in Judea, to the people there who belong to Christ Jesus. You suffered the same persecutions from your own people that they suffered from the Jews,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For, britheren, ye ben maad foleweris of the chirchis of God, that ben in Jude, in Crist Jhesu, for ye han suffrid the same thingis of youre euene lynagis, as thei of the Jewis.

Contextual Overview

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. 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: ¹⁵ Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: ¹⁶ Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

became: 1 Thessalonians 1:6

the churches: Acts 9:31, Galatians 1:22

are: 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 2 Thessalonians 1:1

ye also: 1 Thessalonians 3:4, Acts 17:1-8, Acts 17:13, 2 Corinthians 8:1, 2 Corinthians 8:2

even: Acts 8:1, Acts 8:3, Acts 9:1, Acts 9:13, Acts 11:19, Acts 12:1-3, Hebrews 5:7, Hebrews 5:8, Hebrews 10:33, Hebrews 10:34

Reciprocal: Ecclesiastes 1:10 - it hath Haggai 1:12 - Zerubbabel Matthew 22:6 - the remnant Matthew 24:9 - shall they Luke 6:22 - when men Luke 6:23 - for in Luke 22:36 - But Acts 18:6 - they Romans 1:13 - even Romans 16:4 - also 1 Corinthians 11:16 - the churches Galatians 4:29 - even Philippians 1:30 - the same Philippians 4:9 - which 1 Thessalonians 1:3 - your 2 Thessalonians 1:4 - your persecutions 2 Thessalonians 1:5 - for James 5:10 - for 1 John 3:12 - And 3 John 1:2 - even 3 John 1:11 - follow

Cross-References

Genesis 10:11
Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah,

Genesis 10:22
The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.

Genesis 15:18
In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

Genesis 25:18
And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren.

Deuteronomy 1:7
Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates.

Deuteronomy 11:24
Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be.

Daniel 10:4
And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;

Revelation 9:14
Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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 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 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; Acts 9:31- :.

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

Hebrews 10:32.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus - Which are united to the Lord Jesus, or which are founded on his truth: that is, which are true churches. Of those churches they became “imitators” - μιμηταὶ mimētai - to wit, in their sufferings. This does not mean that they were founded on the same model; or that they professed to be the followers of those churches, but that they had been treated in the same way, and thus were like them. They had been persecuted in the same manner, and by the same people - the Jews; and they had borne their persecutions with the same spirit. The object of this is to comfort and encourage them, by showing them that others had been treated in the same manner, and that it was to be expected that a true church would be persecuted by the Jews. They ought not, therefore, to consider it as any evidence that they were not a true church that they had been persecuted by those who claimed to be the people of God, and who made extraordinary pretensions to piety.

For ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen - Literally, “of those who are of your fellow-tribe, or fellowclansmen “ - συμφυλέτων sumphuletōn. The Greek word means “one of the same tribe,” and then a fellow-citizen, or fellowcountryman. It is not elsewhere used in the New Testament. The particular reference here seems not to be to the pagan who were the agents or actors in the scenes of tumult and persecutions, but to the Jews by whom they were led on, or who were the prime movers in the persecutions which they had endured. It is necessary to suppose that they were principally Jews who were the cause of the persecution which had been excited against them, in order to make the parallelism between the church there and the churches in Palestine exact. At the same time there was a propriety in saying that, though the parallelism was exact, it was by the “hands of their own countrymen” that it was done; that is, they were the visible agents or actors by whom it was done - the instruments in the hands of others.

In Palestine. the Jews persecuted the churches directly; out of Palestine, they did it by means of others. They were the real authors of it, as they were in Judea, but they usually accomplished it by producing an excitement among the pagan, and by the plea that the apostles were making war on civil institutions. This was the case in Thessalonica. “The Jews which believed not, moved with envy, set all the city on an uproar.” “They drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, ‘Those that have turned the world up side down have come hither also;’” Acts 17:5-6. The same thing occurred a short time after at Berea. “When the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also and stirred up the people;” Acts 17:13; compare Acts 14:2. “The unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil-affected against the brethren.” “The Epistle, therefore, represents the case accurately as the history states it. It was the Jews always who set on foot the persecutions against the apostles and their followers;” Paley, Hor. Paul. in loc. It was, therefore, strictly true, as the apostle here states it:

(1) That they were subjected to the same treatment from the Jews as the churches in Judea were, since they were the authors of the excitement against them; and,

(2) That it was carried on, as the apostle states, “by their own countrymen;” that is, that they were the agents or instruments by which it was done. This kind of undesigned coincidence between the Epistle and the history in the Acts of the Apostles, is one of the arguments from which Paley (Hor. Paul.) infers the genuineness of both.

As they have of the Jews - Directly. In Palestine there were no others but Jews who could be excited against Christians, and they were obliged to appear as the persecutors themselves.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 14. 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 honour 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 is worthy of remark that, in almost every case, the Jews were the leaders of all persecutions against the apostles and the infant Church. And what they could not do themselves, they instigated others to do; and, by gathering together lewd fellows of the baser sort from among the Gentiles, they made frequent uproars, and especially at Thessalonica, where the opposition to the Gospel was very high, and the persecution of the Christians very hot.