2:14
The Thessalonians had been experiencing serious persecution and opposition right from the word go. So Paul points back to the churches in Judea, ie to the place where the gospel first started. The first Christians in Jerusalem and then in the rest of Judea experienced persecution. So Paul is reassuring the Thessalonians that nothing unusual was happening to them. When we start to suffer because of following Christ our first reaction is wonder if we have done something wrong. The first Christians experienced persecution from their own people, the Jews. Likewise the Thessalonians were encountering opposition from their own people, the Gentiles.
2:15
“Who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out”. These days some might object to such words saying they are anti-semetic. They are not. Remember that Paul and most of his companions were Jews, Jesus was a Jew! It is a simple statement of the facts, and we Gentiles are no more innocent. Paul is stating the facts, and reminding the Thessalonians that there is nothing unusual in their facing persecution. The Jews who opposed Jesus displease God and are hostile to everyone, and much the same applies to anyone who opposes Jesus.
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