1 Thessalonians 1:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He says: You presented yourselves as an instructive example for all who live near you, and you filled the whole inhabited world with wonder. This is precisely the meaning of the words “in every place.” He did not say, “your faith has spread,” but “has sounded forth.” By this he suggests that. As the voice of a sounding trumpet fills all the places around it, so the fame of your virtue, loud as a trumpet blast, filled the whole inhabited world and reached everyone everywhere with equal force.

Great deeds are loudly glorified where they are performed. At a distance they are also glorified, but not in the same way. With you it is different: the fame about you has spread with equal force throughout the whole earth.

Let no one think there is exaggeration in these words. This people, the Macedonian people, was famous even before the coming of Christ and everywhere enjoyed more renown than the Romans. The Romans themselves are famous because they conquered them.

What the Macedonian king accomplished is beyond all words. Setting out from a small kingdom, he seized the whole inhabited world. Therefore the prophet sees him under the image of a flying leopard. By this he portrays the speed, strength, ardor, and swiftness with which he rushed through the whole inhabited world with his trophies and victory.

They say that when he heard from a certain philosopher that countless worlds existed, he bitterly lamented that, though they were countless, he had not conquered even one. So enterprising and great-souled was he, and so famous throughout the whole earth.

But the fame of the king was joined with the fame of the people, for Alexander was called a Macedonian. Therefore, together with the fame about him, the fame of the events of his kingdom naturally spread everywhere. Nothing renowned can remain unknown. Thus the deeds of the Macedonians were no less famous than the deeds of the Romans.

“In every place,” he says, “your faith toward God has gone forth.” See how he speaks as though of something living, using the word “has gone forth.” This expression, of course, was suggested by the power of their faith. Then, wishing to show that they truly displayed a strong and active faith, he adds: “so that we have no need to say anything.”

So strong and effective is the fame of your faith that people do not wait for us to say anything about you. On the contrary, whenever we begin to speak in order to bring them to the same zeal, they anticipate us by telling of your struggles.

“And how you turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God.” The divine Apostle has clearly taught us how the saying should be understood: “that they may know You, the only true God” (Jn 17:3). For the Apostle called the Existing God “living and true” not by comparing Him with the Son, but by comparing Him with gods that do not exist. He named Him living because those gods are not living, and true because they are falsely called gods.

The circumstances of the Thessalonians’ conversion may be called extraordinary, with clear signs of their divine election. “Our Gospel among you,” despite its short duration, “was not in word only,” the Apostle writes to them, “but also in power, ... and in much assurance.” And “you ... became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia, so that we have no need to say anything. ... They themselves report ... how, in so remarkable a way, you turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God” (1 Thess 1:5-9).

“The conversion of the citizens of Thessalonica took place amid such wondrous and extraordinary events that believers in all the churches of Macedonia and Achaia soon learned of it. They were especially moved by the sincerity of their faith, their devotion to the new teaching, their readiness to endure every persecution for the sake of the Gospel without murmuring, and finally the radical change in the spiritual and moral life of the citizens of Thessalonica that accompanied their conversion to Christianity.

At the same time, in all who heard of such zeal of the Thessalonians for the Gospel, there arose a great desire to imitate them. Thus the Christians of Thessalonica, through the powerful impression made by their example on the inhabitants of all the cities and villages, themselves became, without noticing it, preachers and missionaries of the Gospel teaching.

The fame of the living faith that found such a responsive example among the citizens of Thessalonica rushed forth and resounded like a loud echo through all the cities and villages of Macedonia and Achaia, and even beyond their borders. Together with this, the word of the Lord also became known everywhere.”

According to Bishop Theophan, in praising the Thessalonians the Apostle was at the same time speaking to them as though in this way: “If the fame about you has spread so widely, then see that you do not darken it, not only by apostasy, but even by any anti-Christian deeds. All are looking at you. All sympathize with you and approve you. Take courage. You are not alone. All are with you.”

Everywhere they know of the faith of the Thessalonians, so that the Apostle does not even need to report it. They know also how honorably and wisely the Apostle acted, that is, his entrance. They know how impatiently the Thessalonians await from heaven Jesus, their constant deliverer, ρυόμενον, from the wrath of God that threatens mankind.

What was proclaimed? "The word of the Lord sounded forth." "Your faith went out." The report of the Thessalonians' faith was spreading. But since faith comes from the word, the word of the Lord itself was also spreading.

That is, the word of the Lord sounded forth as it was preached by the Apostles and believed by the Thessalonians. The word of the Lord that runs (2 Thess 3:1) is not some special word.

It is the same as the word of Christ that dwells richly in hearts (Col 3:16). How was this proclaimed? "It sounded forth." "It went out." They did not send special heralds and preachers.

Apart from them, by itself, the word about their faith and the glory of their believing spread everywhere. εξηχηται means it resounded, like an echo.

The word proceeds from the Lord and is addressed to men. In men, faith answers the word of God, as the receiver of the word. Then, faith being borrowed from faith, it spreads the word of the Lord over the earth.

The word sounds from heaven like the voice of God's trumpet. Its sound is received by some, and from them these sounds spread everywhere, without losing strength.

Saint Chrysostom writes of this: "As fragrant myrrh does not hold its fragrance within itself, but pours it far abroad and, mingling it with the air, delights the sense of those standing nearby, so noble and honorable men cannot hide their virtues within themselves.

"Through reports spreading about them, they bring benefit to many and make them better. The same thing happened then with the Thessalonians.

"Therefore the Apostle spoke of them as if to say: you presented yourselves as an instructive example to those living near you, and filled the whole inhabited world with wonder.

"He did not say, 'The word of the Lord was carried about,' but 'it sounded forth,' 'rang out,' εξηχηται. By this he suggests that, just as the sound of a trumpet fills all the surrounding places, so the glory of your virtue, loud as a trumpet blast, filled the whole inhabited world.

"Everywhere it reached everyone with equal force. Great deeds are loudly glorified where they are done. At a distance they are glorified too, but not in the same way. With you it was otherwise: the glory about you spread over the whole earth with equal force."

How widely did the report resound? "It sounded forth in all Macedonia and Achaia," and "went out in every place." Saint Chrysostom says that "in every place" means throughout the whole inhabited world.

Corinth was a central city joining East and West. People from the whole world gathered there. It was not surprising for Saint Paul to hear from Christians visiting Corinth how everywhere they spoke of the conversion of the Thessalonians and their steadfastness in faith.

It is clear how loud the Apostle's preaching was in Thessalonica, since it was accompanied by signs and wonders and by the distribution of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

It is also clear how wondrous the conversion of the Thessalonians was, how noisy the uprising of the unbelievers against them, and how courageous their firmness in persecution.

All this caused the report to spread quickly everywhere. Thessalonica, by its position, opened the paths for this, and Corinth gave the Apostle the opportunity to hear of this report.

How full was the report? "So that we have no need to say anything." Saint Chrysostom says: "Nowhere do they wait to hear our account about you.

"Rather, people who have not visited you and have seen nothing anticipate, with their stories about you, those who were among you and saw your struggles. Thus your faith has become known everywhere by report.

"We have no need to tell of your deeds in order to stir in others the same zeal. For what they ought to hear from us, they tell us themselves, anticipating us."

What consolation, what inspiration, and what firmness these words could pour into the soul of the Thessalonians! If the glory about you has spread so widely, then take care not to darken it, not only by apostasy, but also by any deeds contrary to Christianity.

If, moreover, your conversion has become an occasion for the conversion of others, then continue to stand like a candle on a lampstand and shine for all. You stand courageously in the faith. This is a valiant deed.

Now, because of this, all are looking at you, all sympathize with you, and all approve you. Be brave. You are not alone; all are with you.