Paul's Exhortations to the Thessalonian Church Volume 10

Paul Reminds these Thessalonian Believers of the Origin & Destiny of their Persecutors Part 1

1 Thessalonians 2:15 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: KJV

As we just documented in the last two verses, these new believers in our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ found immediate persecution from the unbelieving Jews in the Synagogue there and from the unbelieving Gentile Thessalonians stirred up by these unbelieving Jews, but Paul now tells the believing Thessalonians (Gentile & Jew) of the coming Judgement that will certainly come upon these people for all that they have done to God's chosen people as he says with these words, "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:" (1 Thessalonians 2:15) (KJV). First of all, Paul reminds them that these were the same people (not literally, but figuratively) that killed our Great God Jesus Christ on the Cross at Calvary and with that in mind, they are sure, surely, and sure enough going to persecute those of us who belong to Christ Jesus our Lord.

For this is what our Lord Jesus Himself said to these raging, raving, and ruthless Jews before it was His time to be crucified, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, Saying, If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have aided them in shedding the blood of the prophets. Thus you are testifying against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' sins to the brim [so that nothing may be wanting to a full measure]. You serpents! You spawn of vipers! How can you escape the penalty to be suffered in hell (Gehenna)? Because of this, take notice: I am sending you prophets and wise men (interpreters and teachers) and scribes (men learned in the Mosaic Law and the Prophets); some of them you will kill, even crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue {and} persecute from town to town, So that upon your heads may come all the blood of the righteous (those who correspond to the divine standard of right) shed on earth, from the blood of the righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar [of burnt offering]." (Matthew 23:29-35) (Amplified Bible).

The little English phrase 'have persecuted' that Paul uses here to describe what these people did to him and those with him is translated by one Greek word ekdioko (used here and only one other place in the New Testament) meaning to pursue out, that is, expel or persecute implacably, that is, relentlessly and mercilessly. These men were not in agreement with God the Father or pleasing to Him although they thought there zealous religious ferver for the Law of Moses was in itself alone pleasing to God, but they ignored the will of God through His Son Jesus Christ and rejected the true way of righteousness as even Paul had done before his conversion to Christ on the road to Damascus where he (Paul) was going to that city to find Christians (followers of Jesus Christ) and imprison them or even kill them.

However, Paul now with his spiritual eyes open to the truth of the Gospel of Christ wrote these words concerning his prayer and desire for all of the Jews who still believe like he once did, "Brethren, [with all] my heart's desire {and} goodwill for [Israel], I long and pray to God that they may be saved. I bear them witness that they have a [certain] zeal {and} enthusiasm for God, but it is not enlightened {and} according to [correct and vital] knowledge. For being ignorant of the righteousness that God ascribes [which makes one acceptable to Him in word, thought, and deed] and seeking to establish a {righteousness} {(a means of salvation)} of their own, they did not obey {or} submit themselves to God's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the Law [the limit at which it ceases to be, for the Law leads up to Him Who is the fulfillment of its types, and in Him the purpose which it was designed to accomplish is fulfilled. That is, the purpose of the Law is fulfilled in Him] as the means of righteousness (right relationship to God) for everyone who trusts in {and} adheres to {and} relies on Him." (Romans 10:1-4) (Amplified Bible).

These zealous but misguided Jews Paul declares to be 'contrary' to all men and this English word is translated by the Greek word enantios meaning opposite; figuratively antagonistic: - (over) against, contrary. In other words, these Jews who were so eager with strong desire to hurt and even eventually kill the Apostle Paul were men who cared nothing for the spiritual well-being of any people, but they were blinded spiritually only by and in their own religious zeal being antagonistic or resisting men and women, keeping them from the only truth that could free them now and for all eternity our Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6) as He said of them speaking directly to many of them these words, "Woe to you, lawyers (experts in the Mosaic Law)! For you have taken away the key to knowledge; you did not go in yourselves, and you hindered {and} prevented those who were entering." (Luke 11:52) (Amplified Bible).

"The Jews became so blinded spiritually that not only had they persecuted the Prophets of old like Isaiah & Zechariah, and even killed them, but now they even persecuted and killed the God/Man Jesus Christ who was and is the very YAHWEH they said that they worshipped and belonged to through Abraham. Note: 'Tradition says that the Prophet Isaiah was placed inside a hollow log and sawed in half by his own countrymen the Jews.' The Apostle Peter said this to the Jews shortly after the Day of Pentecost speaking of what was done to our Lord Jesus Christ, 'The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has glorified His Servant {and} Son Jesus [doing Him this honor], Whom you indeed delivered up and denied {and} rejected {and} disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had determined to let Him go. But you denied {and} rejected {and} disowned the Pure {and} Holy, the Just {and} Blameless One, and demanded [the pardon of] a murderer to be granted to you. But you killed the very Source (the Author) of life, Whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.' (Acts 3:13-15) (Amplified Bible)." Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

"Upon this occasion, the Apostle gives a character of the unbelieving Jews, 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." Matthew Henry

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…