What does 1 Thessalonians 1:6 mean?
After receiving the gospel, the Thessalonian believers patterned their lives after the lives of Paul and his fellow missionaries. They also patterned their lives after the life of the Lord. Just as Paul, his companions, and the Lord knew firsthand what suffering was, so the believers at Thessalonica experienced firsthand what it meant to suffer at the hands of unbelievers.When Jesus called His disciples to follow Him, He did not hide from them the fact that they would suffer trials and persecution. He told them: "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you" (John 15:18). Later, He told them: "… In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit imparted His supernatural joy to them.
After being stoned at Lystra and left for dead there, Paul revived and later returned to the city, where he strengthened the believers and told them that "through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). The Thessalonians believers were suffering persecution, but maintained a resolute hope for a better time when Jesus would return.