New International Version
1 Thessalonians 1:9
9for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,
1 Thessalonians 1:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
- English Standard Version (ESV)For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,
- New King James Version (NKJV)For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,
- New Living Translation (NLT)for they keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the living and true God.
Context of 1 Thessalonians 1:9
7And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.
Read all of 1 Thessalonians 11 Thessalonians 1:9 word by word
αὐτοὶ γὰρ περὶ ἡμῶν ἀπαγγέλλουσιν ὁποίαν εἴσοδον ἔσχομεν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ πῶς ἐπεστρέψατε πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἀπὸ τῶν εἰδώλων δουλεύειν θεῷ ζῶντι καὶ ἀληθινῷRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- theyἀπαγγέλλωapaggellō · to announceG518
- themselvesαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- ofπερίperi · aboutG4012
- usἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- what manner ofὁποῖοςhopoios · what sort?G3697
- entering inεἴσοδοςeisodos · entryG1529
- we hadἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- youσύsu · youG4771
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- howπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
- ye turnedἐπιστρέφωepistrephō · to turnG1994
- Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
- idolsεἴδωλονeidōlon · idolG1497
- to serveδουλεύωdouleuō · be a slaveG1398
- the livingζάωzaō · to liveG2198
- trueἀληθινόςalēthinos · trueG228
Cross-references for 1 Thessalonians 1:9
- 1 Thessalonians 1:5because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:1You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results.
- Isaiah 2:17The arrogance of man will be brought low and human pride humbled; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day,
- Jeremiah 16:19Lord, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in time of distress, to you the nations will come from the ends of the earth and say, “Our ancestors possessed nothing but false gods, worthless idols that did them no good.
- Zephaniah 2:11The Lord will be awesome to them when he destroys all the gods of the earth. Distant nations will bow down to him, all of them in their own lands.
- Zechariah 8:20This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come,
- Malachi 1:11My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty.
- Acts 14:15“Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them.
- Acts 26:17I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them
- 1 Corinthians 12:2You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.
- Galatians 4:8Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.
- Deuteronomy 5:26For what mortal has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived?
- 1 Samuel 17:26David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
- Psalms 42:2My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
- Psalms 84:2My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
- Isaiah 37:4It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the Lord your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives.”
Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 1:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9How ye turned to God from idols - This could not be spoken either of the Jews or of the devout persons, but of the heathen Greeks, and of such it appears that the majority of the Church was formed. See what is said on this subject in the preface to this epistle. To serve the living and true God - The living God; in opposition to the idols, which were either inanimate stocks or stones, or the representations of dead men. The true God - In opposition to the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9For they themselves - They who have visited you, and they whom you have sent out; all persons testify of your piety. The apostle seems to refer to all whom he had met or had heard of “in all places,” who said anything about the Thessalonians They were unanimous in bearing testimony to their fidelity and piety. Show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you - The testimony which they bear of you is, in fact, testimony of the manner in which we…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-10Verses 6-10 When careless, ignorant, and immoral persons are turned from their carnal pursuits and connexions, to believe in and obey the Lord Jesus, to live soberly, righteously, and godly, the matter speaks for itself. The believers under the Old Testament waited for the coming of the Messiah, and believers now wait for his second coming. He is yet to come. And God had raised him from the dead, which is a full assurance unto all men that he will come to…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9Among the Gentiles (non-Jewish people), the apostles called people to turn away from false gods and worship the living and true God, who created all things (Acts 14:11–18; 17:22–31; 19:23–41). In a society where many religions existed side by side, it was unusual to ask people to abandon the gods worshiped by their families and communities (see Jeremiah 10:8–10; 1 Corinthians 8:4–6).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. Strictly there should follow, "For they themselves show of you," &c.; but, instead, he substitutes that which was the instrumental cause of the Thessalonians' conversion and faith, "for they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you"; compare 1Th 1:5, which corresponds to this former clause, as 1Th 1:6 corresponds to the latter clause. "And how ye turned from idols to serve the living ... God," &c. Instead of our having "to speak…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Thessalonians 1:9
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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