Jews

Bible Verses from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV study Bible

1 Thessalonians 2:6-16 - We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. For you, brothers, became imitators of God's churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.

1 Thessalonians 1:6 - You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

Romans 9:3-4 - For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises.

Romans 10:1 - Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.

Conclusions:

• Greeks despised manual labor and viewed it as fit only for slaves, but Paul was not ashamed of doing any sort of work that would help further the gospel
• Paul did not want to be unduly dependent on others
• The order in Christian imitation: (1) Believers in Macedonia and Achaia imitated the Thessalonians, just as the Thessalonians imitated the churches in Judea; (2) the Thessalonians imitated Paul, just as the Corinthians did and just as all believers were to imitate their leaders; (3) Paul imitated Christ as did the Thessalonians; (4) all were to imitate God
• Cursed means delivered over to the wrath of God for eternal destruction
• Paul had great love for his fellow Jews
• Paul often prayed for the churches
• Paul prayed for the salvation of his fellow countrymen

Application:

• Are you unduly dependent on others?
• Do you imitate your church leaders, Christ and God?
• Do you have great love for your fellow Americans?
• Do you pray the churches and the salvation of your fellow countryment?