The gospel had so transformed their world view, and the Holy Spirit had so enlivened them, that the word of the Lord “sounded forth” from the Thessalonians, both locally and further afield. The Greek word used here (execheõ) conveys the picture of God’s word ringing out from them as the sound from a clanging bell. They could not keep the message to themselves, even though their social relationships were now very difficult.
