1 Thessalonians 1:9

1:9 For people everywhere ¹  report how you welcomed us ²  and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God

1 Thessalonians 4:15

4:15 For we tell you this by the word of the Lord, ³  that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not go ahead of those who have fallen asleep.

[1:9]  ¹ tn Grk “they themselves,” referring to people in the places just mentioned.

[1:9]  ² tn Grk “what sort of entrance we had to you” (an idiom for how someone is received).

[4:15]  ³ sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; here and in Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:10, 20; 1 Thess 1:8; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.