1 Thessalonians 1:9

They themselves (autoi). The men of Macedonia, voluntarily. Report (apaggellousin). Linear present active indicative, keep on reporting. What manner of entering in (opoian eisodon). What sort of entrance, qualitative relative in an indirect question. We had (escomen). Second aorist active (ingressive) indicative of the common verb ecw. And how (kai pw). Here the interrogative adverb pw in this part of the indirect question. This part about "them" (you) as the first part about Paul. The verb epistrepw is an old verb for turning and is common in the Acts for Gentiles turning to God, as here from idols, though not by Paul again in this sense. In Galatians 4:9 Paul uses it for turning to the weak and beggarly elements of Judaism. From idols (apo twn eidolwn). Old word from eido (figure) for image or likeness and then for the image of a heathen god (our idol). Common in the LXX in this sense. In Acts 14:15 Paul at Lystra urged the people to turn from these vain things to the living God (apo toutwn twn mataiwn epistrepein epi qeon zwnta), using the same verb epistrepein. Here also Paul has a like idea, to serve a living and true God (douleuein qewi zwnti kai alhqinwi). No article, it is true, but should be translated "the living and true God" (cf. Acts 14:15 ). Not "dead" like the idols from which they turned, but alive and genuine (alhqino, not alhqh).