1 Thessalonians 1:6-10
You Became an Example
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6And you became imitators of us and of the Lord when you welcomed the message with the joy of the Holy Spirit, in spite of your great suffering.
7As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
8For not only did the message of the Lord ring out from you to Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone out to every place, so that we have no need to say anything more.
9For they themselves report what kind of welcome you gave us, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God
10and to await His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead—Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Paul continues his thanks by describing what the Thessalonians did after receiving the message. They became imitators of Paul and of the Lord, welcoming the message with the joy of the Holy Spirit even while suffering greatly.
The combination matters. Joy is not evidence that the suffering was imaginary, and suffering is not proof that the message failed. The Thessalonians received the gospel in a setting where following it cost them something. Their joy came from the Holy Spirit, not from the promise that obedience would remove every difficulty.
Their response then became an example to believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The message of the Lord rang out from them, and their faith in God went out everywhere. Paul says he has no need to say anything more because other people are already reporting what kind of welcome the missionaries received and how the Thessalonians turned to God from idols.
Turning from idols is more than changing a label. It is leaving behind a way of organizing life around created things, local powers, and religious practices that cannot give life. The Thessalonians turn to serve the living and true God. Their faith has a direction: away from false worship and toward service.
They also await God's Son from heaven, Jesus, whom God raised from the dead and who delivers them from the coming wrath. Paul holds resurrection and judgment together. Jesus is not only an example for the present; He is the risen Lord whose future matters. Their waiting is confident because the risen Jesus delivers His people from God's coming judgment.
The believers' changed worship and enduring faith let others see the gospel's effect. Their example is the fruit of receiving the message with the Spirit's joy.
How We Know
Acts 17:1–9 records Paul's preaching at Thessalonica, converts joining Paul and Silas, and opposition that drew Jason and other believers before city officials. This gives a concrete setting for the suffering and welcome recalled in the letter. Acts does not describe every detail of the church's later experience.
Questions
1 Whom did the Thessalonians imitate?
AnswerThey imitated Paul and the Lord by receiving the message with joy and remaining faithful even when obedience brought suffering.
2 How did they receive the message?
AnswerThey received it with joy from the Holy Spirit despite great suffering, showing that Christian joy does not depend on easy circumstances.
3 What did they turn from and turn toward?
AnswerThey turned away from idols and toward the living and true God, changing both their worship and the direction of their daily service.
4 What are they waiting for?
AnswerThey are waiting for Jesus, God’s Son from heaven, whom God raised from the dead and who rescues His people from coming wrath.
What This Means for Us
Following Christ may put us at odds with a familiar practice or a group whose approval matters to us. The Thessalonians turned to the living God even under pressure. Ask where loyalty to Him requires a clear change in your own life.
We can encourage someone making such a change. Stand with them, pray for joy from the Holy Spirit and remind them of the risen Jesus whose future they await.
Prayer
Living God, turn our hearts from every false source of life. Give us joy that can endure suffering, service that is sincere, and hope fixed on Jesus, whom You raised from the dead. Amen.