Having spent four verses developing a heartfelt prayer of thanksgiving for these Thessalonian believers, Paul furthers his development by shifting from prayer to reflecting upon their response to the gospel. This is where Paul chooses to spend the remainder of his time in this chapter, looking at how the Thessalonians responded to the gospel message after it was preached to them in much power and authority. We begin our look today by starting with the first half of 1 Thessalonians 1:6; so, if we're ready to study God's truth, let's dig in.

1 Thessalonians 1:6 (NASB) - You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit,

From what we've already studied, it's obvious that the Thessalonians' first response to the gospel message was to believe it and become Christians. Their work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope were the clear evidence of their conversion. It's in our passage today that we see another response that these believers had after hearing the gospel preached: they became disciples who learned from and imitated their teachers. This is interesting to note because it is not often that we find Paul in Scripture commending believers for becoming imitators; instead, he more often has to exhort churches and believers to imitate and follow after his example (1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1; Eph. 5:1). Yet, we find in this book alone Paul commending these believers twice for their desire to imitate his example (1 Thess. 1:6; 2:14). This is a clear indication that the Thessalonians had the right heart attitude and were positive toward the doctrine that they were being taught, whereas most believers have to be nudged & prodded to live out the gospel.

This isn't the only place that we find Paul talking about having believers imitate his example. In Philippians 3:17 and 2 Thessalonians 3:9 we find Paul further elaborating on the idea of being an imitator. In Philippians he is asking this congregation to follow his example and observe others who are walking after the same pattern. In 2 Thessalonians, the message is similar, stating that he was living his life in such a way that it could be an example to those who were watching. The message here is the importance of imitating other faithful believers, much like we are told in Hebrews 6:12. Much like an infant learns by watching its parents, believers are going to learn how to live the Christian life by watching other Christians, especially those who are faithful and setting a positive example.

Another thing to note about this passage is that not only were the Thessalonians imitators of Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, but they were ultimately believers who were imitating the example of Jesus Christ and God the Father through the Holy Spirit. This truth is important because it's one thing to follow after the example of man, but it's another thing entirely to follow after someone who has lived a perfect life. So, even though Paul and his companions were godly men who sought to live godly lives, the Thessalonians quickly acknowledged that they were still fallen men who didn't get everything right. Therefore, instead of focusing solely on the example of Paul, they looked to Jesus Christ, the man that Paul preached about, as their example of godliness and living a life worthy of the gospel. I believe that Paul had an integral part in their looking toward Christ as an example, since we see him telling the Corinthians (whom he would visit shortly after leaving Thessalonica) to follow after him only as he was following Christ (1 Cor. 11:1). With that being said, the only reason they imitated Paul was because it was obvious that he was following Christ's example. Teaching that believers should follow after the example of Christ isn't unique to Paul or the New Testament scriptures; we also find the Apostolic Fathers speaking a good deal about imitating the example of Christ and those who are living it out. I highly recommend checking those out as time allows, as they are very edifying reads [1].

All in all, the Thessalonians are setting the bar very high for new believers. From what we've studied to this point, it looks like they are doing everything they way it should be done. They believed in the gospel and now they're imitating the example of their teachers. What more can you ask for from a disciple?! But, for us, I think it's important to recognize the principle of this passage, while also realizing the reality of the Thessalonians' example. Even though the Thessalonians immediately followed after the example of Paul & Christ, the principle remains the same, that is, Christians need to be imitators of godly men. The Bible Knowledge Commentary sums up the process best when it says, "A new Christian first looks to other believers as his pattern, but then as he matures he realizes that Jesus Christ is his best 'model'" [2]. I'll let that be the thought I leave you with. Until next time, be an imitator of Christ Jesus.

[1] Passages to read from the Apostolic Fathers: Ignatius to the Ephesians 1:1; 10:3; Martyrdom of Polycarp 17:3; 1:2; Ignatius to the Philadelphians 7:2; Letter of Diognetus 10:4b, 6; Ignatius to the Trallians 1:2.
[2] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-c1985). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (2:692). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.