1 Thessalonians 1:9

“For they themselves report concerning us what manner of entering in we had unto you; and how ye turned unto God from idols, to serve. living and true God”

“For”: In the previous verse Paul had simply mentioned the news concerning “their faith”. He now specifies what elements concerning that faith were being emphasized. “They themselves report”: Notice how enthusiasm and excitement spread. “Wherever he went, people of their own accord kept telling (continuous present) him of what had happened there” (Morris p. 61).. like what Morris said, “If men think of the gospel only as another philosophy, as the result of the reflection of certain, admittedly profound, first-century thinkers on religious topics, they will never have the burning zeal which sent the first Christian preachers through the world to proclaim what God had done for man” (p. 61). “What manner of entering we had unto you”: “People tell us of their own accord about the visit we paid to you” (Mof).

There is. hint that false accusations were being spread concerning the integrity of Paul and his companions. Once again, Paul notes that is it now being spread far and wide the accurate details of Paul's stay in Thessalonica. To me there is great hope in this statement, because it should teach us that eventually the truth will be known. False accusations can be successfully overcome (1 Peter 2:12; 1 Peter 3:16).

“And how ye turned unto God from idols”: “It indicates that conversion involves (1). decisive break with idols, (2) an active service of God, and (3). patient waiting for Christ” (Stott p. 38). “Turned”: To convert, turn again. We really need to realize what was involved for these people to turn their back on the former objects of their worship. Morris notes, “In government, religion, business, amusement, labor, and social clubs the pagan world was built on the pattern of polytheism” (p. 63). We fail to remember that such. turning demanded: (a). rejection of the religion embraced by one's parents, grandparents, and relatives. (b) The rejection of that which was "tradition". (c) The rejection of that which was endorsed and believed by society. (d) The rejection of something that had been "drilled" since youth. (e) The rejection of that which contained immoral practices--which were approved by society. We forget that giving up idolatry to these people, was giving up. whole way of life. It was to virtually make oneself an outsider in one's own community.

Hendriksen puts it this way, “It is not easy to reject and eject gods which one has worshipped from the days of childhood, and which by one's ancestors, from hoary antiquity, have always been considered very real, so that their names and individual peculiarities have become household words, for it must be borne in mind that Mt. Olympus, whose celebrated summit was considered the home of the gods, was close by, only about fifty miles to the S.W.” (p. 56). Yet despite the opposition and the incentives not to serve God, despite the personal cost, these people did abandon dead idols for. living God! And if they gave their idols up--we can too.

Stott notes, “And the more sophisticated idols (that is, God-substitutes) of modern secular cities are equally powerful. Some people are eaten up with. selfish ambition for money, power or fame. Others are obsessed with their work, or with sport or television, or are infatuated with. person, or addicted to food, alcohol, hard drugs or sex. Both immorality and greed are later pronounced by Paul to be forms of idolatry (Ephesians 5:5), because they demand an allegiance which is due to God alone” (p. 39).

“To serve”: Everyone "serves" someone or something. The first step to true freedom, is to realize that no one is ever their "own man". It is to accept the fact that one will always be. servant--but that one can choose ones master (Romans 6:16; Matthew 6:24). Christianity is much more than "don't do this or that”. Christianity has. positive side, one is converted to "serve" (Ephesians 2:10). “A living and true God”: “Alive and genuine” (Robertson p. 13) (Acts 14:15). Stott notes, “The claim to have turned to God is manifestly bogus it if does not result in serving the God to whom we have turned” (p. 41).