New Living Translation
1 Thessalonians 2:15
15For some of the Jews killed the prophets, and some even killed the Lord Jesus. Now they have persecuted us, too. They fail to please God and work against all humanity
1 Thessalonians 2:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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:
- New International Version (NIV)who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone
- English Standard Version (ESV)who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind
- New King James Version (NKJV)who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men,
Context of 1 Thessalonians 2:15
13Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe. 14And then, dear brothers and sisters, you suffered persecution from your own countrymen. In this way, you imitated the believers in God’s churches in Judea who, because of their belief in Christ Jesus, suffered from their own people, the Jews. For some of the Jews killed the prophets, and some even killed the Lord Jesus. Now they have persecuted us, too. They fail to please God and work against all humanity 16as 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. 17Dear brothers and sisters, after we were separated from you for a little while (though our hearts never left you), we tried very hard to come back because of our intense longing to see you again.
Read all of 1 Thessalonians 21 Thessalonians 2:15 word by word
τῶν καὶ τὸν κύριον ἀποκτεινάντων Ἰησοῦν καὶ τοὺς προφήτας καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐκδιωξάντων καὶ θεῷ μὴ ἀρεσκόντων καὶ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἐναντίων,Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Whoὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- bothκαίkai · andG2532
- killedἀποκτείνωapokteinō · to killG615
- the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- their ownἴδιοςidios · one's own/privateG2398
- prophetsπροφήτηςprophētēs · prophetG4396
- have persecutedἐκδιώκωekdiōkō · to persecuteG1559
- usἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- they pleaseἀρέσκωareskō · to pleaseG700
- notμήmē · notG3361
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- contraryἐναντίοςenantios · hostileG1727
- to allπᾶςpas · allG3956
- menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
Cross-references for 1 Thessalonians 2:15
- Matthew 5:12Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.
- Matthew 21:35But the farmers grabbed his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.
- Matthew 23:31“But in saying that, you testify against yourselves that you are indeed the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
- Matthew 27:25And all the people yelled back, “We will take responsibility for his death—we and our children!”
- Luke 11:48But in fact, you stand as witnesses who agree with what your ancestors did. They killed the prophets, and you join in their crime by building the monuments!
- Luke 13:33Yes, today, tomorrow, and the next day I must proceed on my way. For it wouldn’t do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem!
- Acts 2:23But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him.
- Acts 3:15You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. And we are witnesses of this fact!
- Acts 4:10Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead.
- Acts 5:30The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on a cross.
- Acts 7:52Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered.
- Amos 7:12Then Amaziah sent orders to Amos: “Get out of here, you prophet! Go on back to the land of Judah, and earn your living by prophesying there!
- Acts 22:18I saw a vision of Jesus saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem, for the people here won’t accept your testimony about me.’
- Acts 12:3When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration.)
- 1 Corinthians 10:5Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
- Esther 3:8Then Haman approached King Xerxes and said, “There is a certain race of people scattered through all the provinces of your empire who keep themselves separate from everyone else. Their laws are different from those of any other people, and they refuse to obey the laws of the king. So it is not in the king’s interest to let them live.
Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 2:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Who hath killed the Lord Jesus, etc. - What a finished but just character is this of the Jews! They slew the Lord Jesus, through the most unprincipled and fell malice. They killed their own prophets; there was no time in which the seed of the serpent did not hate and oppose spiritual things, they slew even their own prophets who declared to them the will of God. They persecuted the apostles; showing the same spirit of enmity to the Gospel which they had…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Who both killed the Lord Jesus - see the notes on Acts 2:23. The meaning here is, that it was characteristic of the Jews to be engaged in the work of persecution, and that they should not regard it as strange that they who had put their own Messiah to death, and slain the prophets, should now be found persecuting the true children of God. And their own prophets - see the Matthew 21:33-40; 23:29-37 notes; Acts 7:52 note. And have persecuted us - As at…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. 15Paul was not opposed to the Jewish people. Out of love for them, he prayed for their salvation (Romans 9:1–5; 10:1). However, he knew some Jews had a role in the deaths of God’s messengers, including the Lord Jesus and some prophets (1 Kings 19:10; Acts 7:52). Some Jews had also persecuted the apostles in Thessalonica (Acts 17:10; 2 Corinthians 11:26).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. the Lord Jesus--rather as Greek, "Jesus THE Lord." This enhances the glaring enormity of their sin, that in killing Jesus they killed the Lord (Compare Ac 3:14, 15). their own--omitted in the oldest manuscripts. prophets--(Mt 21:33-41; 23:31-37; Lu 13:33). persecuted us--rather as Greek (see Margin), "By persecution drove us out" (Lu 11:49). please not God--that is, they do not make it their aim to please God. He implies that with all their boast of…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Thessalonians 2:15
In the dictionaries
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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries