Theophylact of Ohrid, on 1Thess 1:9

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

“That is, that our coming to you was joined with a thousand deaths, and yet nothing turned you against us. On the contrary, you yourselves, having been exposed to dangers on our account, did not reject us, but treated us as though you had enjoyed countless blessings. This was the second entrance. For the apostle, having departed from Thessalonica to Berea, was persecuted, and having come from there to the Thessalonians, was so received by them that they were ready to lay down their lives for him. That is, you turned easily and with greater readiness. And here he very aptly inserted an exhortation as well, skillfully reminding them of what they had turned from and to what they had turned, so that they might live worthily of it.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.