1 Thessalonians 2:16

1 Thessalonians 2:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.
• English Standard Version (ESV)by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!
• New King James Version (NKJV)forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.
• New Living Translation (NLT)as they try to keep us from preaching the Good News of salvation to the Gentiles. By doing this, they continue to pile up their sins. But the anger of God has caught up with them at last.

Context of 1 Thessalonians 2:16

14For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same things those churches suffered from the Jews 15who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone 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. 17But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. 18For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way.

1 Thessalonians 2:16 word by word

κωλυόντων ἡμᾶς τοῖς ἔθνεσιν λαλῆσαι ἵνα σωθῶσιν, εἰς τὸ ἀναπληρῶσαι αὐτῶν τὰς ἁμαρτίας πάντοτε· ἔφθασεν δὲ ἐπ᾽ αὐτοὺς ἡ ὀργὴ εἰς τέλος.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Forbiddingκωλύωkōluō · to preventG2967
• usἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• to speakλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
• to the Gentilesἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• they might be savedσῴζωsōzō · to saveG4982
• toεἰςeis · towardG1519
• fill upἀναπληρόωanaplēroō · to fulfilG378
• theirαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• sinsἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266
• alwayπάντοτεpantote · alwaysG3842
• forδέde · thenG1161
• the wrathὀργήorgē · wrathG3709
• is comeφθάνωphthanō · to precede/arriveG5348
• uponἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• the uttermostτέλοςtelos · goal/taxG5056

Cross-references for 1 Thessalonians 2:16

• Acts 11:2So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him
• Acts 13:50But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.
• Acts 14:5There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them.
• Acts 17:5But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.
• Acts 18:12While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment.
• Acts 19:9But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
• Acts 21:27When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,
• Acts 22:21“Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”
• Galatians 5:11Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished.
• Ephesians 3:8Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ,
• Isaiah 45:22“Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.
• Mark 16:16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
• Acts 4:12Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
• Romans 10:13for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
• 2 Thessalonians 2:10and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
• 1 Timothy 2:4who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 2:16

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles - see Acts 17:5, Acts 17:13. No particular instance is mentioned in the life of Paul previous to this, when they had formally commanded him not to preach to the pagan, but no one can doubt that this was one of the leading points of difference between him and them. Paul maintained that the Jews and Gentiles were now on a level with regard to salvation; that the wall of partition was broken down; that the Jew had no…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-16Verses 13-16 We should receive the word of God with affections suitable to its holiness, wisdom, truth, and goodness. The words of men are frail and perishing, like themselves, and sometimes false, foolish, and fickle; but God's word is holy, wise, just, and faithful. Let us receive and regard it accordingly. The word wrought in them, to make them examples to others in faith and good works, and in patience under sufferings, and in trials for the sake of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16The mission to the Gentiles was one of the most important issues in the early church (Acts 11:18; 13:46–49; 28:28; Romans 1:16). Judgment comes when sins increase to full capacity (Genesis 15:16; Daniel 8:23; compare Matthew 23:31–36).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. Forbidding--Greek, "Hindering us from speaking," &c. to fill up their sins alway--Tending thus "to the filling up (the full measure of, Ge 15:16; Da 8:23; Mt 23:32) their sins at all times," that is, now as at all former times. Their hindrance of the Gospel preaching to the Gentiles was the last measure added to their continually accumulating iniquity, which made them fully ripe for vengeance. for--Greek, "but." "But," they shall proceed no further…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Thessalonians 2:16

• Bigotry
• Gentiles

In the dictionaries

• Affectionately
• Bold
• Chargeable
• Cherish
• Desire
• Joy
• Paul, the Apostle
• Retribution
• Thessalonians, the First Epistle of Paul to the
• Thessalonians, the Second Epistle of Paul to the

Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings