The Beneficial Effect of Their Conversion and Faith (1 Thessalonians 1:8–10)

1 Thess. 1:8. For from you the word of the Lord sounded forth not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.

In the last three verses—1 Thess. 1:8, 9, 10—the holy Paul depicts the third aspect of the Thessalonians’ radiant state, namely their renown among all the then-existing Christians in Macedonia and Achaia and in every other place. This was not some vague, muffled rumor. Reports of their faith spread with precise definiteness, with an account of who preached among them and how, how they believed and in what exactly. It was, as it were, apostolic preaching without the Apostles, resounding throughout all lands.

In verse 8 the Apostle indicates what became renowned, the extent of that renown, the manner of its spreading, and its fullness. What became renowned? “The word of the Lord” sounded forth… “Your faith” went out. The report of the Thessalonians’ faith spread; but since faith comes from the word, together with this the word of the Lord itself spread—or the word of the Lord rang out, as it had been preached by the Apostles and believed by the Thessalonians. The word of the Lord running swiftly (2 Thess. 3:1) is no special word but the same as the word of Christ, dwelling richly in hearts (Col. 3:16).

How did this spread? “Sounded forth… went out.” They sent no special heralds or preachers. Apart from them, of itself the word about their faith and the glory of their belief spread everywhere; εξηχηται — it resounded, like an echo. The word goes forth from the Lord and turns toward people; and in people the faith—the receiver of the word—responds to the word of God; then faith, borrowing from faith, spreads the word of the Lord across the earth. The word rings from heaven like the sound of God’s trumpet; its sound is received by some, and from them these sounds spread everywhere, undiminished in force. On this the holy Chrysostom writes as follows: “Just as fragrant myrrh does not retain its perfume within itself, but diffuses it far and wide, and filling the air with it, delights the sense of those standing near; so too noble and honorable men cannot conceal their virtues within themselves, but through the reports about them that spread abroad, they benefit many and make them better. This very same thing happened then (with the Thessalonians). Hence he (the Apostle) said of them, as it were: you provided for those living near you a teachable example and filled the whole world with amazement. And he did not say: the word of the Lord was disseminated, but: it sounded forth, it rang out, it resounded, εξηχηται — suggesting thereby that just as the voice of a sounding trumpet fills all the surrounding places, so also the glory of your valor, so loud as a trumpet-blast, filled the whole world and reached everywhere equally and with equal force. Great deeds are loudly glorified where they are performed, but at a distance they are glorified, though not so greatly. With you, however, it was otherwise: the glory of you has spread across the whole earth with equal force.”

How widely did the report spread? — It sounded forth throughout Macedonia and Achaia, and went out to every place. The holy Chrysostom says that “every place” means “the whole world.” Corinth was the central city connecting East and West. People from all over the world gathered there. And it was no wonder that the holy Paul heard from Christians visiting Corinth how everywhere people were speaking of the conversion of the Thessalonians and their steadfastness in faith. One can see how loud was the Apostle’s preaching in Thessalonica, accompanied by signs and wonders and the distribution of the gifts of the Holy Spirit; how marvelous was the conversion of the Thessalonians; how tumultuous was the uprising of the unbelievers against them; and how courageous was their steadfastness in persecution. All this was the cause of the swift spread of the report everywhere. Thessalonica by its position opened the paths for this, and Corinth provided the means to hear of such news.

How complete was the report? — “So that we have no need to say anything.” “Nowhere,” says the holy Chrysostom, “does anyone wait to hear our own account of you, but people who have not visited you and have seen nothing anticipate with their own stories those who were with you and saw your labors. So universally by report has your faith become known! And we have no need to recount your deeds in order to stir up in others a like emulation; for what they ought to have heard from us, they, outrunning us, recount themselves.” What consolation, what animation, and what steadfastness these words were capable of pouring into the souls of the Thessalonians! If the glory of you has spread so widely, then take care not to darken it—not only by apostasy, but by any deeds contrary to Christian life. And if moreover your conversion served as an occasion for the conversion of others, continue to stand as a candle on a candlestick, and give light to all. You stand courageously in the faith—a noble thing. But now all eyes are on you, all sympathize with you and commend you. Take courage! You are not alone; all are with you.

1 Thess. 1:9–10. For they themselves report concerning us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to await His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead—Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.

The Apostle indicates what subjects the report about the Thessalonians touched upon—namely, what manner of welcome he had among them and how they were converted: to whom, from what, and for what purpose. Here is the complete program of apostolic activity and of the transformation it effected in those who believed.

“What kind of welcome we had among you”—this recalls not only the cross he bore among them from the very first days, or how warmly and cordially he was received by those who wished to hear the word of truth; but especially what manner of Apostle he proved to be among them—namely, with a preaching confirmed by subsequent signs, though pressed upon from without. “And how you turned”—how wonderfully the transformation of the hearts of the Thessalonians was accomplished, how easily and with what readiness they turned, as though without needing any particular effort, to serve the living and true God (Chrysostom)—likewise despite outward pressure. In this “how,” on the lips of those who recounted it, one hears the joy of other Christians at the news of the conversion of the Thessalonians, as at the multiplication of the common, universal brotherhood in Christ and the spreading of the glory of the Christian faith. “How you turned to God from idols” is the same as in other passages: “from these vanities to the living God, who made heaven and earth” (Acts 14:15), or “from darkness to light,” “from the power of Satan to God” (Acts 26:18, 20). It is evident that the conversion consisted not merely in a change of confession and manner of worship, but was accompanied by an inner transformation, after which the former state compared with the new was as darkness compared with light. There was, therefore, something to announce; and the Thessalonians knew what a joyful and blessed event the holy Paul was recalling to their memory when speaking of these reports.

“To serve the living and true God, and to await His Son from heaven.” Two fundamental feelings and dispositions governing all the deeds and all the life of the converted! The latter provides patronage for the former and strengthens it against all inconveniences and hardships. Serve! Any moment now the Lord will come and bring everything into a blessed order and arrangement! — To serve God. God is the supreme Lord. Man is a rational creature obligated to serve Him unconditionally, yet consciously and willingly. In this relation there is, however, no cruelty or coldness of slavery. Those who serve God are His own. The servant of God is a man pleasing to God, and service to God is God-pleasing. The sonship attained in the new grace does not abolish this, but on the contrary elevates, expands, and strengthens it. The holy Paul qualifies the service to God that he proclaimed with the words: “to serve the living and true God”—“living,” in contrast to lifeless idols; “and true,” in contrast to imaginary gods, “who are reputed to be gods but are not” (Rom. 1:25; Acts 14:15) (blessed Theodoret). It is mistaken to suppose that the Apostle speaks here only from an Old Testament perspective, or only from the principles of rational natural faith, as it were in deference to those recently converted from Jews and pagans, without pointing to the marks that distinguish service to God in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Christian marks of service to God are faith in the Lord the Redeemer who cleanses from sins, and regeneration in Him, or reception of the grace of the Holy Spirit to resist sin and overcome it. But of the Lord the Saviour and of the Holy Spirit the holy Paul had been speaking continually, as we have seen. And even in these very words one may discern an allusion to that. In order to serve the living and true God, one must first draw near to Him and be reconciled to Him. But one can be reconciled to Him only through Jesus Christ, having cleansed one’s conscience from dead works by His blood (Heb. 9:14). And not this alone; but one must also receive the strength for genuine service to Him, and these strengths proceed from the Holy Spirit in the holy mysteries. Surely all this was explained to the Thessalonians at the first preaching, and now only a hint of it is given in the single general phrase of serving the living and true God. Christianity does not place a person in a new order, but in the order in which he ought to be by nature—from which, however, he has fallen. Moreover, when the holy Paul here also says “to await His Son,” by this one statement he briefly encompasses the whole of Christian dogma. It follows that the Thessalonians already knew that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God—our redemption, sanctification, and resurrection.

“To await His Son.” The holy Paul defines the aims of the converted by two marks: “to serve”—the work of love—and “to await”—the work of hope. If in the word “you turned” one sees the work of faith, then here again are all three Christian virtues: faith—in the conversion, love—in the service, hope—in the awaiting of the Son of God from heaven. But one cannot fail to notice that here too the work of hope is given preeminent development. This is in keeping with the character of this Epistle, as also of the second, both of which are notably occupied with the Second Coming of Christ. This subject, however, is set forth clearly in all other writings of the New Testament as well, so that the awaiting of the Son of God from heaven is, one might say, the distinctive mark of the inner disposition of Christians. The Second Coming has been so described by the Lord Himself that it is impossible not to hold it in mind at every hour and moment.

“To await His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead.” In his very first Epistle we encounter the holy Paul’s designation of the Saviour as the Son of God. By this the Apostle defines His eternal relation to the living and true God of whom he has just spoken. So the holy Paul preached to the Thessalonians about the living God—not only as one in essence, but as not one in persons—pointing out that God has from the beginning a Son who is God, consubstantial with Him, and that this Son is the Lord Jesus Christ, who came into the world to save us sinners. “To await from heaven.” This means He has risen and ascended; He ascended to where He had come from. “Whom He raised from the dead.” This is the chief subject of apostolic preaching—the hallmark of Christianity. Every discourse of the holy Apostles, in Jerusalem and everywhere, came down to this. For it was impossible to say a word in the name of One who was crucified without saying that He had risen, ascended into heaven, and would come again from heaven. “You see all at once,” says the holy Chrysostom, “the resurrection, the ascension, the Second Coming, the judgment, the reward for the righteous, and the punishment of the wicked. The chief proof that Christ Jesus is the Son of God is His resurrection from the dead (Rom. 1:4). This is what the holy Paul puts forward.”

“Jesus, who delivers us.” After the divine name He places the human name Jesus—for no other reason than to signify the two natures, which are the condition of our deliverance; and hence he immediately adds: who delivers. He did not say: who delivered, or who shall deliver, but: who delivers—to signify the continuousness of the deliverance He accomplished, or its eternal significance as the Deliverer, foreordained from before the ages. How consoling it was to hear that those who had believed were henceforth already being delivered from the wrath that will strike all those not sharing faith in the Lord! “Here is both approval, and consolation, and instruction for them. If God the Father raised Him from the dead, if He is in heaven and will come from there—and you have believed that this is indeed so—then in this alone there is already sufficient approval” (the holy Chrysostom).

“From the wrath to come” the Lord delivers those who believe—that is, from condemnation at the Last Judgment. This action of righteousness is called wrath on account of the severity of the judgment and the irrevocability of its decree—and more so on account of the feeling with which those who will be subjected to it will receive the condemnation. The terror that will seize them will be, as is customary for the guilty, to behold the Judge as wrathful, even as He calmly pronounces the decree of eternal justice. From this judgment the Lord Jesus Christ delivers those who believe in Him. In Christ Jesus the judgment upon the world has already been accomplished (Jn. 12:31). Only he who forsakes the world and cleaves to Christ by faith is taken out of the realm struck by this judgment, and shelters under the shadow of the cross, through which the blows of God’s wrath will not pass when the sentence of judgment—already pronounced upon the world—is being carried out. Whoever believes will not be condemned (Jn. 3:14–18; 5:24). “God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:9).