Standing with Those who Suffer | 1 Thessalonians 2:13-20 | Part 1 The message today is called “Standing With Those Who Suffer.” This is talking about how Paul affirmed and encouraged those who are persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ and for spreading His message, His Gospel. It was something Paul knew the Thessalonians had endured. We aren’t talking about being ridiculed and rejected and mocked by non-believers, but arrests, imprisonments, beatings, horrific abuses, even executions. It takes great courage to speak up and defend your faith like that, which is why Paul wrote to bolster the perseverance of the Thessalonians.