1 Thessalonians 2:14

Imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea

(μιμητα των εκκλησιων του θεου των ουσων εν τη Ιουδαια). On μιμητα see on 1 Thessalonians 1:5. "This passage, implying an affectionate admiration of the Jewish churches on the part of St. Paul, and thus entirely bearing out the impression produced by the narrative in the Acts, is entirely subversive of the theory maintained by some and based on a misconception of 1 Thessalonians 2:2, and by the fiction of the Pseudo-Clementines, of the feud existing between St. Paul and the Twelve" (Lightfoot).In Christ Jesus

(εν Χριστω Ιησου). It takes this to make a Christian church of God. Note order hereChrist Jesus

as compared withJesus Christ

in 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:3.Ye also--even as they

(κα υμεισ--κα αυτο). Note κα twice (correlative use of κα).Countrymen

(συμφυλετων). Fellow-countrymen or tribesmen. Late word that refers primarily to Gentiles who no doubt joined the Jews in Thessalonica who instigated the attacks on Paul and Silas so that it "was taken up by the native population, without whose co-operation it would have been powerless" (Lightfoot).Own

(ιδιων) here has apparently a weakened force. Note υπο here with the ablative both with συμφυλετων and Ιουδαιων after the intransitive επαθετε (suffered). The persecution of the Christians by the Jews in Judea was known everywhere.