1 Thessalonians 2:15 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:
1 Thessalonians 2:15 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,
1 Thessalonians 2:15 niv
who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone
1 Thessalonians 2:15 esv
who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind
1 Thessalonians 2:15 nlt
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
1 Thessalonians 2 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 9:5-6 | "Whoever sheds the blood of man... by man shall his blood be shed..." | Covenant establishing the sanctity of life. |
| Deut 18:20 | "But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name..." | Condemnation for false prophecy/prophets, yet Israel also rejected true ones. |
| 2 Chron 36:15-16 | "But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words..." | Israel's persistent rejection and mockery of God's prophets. |
| Neh 9:26 | "Nevertheless they were disobedient... and murdered your prophets..." | Levites' confession: Israel killed prophets who warned them. |
| Jer 7:25-26 | "From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt..." | God sent prophets repeatedly, but they refused to listen. |
| Matt 5:12 | "for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." | Jesus states a historical pattern of persecuting prophets. |
| Matt 21:33-45 | "Parable of the tenants: they will put the son to death..." | Jesus' parable of the wicked tenants foreshadowing His death and Jewish leaders' rejection. |
| Matt 23:31 | "Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets." | Jesus links the current generation to their fathers' historical murder of prophets. |
| Matt 23:37-38 | "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone..." | Jesus laments Jerusalem's persistent rejection and murder of prophets. |
| Luke 11:47-51 | "you build the tombs of the prophets... that the blood of all the prophets... may be charged against this generation." | Woe to the scribes/Pharisees for following their fathers' murderous ways. |
| Acts 2:23 | "this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan..." | Peter attributes Jesus' crucifixion to the "lawless men." |
| Acts 3:14-15 | "You denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer... and you killed the Author of life..." | Peter directly accuses his audience of Jesus' death. |
| Acts 5:30-31 | "The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree." | Peter reiterates the accusation that Jesus was killed by those leaders. |
| Acts 7:51-53 | "You stiff-necked people... you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?" | Stephen's speech outlines the history of resistance to God's Spirit and prophets, culminating in Jesus' death. |
| Acts 9:1-2 | "Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord..." | Example of intense persecution from Jewish authority (Paul before conversion). |
| Rom 10:1-3 | "Israel, who pursue a law... they have not submitted to God's righteousness." | Paul's sorrow for Israel, who did not submit to God's way of righteousness. |
| Rom 11:28-32 | "As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake..." | Explains how Israel's temporary rejection allowed Gentile inclusion, with future hope for Israel. |
| 1 Cor 2:8 | "None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." | Implies spiritual blindness in the rulers who killed Jesus. |
| Phil 3:18-19 | "many, of whom I have often told you... enemies of the cross of Christ..." | Paul speaks of those who oppose the Gospel, their mind on earthly things. |
| Heb 11:35-38 | "Some were tortured, refusing to accept release... They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword..." | Lists suffering endured by faithful Old Testament prophets, connecting to those who persecuted them. |
| Jas 5:10 | "As an example of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord." | Reminds of the prophets' suffering, implying opposition. |
| Rev 11:7-8 | "the beast... will make war on them and conquer them and kill them." | Future persecution and martyrdom of God's witnesses. |
| 1 Jn 3:13 | "Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you." | Expectation of the world's opposition to believers. |
1 Thessalonians 2 verses
1 Thessalonians 2 15 Meaning
First Thessalonians 2:15 describes the severe actions and character of certain opponents to the Gospel message, specifically identifying those who were instrumental in the death of the Lord Jesus, consistently killed God's prophets, actively persecuted the apostles, failed to please God in their conduct, and demonstrated antagonism toward the universal spread of the Gospel to all people. This verse reveals a historical pattern of resistance to divine revelation and salvific mission, culminating in the ultimate rejection of Christ and His message.
1 Thessalonians 2 15 Context
First Thessalonians chapter 2 sees Paul defending the integrity and motivation of his ministry in Thessalonica, which had been marked by hardship and persecution. He contrasts his pure motives and self-sacrificing service with the deceitful, manipulative, and self-serving approaches of false teachers or accusers who had likely emerged to undermine his work after his forced departure from the city. In verses 13-14, Paul commends the Thessalonians for receiving God’s word not as the word of men but as it truly is—the word of God—and for suffering persecution from their own countrymen, just as the churches in Judea suffered from theirs. Verse 15 then identifies the specific source and nature of the opposition faced by the Judean churches and, by extension, the pattern of resistance experienced by Paul and his companions. It describes the character and actions of certain Jewish individuals or factions responsible for these persecutions, framing them as a consistent opposition to God's redemptive plan through history, culminating in the death of Christ and the persecution of His followers.
1 Thessalonians 2 15 Word analysis
- who both killed (ἀποκτεινάντων - apokteinantōn): The active participle denotes a completed action, emphasizing their agency and culpability in the death of Christ. This word choice signifies an intentional and deliberate act of execution.
- the Lord Jesus (τὸν Κύριον Ἰησοῦν - ton Kyrion Iēsoun): This title underscores Jesus' divine authority, sovereign reign, and Messiahship. Their act of "killing the Lord" is not just murder, but rebellion against God's appointed King and Savior, making the offense exceptionally grievous.
- and their own prophets (καὶ τοὺς ἰδίους προφήτας - kai tous idious prophētās): The phrase highlights the historical pattern of rejecting God's messengers sent to Israel. "Their own" emphasizes the internal betrayal of those chosen by God for their own people. This points to a chronic spiritual blindness and hardness of heart.
- and have persecuted us (καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐκδιωξάντων - kai hēmas ekdiōxantōn): Ekdiōxantōn is a strong verb meaning "to drive out, pursue, persecute relentlessly." This confirms that the same animosity directed at Christ and the prophets was now targeting Paul and the apostles, marking a continuous pattern of opposing God's unfolding salvation history.
- and they please not God (καὶ Θεῷ μὴ ἀρεσκόντων - kai Theō mē areskontōn): This indicates a fundamental spiritual misalignment. Their actions are antithetical to God's will and purpose. It speaks to a deep-seated antagonism rather than simple disapproval. Their resistance to the Gospel implies they are not living in a way that is pleasing to their Creator.
- and are contrary (καὶ πᾶσιν ἐναντίων - kai pasin enantiōn): Enantiōn means "opposed, hostile, adversarial." It suggests an inherent and pervasive antagonism.
- to all men (ἀνθρώποις - anthrōpois): This phrase is crucial. It does not imply that certain Jews were physically aggressive toward all individuals, but rather that their rejection of the Gospel was fundamentally "contrary" to God's universal plan of salvation intended for all humanity. Their efforts to hinder the Gospel's spread effectively cut themselves off from participating in and promoting a blessing meant for all nations. They oppose the missionary enterprise for the inclusion of all mankind.
- who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets: This phrase establishes a direct parallel, showing a continuity in the rejection of divine messengers, culminating in the ultimate act of rejecting God's Son. This pattern reveals a history of national spiritual resistance against the Lord's calling.
- and have persecuted us; and they please not God: Their persecution of the apostles demonstrates their ongoing rejection of God's present saving work through the Holy Spirit. This refusal to accept the Spirit-empowered mission reveals their heart's posture as unpleasing to God.
- and are contrary to all men: This signifies the exclusivism and anti-missional stance of these specific opponents. While salvation historically began with the Jews, their active opposition to the Good News reaching the Gentiles shows they were blocking the universal, inclusive aspect of God's redemptive plan.
1 Thessalonians 2 15 Bonus section
The "contrary to all men" (πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἐναντίων) phrase has been historically misapplied to broadly accuse Jewish people of misanthropy. However, the correct understanding, informed by scholarly research and the broader Pauline corpus, indicates Paul is referring specifically to the obstruction of the Gentile mission. These specific opponents of Paul saw the inclusion of Gentiles (apart from Jewish law) as an abomination, directly contradicting God's plan to save people from every nation (Gen 12:3; Rom 1:16; 15:8-12). Thus, their opposition was fundamentally an anti-gospel, anti-missional, and anti-inclusive posture, placing them in opposition to God's saving activity extended to all men. Paul's own sorrow and hope for Israel's future (Rom 9-11) firmly contradicts any notion of total, unconditional condemnation. The verse, therefore, highlights specific acts of religious obstruction rather than an ethnic generalization.
1 Thessalonians 2 15 Commentary
First Thessalonians 2:15 provides a stark indictment from Paul, primarily aimed at a specific group of Jewish antagonists who fiercely opposed his evangelistic mission. It's vital to understand that Paul is not condemning all Jewish people throughout history, nor is he promoting anti-Judaism. Rather, he is highlighting the consistent historical pattern of certain religious leaders and factions within Israel who actively resisted God's appointed messengers and, ultimately, God's Son, Jesus. Their past actions included killing the prophets God sent to them to call them to repentance and faith. This historical trajectory culminated in their direct complicity in the death of the Messiah, Jesus. The same spirit of antagonism then extended to the apostles and their mission, evidenced by their relentless persecution of Paul and his companions.
This continuous opposition reveals a spiritual posture described as "not pleasing God" – their actions ran counter to God's desires and plan. Finally, their stance was "contrary to all men," not in the sense of disliking all gentiles personally, but in their active hindrance of the Gospel, which is meant for all humanity. By preventing the message of Christ from reaching others, they were essentially working against God's universal purpose for salvation and creating an adversarial relationship with those seeking to proclaim it universally. The verse underscores the tragic consequences of religious pride and resistance to God's revealed will.