SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:6
¶ Y vosotros fuisteis hechos imitadores de nosotros, y del Seor, recibiendo la palabra con mucha tribulacin, con gozo del Espíritu Santo;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Thessalonians 1:6
Verse 6. Ye became followers of us] Ye became imitators, mimhtai, of us-ye believed the same truths, walked in the same way, and minded the same thing; knowing that our doctrine was of the Lord, and that the way in which we walked was prescribed by himself, and that he also suffered the contradictions of ungodly men. Having received the word in much affliction] That they received the doctrine of the Gospel in the midst of much persecution we may learn from the history in general, and from Acts xvii. 5, 6.
With joy of the Holy Ghost] The consolations which they received, in consequence of believing in Christ, more than counterbalanced all the afflictions which they suffered from their persecutors.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 6. And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord , etc.] So far followers of them as they were of Christ, in embracing the Gospel, submitting to the ordinances of it, professing the name of Christ, and suffering for his sake; the Alexandrian copy reads, of God, and others, of Christ: having received the word ; the Gospel, the word of truth, peace, and righteousness, and of salvation by Christ; which they received not as the word of man, but of God; and that in much affliction ; referring to the uproar made by the baser sort of people, instigated by the unbelieving Jews, and the trouble they gave to Jason and other brethren, mentioned in ( Acts 17:1,5-9) and this is a considerable commendation of them, that at a time when others were offended and fell off from hearing the word, and a profession of the Gospel, they should receive it, and that with much joy of the Holy Ghost ; not with a carnal joy, or with a mere flash of natural affection, as in the stony ground hearers, and in the Jews, who rejoiced for a while in John's ministry, and in Herod, who sometimes heard him gladly; but with a spiritual joy of the Holy Ghost's producing in them, applying the word with power to them, giving them a spiritual gust of it, and pleasure in it, raising in their souls a joy upon the most solid foundation.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 6-10 - When careless, ignorant, and immoral persons are turned from their carnal pursuits and connexions, to believe in and obey the Lord Jesus to live soberly, righteously, and godly, the matter speaks for itself The believers under the Old Testament waited for the coming of the Messiah, and believers now wait for his second coming. He is yet to come. And God had raised him from the dead, which is a full assuranc unto all men that he will come to judgment. He came to purchase salvation, and will, when he comes again, bring salvation with him full and final deliverance from that wrath which is yet to come. Le all, without delay, flee from the wrath to come, and seek refuge in Christ and his salvation __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 υμεις 5210 μιμηται 3402 ημων 2257 εγενηθητε 1096 5675 και 2532 του 3588 κυριου 2962 δεξαμενοι 1209 5666 τον 3588 λογον 3056 εν 1722 θλιψει 2347 πολλη 4183 μετα 3326 χαρας 5479 πνευματος 4151 αγιου 40
Vincent's NT Word Studies
6. Followers (mimhtai). More literally and better, imitators. Only once outside of Paul's writings, Heb. vi. 12. Comp. 1 Thess. iii. 9; 2 Thessalonians 7; 1 Cor. iv. 16; xi. 1; Gal. iv. 12; Philippians iii. 17; iv. 9.
And of the Lord. Guarding against any possible imputation of self-assertion or conceit. Comp. 1 Cor. xi. 1.
Tribulation (qliyei). See on Matt. xiii. 21. Referring especially to persecutions at the hands of the Jews (Acts xvii. 5 ff.), which probably continued after Paul's departure from Thessalonica.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
1:6 {Imitators of us and of the Lord} (mimetai hemwn kai tou kuriou). mimetes (-tes expresses the agent) is from mimeomai, to imitate and that from mimos (mimic, actor). Old word, more than "followers," in the N.T. only six times (#1Th 1:6; 2:14; 1Co 4:16; 11:1; Eph 5:1; Heb 6:12). Again Paul uses ginomai, to become, not eimi, to be. It is a daring thing to expect people to "imitate" the preacher, but Paul adds "and of the Lord," for he only expected or desired "imitation" as he himself imitated the Lord Jesus, as he expressly says in #1Co 11:1. The peril of it all is that people so easily and so readily imitate the preacher when he does not imitate the Lord. The fact of the "election" of the Thessalonians was shown by the character of the message given them and by this sincere acceptance of it (Lightfoot). {Having received the word} (dexamenoi ton logon). First aorist middle participle of decomai, probably simultaneous action (receiving), not antecedent. {In much affliction} (en qliyei pollei). Late word, pressure. Tribulation (Latin _tribulum_) from qlibw, to press hard on. Christianity has glorified this word. It occurs in some Christian papyrus letters in this same sense. Runs all through the N.T. (#2Th 1:4; Ro 5:3). Paul had his share of them (#Col 1:24; 2Co 2:4) and so he understands how to sympathize with the Thessalonians (#1Th 3:3f.). They suffered after Paul left Thessalonica (#1Th 2:14). {With joy of the Holy Spirit} (meta caras pneumatos hagiou). The Holy Spirit gives the joy in the midst of the tribulations as Paul learned (#Ro 5:3). " this paradox of experience" (Moffatt) shines along the pathway of martyrs and saints of Christ.
