13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. 14-16 For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved - so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But God's wrath has come upon them at last!

17-18 But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavoured the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come to you - I, Paul, again and again - but Satan hindered us. 19-20 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy. 1 Thessalonians 2:14-20 English Standard Version

Did you pick up a word Paul used both of the Jews who had rejected Christ, and of Satan? It was the word 'hinder'. The Greek word meant 'to cut into' something, and was used when people broke up a road or path to prevent someone from getting through. We'd say today 'they set up roadblocks'. It was also used in the sense of 'forbidding' someone to do something. How had the unbelieving Jews done that? (vs 14-16)

They had tried to stop the apostles from preaching the message of God's salvation to gentiles. Many of the Jews became angry when fellow Jews became followers of Jesus Christ, and they opposed them with bitter persecution. Christian Jews sometimes lost their homes, or were kicked out of the family. But they became even more angry when Paul, Sylvanus and Timothy took the message of Jesus to people who were not even Jews. They followed Paul from city to city to stir up mobs against him and against the gospel. That happened in Thessalonica. Paul says to those who became Christians there: “you suffered the same things from your countrymen as Jews who became Christians suffered from their fellow Jews.”

But who is ultimately behind such hindering roadblocks in the way of the gospel? (vs 17-18)

After being run out of Thessalonica, Paul and his co-workers went to a place called Berea. Once again the Jewish trouble makers followed them and stirred up a crowd against them. Paul was seen by the trouble makers as the ringleader of the message they despised, so it was decided that he go on to Athens while Timothy and Sylvanus stayed behind to help the new believers. Paul longed to go back to Thessalonica to help them grow in the faith, but Satan somehow hindered him. He doesn't tell us just how Satan went about it, but it resulted in Paul having to wait in Athens until Timothy could bring news from Thessalonica. Remember, there was no internet in those days!

There are challenges for us in today's verses. Firstly, we mustn't be surprised if we meet up with obstacles on the way as we try to grow in the faith, and especially if we are trying to reach out to others with God's message of salvation. It may come in the form of Government regulations that forbid us from doing certain things – for example, open air preaching. It may come through threats of violence from the people we are trying to reach. We mustn't grow discouraged. It's what Christians through the ages have experienced. And Satan will be behind much of the opposition we meet up with.

But a more serious challenge is to make sure that we are not in some way being a hindrance to the growth of others and to the spread of the gospel. Some Christians in the past didn't take to warmly to the idea of evangelising the heathen. Many missionaries met with opposition before they eventually set sail for places like China. So too today, Christians can be quick to pour cold water on attempts by their local Church to reach out to the unsaved. May we never be someone who is blocking the road for the gospel. We must think of gospel work in terms of what Paul says in vs 19-20. There is a crown of joy to be had.