Thomas Aquinas, 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.”

“Then when Paul says: "for they themselves report concerning us," he remarks on the praise which they had received from others, because, "they themselves report concerning us what a welcome we had among you." A similar point is made in Proverbs (31:31): "Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates." Those who commend you praise my preaching and your conversion. "They themselves report concerning us what a welcome we had among you," since our entry was visited with great difficulty and genuine tribulations; but they also praise your conversion. Finally, Paul makes known how, from whom, and to what they have been converted. In regard to the first point Paul says: "and how you turned to God," that is, how readily and completely. "Return to me with all your heart" (Joel 2:12). "Do not delay to turn to the Lord, nor postpone it from day to day" (Sir. 5:7). In regard to the second point, Paul says, "from idols," as is mentioned in 1 Corinthians (12:2): "You know that when you were heathens, you were led astray to dumb idols." In regard to the third point he says, "to serve a living and true God" by the practice of adoration, not of creatures, but of God, which is in contrast with what is stated in Romans (1:25): "They worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever." And Paul says, "living," in order to exclude the cult of idolatry, because the idolators worshipped certain dead people whose souls they regarded as deified, such as Romulus and Hercules. And so Paul insists on "living." "As I live forever" (Deut. 32:40). Also, since the Platonists considered some separate substances to be gods by participation, he says "true," meaning, not by participation in the divine nature.”

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