Bible Strands
1 Thessalonians 1:6
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord when you welcomed the message with the joy of the Holy Spirit, in spite of your great suffering.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Paul addresses the Thessalonian believers immediately after describing how the gospel arrived among them with power and the Holy Spirit. He notes their response occurred during a period of intense persecution.
The words — μιμηταὶ (mimētai) translates literally to imitators, and ἐγενήθητε (egenēthēte) means became. These terms frame the Thessalonians' response as a deliberate adoption of Paul's and the Lord's conduct.
The thread — This imitation motif repeats in 1 Corinthians 11:1 and 1 Corinthians 4:16, where believers are instructed to follow apostolic patterns. The link between joy and the Holy Spirit appears in Acts 13:52.
Why it lands — The text states that welcoming the message with the Holy Spirit's joy amid great suffering produces visible imitation of Christ and his messengers. It asks readers to adopt that same posture of joyful endurance rather than passive belief.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
Cross-references
- 1 Corinthians 11:1 You are to imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.
- Acts 13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
- 1 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me.
- Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
- 2 Thessalonians 3:9 Not that we lack this right, but we wanted to offer ourselves as an example for you to imitate.
- Ephesians 5:1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children,
- 3 John 1:11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.
- Romans 5:3 Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
- Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.
- John 8:12 Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”