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1:8 Paul’s description of how he preached the Gospel in Thessalonica o ers a model for all leaders and teachers. Paul did not impose his authority or take advantage of the community in any way. Instead, he was like a parent: gentle “as a nursing mother,” exhorting, teaching, and encouraging “as a father treats his children” (2:11).
1:14 The Christians in Thessalonica have experienced persecution from some Jewish believers. Paul’s harsh language here has been misused by anti-Semitic people to justify cruelty towards Jews. We need to read this passage in light of other statements by Paul in which he expresses his own and God’s love for the Jewish people,for example, Romans 11:25-29.
The Martyrdom of Isaiah from the Gothic medieval Bible of Jean d’Estampes
d. [2:9] Acts 20:34; 1 Cor 4:12; 9:3–18; 2 Thes 3:7–9.
e. [2:11] Acts 20:31.
f. [2:12] 1 Pt 5:10 / 4:7;
2 Thes 2:14.
g. [2:15] Acts 2:23; 7:52.
h. [2:16] Gn 15:16; 2 Mc 6:14 /
Rom 1:18; 2:5–6.
i. [2:17] 3:10; Rom 1:10–11.
j. [2:18] Rom 15:22.
k. [2:19] 2 Cor 1:14; Phil 2:16; 4:1.
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 THESSALONIANS -
8With such a ection for you, we were determined to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our very selves as well, so dearly beloved had you become to us. 9You recall, brothers, our toil and drudgery. Working night and day in order not to burden any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.d 10You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers. 11As you know, we treated each one of you as a father treats his children,e 12exhorting and encouraging you and insisting that you conduct yourselves as worthy of the God who calls you into his kingdom and glory.f
Further Thanksgiving. 13And for this reason we too give thanks to God unceasingly, that, in receiving the word of God from hearing us, you received not a human word but, as it truly is, the word of God, which is now at work in you who believe.
14* For you, brothers, have become imitators of the churches of God that are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you su er the same things from your compatriots as they did from the Jews, 15* who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and persecuted us; they do not please God, and are opposed to everyone,g 16trying to prevent us from speaking to the Gentiles that they may be saved, thus constantly lling up the measure of their sins. But the wrath of God has nally begun to come upon them.h
Paul’s Recent Travel Plans. 17Brothers, when we were bereft of you for a short time, in person, not in heart, we were all the more eager in our great desire to see you in person.i 18We decided to go to you—I, Paul, not only once but more than once—yet Satan thwarted us.j 19For what is our hope or joy or crown to boast of in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming if not you yourselves?k 20For you are our glory and joy.
31That is why, when we could bear it no longer, we decided a2to remain alone in Athens and sent Timothy, our brother and co-worker for God in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,b 3so that no one be disturbed in these a ictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined* for this. 4For even when we were among you, we used
* [2:14] Luke’s picture of the persecutions at Philippi (by Gentiles) and in Thessalonica and Beroea (by Jews) seems to be considerably schematized (Acts 16:11–40; 17:1–15). Paul pictures the Thessalonian community as composed of converts from paganism (1 Thes 1:9) and speaks here of persecution by their (pagan) compatriots rather than by Jews.
* [2:15–16] Paul is speaking of historical opposition on the part of Palestinian Jews in particular and does so only some twenty years after Jesus’ cruci xion. Even so, he quickly proceeds to depict the persecutors typologically, in apocalyptic terms. His remarks give no grounds for anti-Semitism to those willing to understand him, especially in view of Paul’s pride in his own ethnic and religious background (Rom 9:1–5; 10:1; 11:1–3; Phil 3:4–6). Sinful conduct (1 Thes 2:16) is itself an anticipation of the ultimate wrath or judgment of God (Rom 1:18–2:5), whether or not it is perceived as such.
* [3:3] We are destined: the Greek phraseology and the context suggest Paul’s concern to alert his readers to di culties he knew they would necessarily face and to enable them to see their present experience in the light of what he warned them would happen in the future. This line of thought is followed in 2 Thes 2:1–15.