ISB ~ 1 Thessalonians 2 v14 - 16

Paul has some unusually harsh words for the perpetrators of Christian persecution. He traces this madness back to Jerusalem, whose long history of mistreating the Prophets (Mt 23:37) reached a new and diabolical level when its leaders murdered Jesus the Messiah (1 Thess 2:15; Acts 2:23). The Thessalonians got a taste of this when Jewish zealots, fiercely loyal to the aims and outlook of Judean Judaism, stirred up a horde of angry locals to raid the house church where Paul and his companions were staying (Acts 17:5-9). Similar forms of harassment continued even after the missionaries fled (1 Thess 3:3; 2 Thess 1:5). Notice that Paul is criticizing Jewish persecutors, not the Jewish people in general. Years later Paul still insisted that Jews have first claim to the gospel (Rom 1:16), and he expected that “all Israel” would be saved (Rom 11:26) (CCC 597). See essay:The Salvation of All Israel at Rom 11.