1 Thessalonians 1:6

“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 (<441701>Acts 17:1,5-9) and this is a considerable…”

“And ye--answering to "For our Gospel," Th1 1:5. followers--Greek, "imitators." The Thessalonians in their turn became "ensamples" (Th1 1:7) for others to imitate. of the Lord--who was the apostle of the Father, and taught the word, which He brought from heaven, under adversities [BENGEL]. This was the point in which they imitated Him and His apostles, joyful witness for the word in much affliction: the second proof of their election of God (Th1 1:4); Th1 1:5 is the first (see on Th1 1:5). received the word in much affliction-- (Th1 2:14; Th1 3:2-5; Act 17:5-10). joy of--that is, wrought by "the Holy Ghost." "The oil of gladness" wherewith the Son of God was "anointed above His fellows" (Psa…”

“And ye became followers of us - “You became imitators - μιμηταὶ mimētai - of us.” This does not mean that they became followers of Paul, Silas, and Timothy, in the sense that they had set themselves up as teachers, or as the head of a sect, but that they imitated their manner of living; see the notes on 1 Corinthians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 11:1. And of the Lord - The Lord Jesus. You also learned to imitate him. From this it is evident that the manner in which the Saviour lived was a prominent topic of their preaching, and also that it was one of the means of the conversion of the Thessalonians. It is probable that preaching on the pure and holy life of the Lord Jesus might be made a much more…”

“Though in much affliction, yet with much joy. 1 Thessalonians 1:8”

“1:6 Because they accepted the Good News, the Thessalonians experienced severe suffering from their contemporaries (2:14; 3:3-4). Yet as they followed the model of the apostles and of the Lord himself (Matt 5:11-12; Rom 8:17; 12:12; Phil 2:17), they received joy from the Holy Spirit (1 Pet 4:13-14).”

“ye: Th1 2:14; Co1 4:16, Co1 11:1; Co2 8:5; Phi 3:17; Th2 3:9 and of: Mat 16:24; Joh 8:12, Joh 13:13-15; Eph 5:1; Pe1 3:13; Jo3 1:11 received: Th1 2:13, Th1 2:14, Th1 3:2-4; Hos 2:14; Mar 10:29-30; Act 17:5; Co2 8:1, Co2 8:2; Th2 1:4 with joy: Joh 14:16-18; Act 5:41, Act 9:31, Act 13:52; Rom 5:3-5, Rom 8:16-18, Rom 15:13; Gal 5:22; Heb 10:34; Pe1 1:6, Pe1 1:8 1 Thessalonians 1:7”