Sounded forth (1837) (execheo from ex = out + echo = hold; in Lxx only in Joel 4:14) means literally to sound out (the verb is found in ancient secular Greek manuscripts describing the sound of a trumpet or the sound of rolling thunder), reverberating (continuing as if in a series of echoes) or bouncing off objects (in this case the hearts and minds of lost men and women) like an echo. The picture is that of clearly audible, unmistakable proclamation. The Thessalonians became a sounding-board from which the gospel echoed across their world. The idea is, that the gospel was proclaimed like the sonorous voice of a trumpet echoing from place to place. Thessalonica was a great model of a genuine missionary church! They were a reproducing church! Their gospel message was like ripples in a pool, spreading out in ever widening circles - Macedonia (home base, their "Jerusalem" cf Acts 1:8)...Achaia (their "Judea and Samaria")... every place (their "uttermost part of the earth")! What a pattern to emulate. I really like how William MacDonald phrases it... We are not intended to be termini of our blessings, but channels through which they can flow to others. God shines in our hearts so that the light might shine out to others (2 Cor. 4:6, JND translation). If we have really drunk the water of salvation, then rivers of living water will flow forth to those around us (John 7:37, 38). (MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments. Nashville: Thomas Nelson) Note that these saints at Thessalonica unlike the self-righteous Pharisees who "tooted their own horn", were trumpeting forth God's horn of Good News producing a clear, beautiful melody to those who had ears to hear! Spurgeon wrote... It is the vocation of faith to be a speaker. When the heart believes, the mouth follows suit and makes confession. Faith made Noah a preacher, and it caused it to be said of Abel, "He being dead yet speaketh" (see note Hebrews 11:4). A silent faith is a questionable grace. Faith first speaks to Christ and then for Christ. It hears his voice and then acts as an echo by repeating it. Bible Knowledge Commentary has an interesting description of the Thessalonian saints noting that... Paul saw the Thessalonians as amplifiers or relay stations that not only received the gospel message but sent it farther on its way with increased power and scope. Paul’s preaching in Thessalonica had the effect of speaking into a public address microphone; his words were received and repeated by many different "speakers" in many remote places where his unaided voice could not have reached. (Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. The Bible knowledge commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books). A similar metaphor is found in God's command to the prophet Isaiah to Cry loudly, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet, and declare to My people their transgression and to the house of Jacob their sins." (Isa 58:1) John exiled to the isle of Patmos declares I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet. (see note Revelation 1:10) The perfect tense indicates that their message began at a point in time in the past (their new birth) and continued effects were still reverberating. It had sounded, and still it sounds, reaching far and wide with its penetrating tones. It's sound in fact has reverberated down to our day in their written testimony in this divinely inspired epistle. Now that's reverberation! The perfect tense indicates the abiding effect of the blast; "the blast hangs on the air as the result of the trumpet having been blown." This is a good pattern for all believers to emulate being mindful that our Lord called us to be the salt (permeating, preserving) of the earth..." and "the light of the world", letting our "light shine before men in such a way that they may see (our) good works, and glorify (our) Father Who is in heaven." (Mt 5:13, 14, 15, 16 -see notes on our call to be "salt and light" in Mt 5:13, 5:14-16) The Thessalonian saints were not only "receivers" (the Word came to them, 1Th 1:5-note) but also were good "transmitters" as demonstrated in this verse. These ancient saints should challenge every modern believer and local church to be active, Spirit empowered receivers and transmitters of God’s Word! The spread of the gospel from Thessalonica was the result of vital Christian living rather than aggressive missionary propaganda. Paul's picture is not that of an organized missionary campaign on the part of the Thessalonians aimed at spreading the gospel to the regions beyond. The amazing joy of the Thessalonian believers under affliction has amplified the message of the gospel, causing the reports to spread in all directions. Warren Wiersbe has an powerful, convicting note writing that... election (see discussion of election in 1Pe 1:1-note) and evangelism go together. The person who says, "God will save those He wants to save and He doesn’t need my help!" understands neither election nor evangelism. In the Bible, election always involves responsibility. God chose Israel and made them an elect nation so that they might witness to the Gentiles. In the same way, God has chosen the church that we might be witnesses today. The fact that we are God’s elect people does not excuse us from the task of evangelism. On the contrary, the doctrine of election is one of the greatest encouragements to evangelism... The same God who ordains the end (the salvation of the lost) also ordains the means to the end (the preaching of the Gospel). There is no conflict between divine sovereignty and human responsibility, even though we cannot reconcile the two. We need more churches today where the people are enthusiastic to share the message of salvation with others. As I write this, 2.4 billion people in our world have no visible witness of the Gospel in their midst, or no church body. In spite of the outreach of radio, television, and the printing press, we are losing ground in the work of reaching the lost. Are you an enthusiastic Christian? Is your church enthusiastic about witnessing? (Wiersbe, W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor) From you (aph humon) is the preposition apo meaning away from and clearly pictures the fact that they did not keep the good news to themselves but were fully obedient to the last words of Jesus' in Matthew (Mt 28:18, 19, 20) and Acts (Acts 1:8). A T Robertson adds that from you pictures the Thessalonian saints as a sounding board or radio transmitting station (to use a modern figure). It marks forcibly both the clear and the persuasive nature of the word of the Lord Is the word of the Lord APPLICATION: Is the word sounding forth from you to the sphere of influence He has given you? Let these believers at Thessalonica challenge us all to let our "trumpet sound forth", echoing the good news of the resurrected Christ. We cannot imagine how far reaching the affects of such a "reverberating" witness might be to the glory of the Lord. You are writing a Gospel, A chapter each day, By the deeds that you do And the words that you say. Men read what you write, Whether faithful or true: Just what is the Gospel According to you? Peters adds that... Paul was consumed by a burning zeal for a Christian universalism (Ed note: his desire that none perish but all come to repentance) which seemed strange to the Greek, arresting to the Roman, alarming to the Jew, and perplexing to some Christians. His highest praise goes to the churches whose "faith is spoken of throughout the whole world," and whose "faith to God-ward is spread abroad" (Ro 1:9-note; 1Th 1:8). (Peters, George W: The Primacy of Missions: Bibliotheca Sacra: Volume 119, Issue 476, page 341. Dallas TX: Dallas Theological Seminary) (Comment: Would he give you this same "high praise"? BUT ALSO IN EVERY PLACE YOUR FAITH TOWARD GOD HAS GONE FORTH: all en panti topo e pistis humon e pros ton theon exeleluthen (3SRAI): (Ro 1:8; 2Th 1:4; 3Jn 1:12) (Ex 18:9; 2Co 3:4) Literally "the faith of you that toward the God" but in every place your faith which is directed toward God has gone forth (Wuest) Your faith (4102) (pistis - see word study) (the faith of you) The repeated article ("the") in the original Greek makes it clear that their faith is now directed toward the true God and not toward the idols from which they had turned. The Thessalonian saints expressed their fidelity toward God, showing that they had a true belief in God and in the truth which He had revealed by their changed lives. Toward (4314) is pros, the preposition of direction, indicating forward to, toward," or "facing," and indicates that their faith was directed toward and had as its object the God, the one true God whom they had come to know and serve, in contrast to their former idols. Their faith had experienced a change of direction, bringing them into a face‑to‑face relationship with the living God. Gone forth (1831) (exerchomai) means literally to to go out with the use of the perfect tense (like "sounded forth" above) indicating that the "going forth" was a state of completion and was exerting a continuing effect. This pictures their faith like travelers having gone out in all directions. SO THAT WE HAVE NO NEED TO SAY ANYTHING: hoste me chreian echein (PAN) hemas lalein (PAN) ti: THEIR CHANGED LIFE WAS THE MESSAGE OF THEIR "LIPS" Say (2980) anything in context refers to there being no need for Paul, Silvanus and Timothy to say anything about the radically changed lives of the Thessalonians because the change was so obvious to all in this region. Father, by Your Spirit make this to be true of all local bodies in the universal body of Christ! Amen Lord, speak to me, that I may speak In living echoes of thy tone; As thou hast sought, so let me seek Thy erring children lost and lone. -Frances Ridley Havergal The effect of changed lives shining forth in a pagan culture was also addressed in the letter to the saints at Philippi, Paul exhorting them to Do (present imperative = command to habitually do) all things (how many things?) without grumbling (goggusmos) or disputing (dialogismos); that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ (Second Coming) I may have cause to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. (see notes Philippians 2:14-16) Believers today have no less of a charge to let their lives shine forth (cp Mt 5:16-note). How's your light shining - dim & difficult to see or convicting & clear? If we would win some we must be winsome. Moody said It is a great deal better to live a holy life than to talk about it. We are told to let our light shine, and if it does we won't need to tell anybody it does. The light will be its own witness. Lighthouses don't ring bells and fire cannons to call attention to their shining--they just shine. Holy lives are just as persuasive as holy words. A good fisherman keeps himself out of sight. Let each of us strive according to His power to be holy as He is holy and all the more as we see the day of Christ's return drawing nigh. I have found John Henry Jowett's words too true in my life when my light was "dim"... If we do not catch men we are in danger of losing even the desire to catch them...The joy of catching a soul is unspeakable. When we have got one soul we become possessed by the passion for souls. Get one and you will want a crowd. Spurgeon minced no words when he asked... Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that...You do not love the Lord at all unless you love the souls of others...The soul-winner must first be a soul-lover....Winners of souls must first be weepers for souls. ><> ><> ><> To Tell the Truth - When you think of the term evangelism, what picture flashes onto the wall of your mind? A large stadium filled with people? A small booklet with a set of diagrams? A Christian wearing a pin with the symbol of a fish? A zealous believer playing intellectual chess with a pagan opponent? A salesman convincing a reluctant person to "try Jesus"? Evangelism is a 10-letter dirty word to some of us. While we think it's a dandy idea for others, we're sure it isn't for us. We're not cut out to sell, nor shrewd enough to play intellectual games with non-Christians. Evangelism, though, isn't about being a huckster who cons people into buying what they don't need. It has nothing to do with grabbing people by the lapels and shoving on them a faith that goes no deeper than the shirt pocket. What a grim indictment resides in the remark, "You could identify the people she had witnessed to by their haggard look." Evangelism is simply sharing with others what we know about Jesus. "We do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord" (2Corinthians 4:5). No tricks. No deception. Speak the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth—in love. Then leave the results with God.—Haddon W. Robinson (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) It's not our task to force God's truth On those who may the truth detest, But we are asked to share Christ's love And let God's Spirit do the rest. —D. De Haan We who know the joy of salvation should not keep it to ourselves. ><> ><> ><> LASTING IMPRESSIONS - When American financier John Pierpont Morgan died in 1913, his last will and testament revealed his genuine faith in Jesus Christ. He had prefaced his specific bequests with these significant words: "I commit my soul into the hands of my Savior, in full confidence that having received it and washed it in His most precious blood He will present it faultless before the throne of my heavenly Father. And I entreat my children to maintain and defend, at all hazard, and at any cost of personal sacrifice, the blessed doctrine of the complete atonement for sin through the blood of Jesus Christ, once offered, and through that alone." Those words must have left a lasting impression on his heirs. Yet as commendable as it is to leave such a clear witness to one's faith after we die, it is even more imperative to share our faith in Christ while we are still alive. The converts in Thessalonica responded to the witness of Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy by imitating their life and witness so that "the word of the Lord sounded forth" beyond Macedonia and Achaia (1Th. 1:6, 7, 8). Likewise, as we spread the gospel through our words and actions, we will leave lasting impressions on our world.- Vernon C. Grounds (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) I love to tell the story, For some have never heard The message of salvation From God's own holy Word. - Hankey Thought for the Day: A life lived for God leaves a lasting legacy. ><> ><> ><> Dwight Moody regularly asked complete strangers about their spiritual life. One day he stopped a young man and asked, "Are you a Christian?" "It is none of your business. "Yes it is." "Then you must be Dwight L. Moody. What a splendid reputation to precede any Christian! What would others say of us if what we were best known for became public knowledge? If the letters of our life would form one word to describe us, what would it be? Better still, rather than describe ourselves, with what one word would others describe us? Evangelistic was the word that characterized Moody. What do we say, or do, that as quickly identifies us? 1Thessalonians 1:9 For they themselves report (3PPAI) about us what kind of a reception we had (1PAAI) with you and how you turned (2PAAI) to God from idols to serve (PAN) a living (PAPMSD) and true God, (NASB: Lockman) Greek: autoi gar peri hemon apaggellousin (3PPAI) opoian eisodon eschomen (1PAAI) pros humas, kai pos epestrepsate (2PAAI) pros ton Theon apo ton eidolon douleuein (PAN) theo zonti (PAPMSD) kai alethino Amplified: For they themselves volunteer testimony concerning us, telling what an entrance we had among you, and how you turned to God from [your] idols to serve a God Who is alive and true and genuine, (Amplified Bible - Lockman) GWT: They talk about how you welcomed us when we arrived. They even report how you turned away from false gods to serve the real, living God ICB: People everywhere are telling about the good way you accepted us when we were there with you. They tell about how you stopped worshiping idols and changed to serving the living and true God. (ICB: Nelson) NJB: other people tell us how we started the work among you, how you broke with the worship of false gods when you were converted to God and became servants of the living and true God; NLT: for they themselves keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the true and living God. (NLT - Tyndale House) Phillips: They tell us the story of our coming to you: how you turned from idols to serve the true living God (Phillips: Touchstone) Wuest: for they themselves keep on reporting concerning you what kind of an entrance we had as we came to you, and how you turned around to God from your idols for the purpose of serving a living and genuine God as His bondslaves (Eerdmans) Young's Literal: for they themselves concerning us do declare what entrance we had unto you, and how ye did turn unto God from the idols, to serve a living and true God FOR THEY THEMSELVES REPORT ABOUT US WHAT KIND OF A RECEPTION WE HAD WITH YOU: autoi gar peri hemon apaggellousin (3PPAI) opoian eisodon eschomen (1PAAI) pros humas: (1Th 1:5,6; 2:1,13) "People everywhere are telling about the way you accepted us when we were there with you" (NCV) "For they themselves volunteer testimony concerning us, telling what an entrance we had among you" (Amp) "for they themselves keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us" (NLT) "They talk about how you welcomed us when we arrived" (GWT) "Everyone is talking about how you welcomed us " (CEV), "For when others speak of us they report the reception we had from you," (Weymouth) "For people everywhere report how you welcomed us" (NET) "They themselves" refers to the people of Macedonia and Achaia (and every place their faith had gone out) who had heard the news. The faith of the Thessalonians had become a topic of common knowledge. "Copy and paste the address below into your web browser in order to go to the original page which will allow you to access live links related to the material on this page - these links include Scriptures (which can be read in context), Scripture pop-ups on mouse over, and a variety of related resources such as Bible dictionary articles, commentaries, sermon notes and theological journal articles related to the topic under discussion." http://www.preceptaustin.org/1_thessalonians_18-10.htm#Sounded%20forth