A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 2:12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

Let’s remember this is the completion of the previous verse, where Paul describes himself as a father to this group of believers.

1 Thessalonians 2:11 For you know how, like a father with his children,

Paul continues his thoughts on how he has treated these young believers as a father in the faith.

At the risk of beating a dead horse (again), make note of Paul’s emphasis on the individual in each of these actions. He starts his thoughts with “exhorted each one of you“. Now, of course he may be speaking in the manner we are accustomed to when some one gets behind a pulpit, and speaks to mass audiences, saying “I am speaking to each one of you”, but for some reason, I think Paul meant he spoke individually to each one of his children, exhorting them, encouraging them and charging them in a singular, personal way. Every one equally, and constantly, I can’t imagine, but I lean to the thinking that he was involved in their lives in a one on one relationship, short as that was.

Now, leaving behind my minor little rant, lets consider the three ways Paul related to these believers as a father

Exhorted

As a father Paul exhorted (παρακαλέω parakaléō) each one. Note the greek term, where includes “para”, typically speaking of by the side, along side or with. Kaleo is to call out, to call a name, to be called.

Putting it together, this term is a calling of the one spoken to as an invite to be with, an invite to walk together. Paul was not in an ivory tower, telling them to do this or that. He was in the midst of the Christian walk and actively exhorting those who claimed the name of Christ to walk in like manner with him.

Encouraged

As a father Paul encouraged (παραμυθέομαι paramythéomai) them. This word speaks of a range of meanings, from consoling in failure to admonishing from errors, with encouragement being the basis of each. Note again the prefix “para”, emphasizing the togetherness Paul intended, that as a Father he was not standing above them, but with them in the walk of faith.

Charged

As a father Paul charged (μαρτυρέω martyréō) them. No it does not refer to a fee that he places on each of them for his services. It’s not that kind of charge!

To be “charged”, in Paul’s mind, and in the mind of the Thessalonians, was to be a witness, to speak of what you know, to bear record of the life you live and to openly speak of the One from whom this life originates. You may have noticed, the Greek for this word looks alot like martyr in the English. It has morphed into a word that describes one who dies for his faith, but this is not how it would have been understood in Paul’s day. The term simply meant to give evidence of the life you now live, to give testimony.

Did I hear you ask why the term morphed? Because early believers took the charge seriously, and the local and regional governments couldn’t handle it. Those who testified were put to death, and the link between the action of testifying and the ultimate result – death – has morphed that word into what we know today. To be a martyr used to mean to simply give testimony is now identified as an act of testimony to death!

This is the call Paul speaks of when he describes God calling us “into his own kingdom and glory”. It is not the way of the world, but the way of the cross.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.