‘Because you had become so dear to us’
[1 Thessalonians 2:7-12]
If you have only one hour left to live and can only make one phone call, who will you call and what will you say? When I asked myself this question, I will make one phone call to my beloved wife and I will tell her "I love you". What would you say to who? We have to think about what to say to our loved ones in terms of death. The reason is because we only have time to love. We live a short life even if we live only to love. If we know this, we must live our lives confessing "I love you" to those whom we love. And we must live to express our love to them.
This is what Apostle Paul said to the Thessalonians church saints in 1 Thessalonians 2:8, “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.” We can see that Paul loved the Thessalonians church saints very much. Paul longed for them. If we see Paul said to the Philippians church saints, "God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:8), I think he really longed for all the churches’ brothers and sisters in Christ with the affection of Christ Jesus. And when he said "God is our witness," he sincerely and truthfully loved them with the affection of Christ Jesus before God who examined his heart (1 Thess. 2:4-5). I would like to meditate on 1 Thessalonians 2:7-12 under the heading “Because you had become so dear to us” and want to receive five lessons about how Paul loved the Thessalonians church saints.
First, Paul was gentle among the Thessalonians church saints like a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.
Look at 1 Thessalonians 2:7 – “But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.” I am sure you mothers who have raised a baby remember how you raise your kid. When I think about our three children, my wife remembers a lot of things about when they were little kids even though I don’t. One thing that I clearly remember is when our son Dillon was a baby and my wife was going to the graduate school, I raised Dillon for almost one and half year. Haha. And I think this shows that a mother loves her children more than a father. And I think the mother knows her baby better than the father. She seems to understand what her baby is saying better than the father. And she seems to know why her baby is crying better than the father. And when she knows that her baby is crying because the baby is hungry. So she immediately embraces the baby and breast feeds the baby. And when the baby eats enough milk in the mother’s arm, the the baby falls asleep.
If we look at the Old Testament, we can find some stories about "”a nursing mother”. One of them is the story of the baby Moses' nursing mother in Exodus 2. The baby Moses’ sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you?” (v. 7) Then the daughter of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, told her to do so, and eventually the Moses’ sister brought Moses' mother and she nursed Moses (vv. 8-9). Another nursing mother's story is the Mephibosheth’s nursing mother in 2 Samuel chapter 4. When the report came to the city that Saul and Jonathan died in the war of Jezreel, the Mephibosheth’s nursing mother took Mephibosheth and fled. “And it happened that in her hurry to flee, he fell and became lame” (v. 4). In this story, I think the nursing mother’s role was to protect the baby. A similar nursing mother's role is found in the story of Joash the son of Ahaziah (2 Chron. 22:11). When Athaliah tried to kill all the princes, the Joash's nursing mother hid him in the bedroom to avoid death (v. 11). In these two stories, the role of the nursing mothers was to protect the royal offspring or the prince and they risked their own lives to do so.
In 1 Thessalonians 2:7, Apostle Paul told the Thessalonians church saints, “But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.” Can you imagine Paul, who didn’t even marry, tenderly cared for the Thessalonians church saints like the nursing mother caring for her baby? It isn’t easy even for women who aren’t married to care for a baby tenderly and how did Paul, who was a single man, tenderly care for the Thessalonians church saints like the nursing mother tenderly cared for her own children? How did he care them tenderly like the nursing mother? And what does that mean? The meaning can be understood by verse 6: “… even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority.” Paul didn’t assert his authority as an apostle of Christ to the Thessalonians church saints. The original meaning of this word is ‘to be able to exercise authority as an apostle of Christ’. In other words, as a preacher of the gospel, Paul had the authority to ask the Thessalonians church saints for financial support for his livelihood, but Paul didn’t (Kim, 1 Cor. 9:14). Rather, he sacrificially loved them like the nursing mother taking caring of her baby tenderly. Would a mother loves her children sacrificially claim her mother’s authority over her children? Of course not. She will give up her mother’s authority to love her children. This is what Paul said to the Corinthians church saints in 1 Corinthians 9:12 – “If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ.” Although Paul had the apostolic right over the Corinthians church saints, he didn’t use that right, but instead he endured all things. The reason was because he didn’t want any hindrance to the gospel of Christ. By doing this Paul was able to establish the true authority of apostle. Dr. Seyoon Kim said: ‘There was true spiritual authority when he always had consciousness that he was entrusted with the gospel of Christ, when he wanted to please God who examined his heart, when he tried to fulfill God’s will with fear and trembling, and when he didn’t compromise with men, when he didn’t deny his own covetousness, when he didn’t distort the truth but proclaimed the gospel honestly and courageously. … Fundamentally, Paul's true authority comes from his self-understanding as a gospel preacher "(Kim).
The true authority of a pastor like me must come from my understanding as a gospel preacher. In other words, because of the consciousness of God’s grace in not only saving such sinner like me but calling me to be the pastor, I must refuse to exercise the given pastoral authority over the church congregation and live a life of not hindering the gospel of Christ. In doing so, the true authority of pastor will be established. I think the parents' authority is the same. The true authority of the parents is not to insist the parents’ authority over their children, but to endure all things without using the right of parents for the gospel of Christ. In particular, a pastor like me should endure all things, without using the pastoral authority, so that there is no obstacle in communicating the gospel to the sheep that the Lord has entrusted to me. This is what I wrote: ‘I need to endure all things without exercising my right. The purpose is so that there is no hindrance to the gospel of Christ (1 Cor. 9:12).’ I am keeping this Word of God in my mind: “And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful” (2 Tim. 2:24).
We are evangelists who preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. And as the evangelists, we must not be obstacles to the gospel and to those whom we preach. To do so, we must not approach them by claiming our right and our authority as evangelists. Rather, we must love them, be gentle with them and serve them humbly with the affection of Christ Jesus and care them tenderly like the nursing mother caring for her children. We must never show to them the appearance of the authoritarian evangelists, like an authoritarian father who advocates his authority over his children. Rather, we should love them with the sacrificial love of Jesus, just as the nursing mother sacrifices herself for the baby. Let me share this Korean hymn “Precious Love, the Love of Mother”:
(v. 1) Precious love, the love of mother, Broad and deep beyond all praise!
Precious love, it stirs my spirit Gives me gladness all my days.
Mother pray'd when I was weeping, Made my sorrows all her own;
And when I was glad and smiling Sang her praises at the Throne.
(v. 2) Precious Book, my mother's Bible, Which she read me morn and night.
Still I see her read, and, pausing, Call some treasure to my sight:
"Whosoever but believeth Shall receive eternal life."
Precious words of her reciting, Still my strength in mortal strife!
(v. 3) When I lie alone and troubled, Restless with exhausting fears,
Mother's voice, in hymns she sang me, Echoes living in my ears:
"From the rock flow springs of water; In the desert flowers grow."
"Those who walk the way with Jesus Need fear nothing here below."
(v. 4) Mother's life was sweet and humble, Strong and firm in doing right.
I can make my life worth living With her ever in my sight.
Mother, in a world of tempests, Fought the good fight all her days;
Soon, by streams of living water, I shall live with her always.
Second, Paul was delighted to share with the Thessalonians church saints not only the gospel of God but his life as well.
I am sure the mothers who suffered when they had a baby know that their love for their child doesn’t end with just feeding him or her. So they will do their best to give their kid everything he or she needs such as foods, clothes and so on. They are even willing to give their lives for their beloved child. Isn’t this mother’s love? This reminds me the Korean hymn “Precious Love, the Love of Mother”: “Precious love, the love of mother, Broad and deep beyond all praise! Precious love, it stirs my spirit Gives me gladness all my days. Mother pray'd when I was weeping, Made my sorrows all her own; And when I was glad and smiling Sang her praises at the Throne” (v. 1). In your heart, aren’t you confessing that your mother's love is broad, deep, wide and precious? Mother's love for her child is a love that gives and gives even her own life. And she delights in giving her life for her beloved child because she loves her child with the sacrificial mother's large and wide love.
Apostle Paul loved the Corinthians church saints. Look at 2 Corinthians 12:15 – “So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less?” Paul loved the Corinthians church saints as if the mother had wasted herself for her children. When I thought about this, a young missionary Jim Elliott came into my mind. At the age of 29 and a missionary to Ecuador, he was martyred with his four co-workers. Then a daily newspaper in the United States at the time wrote like this on the cover page: "What an unnecessary waste!" (Internet) Did the young missionaries really waste their precious lives? Jim Eliot's goal was to go to Ecuador with conviction of God’s calling and preach the gospel to the natives after he graduated from college. As he prepares for his mission, he met with a missionary who had previously did mission work to the natives in Ecuador. And he found out that the natives were violent and dangerous. So his parents and friends thought Eliot would be more effective in staying in America and do the youth ministry than going to the dangerous mission field. Nonetheless, Elliot took the risk and went to Ecuador with his four other co-workers. And eventually, on January 8, 1956, he and his four co-workers were killed by the native warriors. Although Elliot and his four co-workers had guns, they didn’t use them because their guns were meant to protect themselves from the wild beasts of the jungle and not to protect themselves from dangerous natives. They were killed because they tried to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were martyred. Jim Eliot, a martyr, said this when he was a college student: “He is no fool who gives us what he can not keep to gain that which he cannot lose” (Elliot). What do you think of this word? Don’t you want to be such a person, who gives up what he cannot keep to gain for the sake of gain that which he cannot lose?
Look at 1 Thessalonians 2:8 – “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.” Apostle Paul was delighted to share with the Thessalonians church saints not only the gospel but his life as well. Why? The reason was because he loved them so much with the love of God (v. 8). For their eternal life, Paul didn’t spare his physical life to them. Shouldn’t we also love our beloved people like this? Shouldn’t we delight to share not only the gospel to the beloved ones but also our lives as well?
This is what Jesus said in John 15:13-14: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” So like Jesus, Apostle Paul didn’t spare his life for the beloved friends, the Thessalonians church saints. This is possible only with the love of Jesus. This is what the prophet Isaiah said, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” (Isa. 49:15) Our Heavenly Father who is rich in mercy is the Father who not only forgets us but cannot forget us. And this Heavenly Father loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son Jesus on the cross for our salvation. For our eternal life, God gave Jesus and the gospel. We also should give our life to our loved ones, along with the gospel of Jesus. “He is no fool who gives us what he can not keep to gain that which he cannot lose” (Elliot).
Third, Paul worked night and day in order not to be burden to anyone while he preached the gospel of God to the Thessalonians church saints.
Don’t you think that it is parents' hearts that they don’t want to be burden to their children? Couple of years ago, I read a new article under the heading ‘Don’t want to burden my children for managing the grave management ... Removing grave in Japan’. The article was about the removing the ancestral tombs are spreading in Japan. And the reason is mainly because the Japanese parents don’t want to burden their children with tomb management (Internet). This is probably because Japanese parents are disciplined not to burden others in any way. The American parents teach their children to yield. On the other hand, the Korean parents teach their children not to lose (Internet).
Look at 1 Thessalonians 2:9 – “Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.” Apostle Paul worked very hard not to be burden to the Thessalonians church saints whom he loved (v. 9). And the Thessalonians church saints knew this because they saw Paul preached the gospel to them as he was working night and day (v. 9). In other words, Paul worked hard at night and day, not to given the material burden to the Thessalonians church saints, and to preach the gospel of God to them. I think we can call this ministry of preach gospel as Paul was working ‘tent maker mission’. What is tent maker mission? It is doing mission by working and earning money. Actually, in Acts 18:3, Apostle Paul worked as a tentmaker and did the mission. This is what Dr. Seyoon Kim said: ‘Paul was a tentmaker missionary. Paul didn’t try to earn money by preaching the gospel. He tried to keep his livelihood by working with his own hands so that he would not be burden to anyone. So he wasn’t under indebtedness to anyone. By doing so, he didn’t owe any debt to anyone. That was why there was nothing for Paul to hesitate (Kim). If Paul claimed his apostolic rights and asked the Thessalonians church saints for financial help, then perhaps he would not have correctly proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ. Rather, he could have used flattery in order to please and satisfy them (1 Thess. 2:4-5).
At the time of Apostle Paul, there were people in the Thessalonians church who were idle and busybodies who were reluctant to work and used their hands to reach out to their brothers and sisters in Christ for help. So Paul said to the Thessalonians church saints in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 – “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” That was why when Paul was with them, he wasn’t idle nor die he eat anyone’s food without paying for it but worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that he would not be burden to any of the Thessalonians church saints and that he could be an example to them (vv. 7-9). As an apostle, Paul could have asserted his apostolic right to the Thessalonians church saints. In other words, Paul had right to ask for help. But he gave up that right and worked hard night and day and preached the gospel to the Thessalonians church saints. Why? He did so in order to make himself a model for them to follow (v. 9). In 2 Corinthians 12:14, we can see that Paul tried not to be burden to the Corinthians church saints: “Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.” Isn’t it true that the parents have to save up for their children instead of the children should save up for their parents? Why do the parents do it? Isn’t it for their beloved children? If the parents do genuinely love their children, I am sure they don’t want to be burdened to their children. Instead, they want to help their children. Isn’t that right? Look at 2 Corinthians 11:9 – “And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so.” Apostle Paul was in need when he was with the Corinthians. Nevertheless, he didn’t ask the Corinthians church saints for help even though he had the right to do so. The reason was because Paul didn’t want to burden them and thus he tried really hard not to be burden to them. Now the question is how Paul managed to cover his need. First, he worked hard day and night, and the Philippians church saints sent his needs again and again when he was ministering in Thessalonica (Phil. 4:16).
I am sure there aren’t many parents among us who try to put burden on their children. Rather, we are trying to avoid burdening our children in any way. Why are we doing that? Isn’t it because we love our children? This was also the love of Paul, the spiritual mother to the Thessalonians church saints. He worked day and night to avoid burdening them. In so doing he preached the gospel to them. Shouldn’t we do that too? I hope and pray that we, like Apostle Paul, preach the gospel of God without giving any burden to those whom we love.
Fourth, Paul lived holy, righteous and blameless life while he was among the Thessalonians church saints.
When I was living in Korea in 2001, I attended a church renewal pastoral council meeting and listened to a sermon by Pastor John Oh. I still cannot forget what he said in his sermon: ‘If we lower the standard we will fail’. Here, the “standard” that he was talking about was Jesus. What he emphasized was that we should become like Jesus. His last sermon was this: ‘Today's last hour is our standard. Jesus Christ. We mus never lower our standard. If we lower it, we will become secularized. If we lower it, we will fail. If we lower it, there is no difference between us and the people in this world. We have to precisely confirm our standard’ (Oh). He said that even though it is hard, even we have to bear our own cross, even we live exhausted life because w are denying ourselves, we must not give up in trying to imitate Jesus. He exhorted us not to lower the standard and never to give up imitating Jesus. In doing so, the Lord will complement us (Internet). I then wrote these words, meditating on the Word of God, on July 19, 2009, after hearing the sermon by Pastor John Oh: 'I remember the words of Pastor John Oh, who said that if we lower the standard, we will fail. We shouldn’t lower the standard in showing an example to our beloved ones. To do so, we must become Moses and not Aaron. When Aaron was with the Israelites, he committed a sin of making a golden calf. However, Moses had intimate fellowship with God in Mount Sinai for 40 days and received the Ten Commandments from God. We must have time apart from people and be alone with God. We should put the vertical relationship with God first and spend time with Him in a lonely place. In doing so, we will be able to show holy life to those whom we love. We should never live in harmony with the world by lowering the standard of holiness.’ We must not ease the standard of life as the saints. Now that we have eased it, we are living a life that is no different from the people of this world. We must return to the standard of the Bible to live a distinct life of the saints. If we continue to lower our standard, we will perish.
Look at 1 Thessalonians 2:10 – “You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.” What does it mean? Paul was holy before God, and righteous and blameless in the sight of men. Therefore, whether in front of God or in front of the Thessalonians church saints, they couldn’t found fault with him (Park). The fact that he was holy before God means that he was separated to God from sin (Believer's Bible commentary). And the fact tha Paul was righteous means he did the right thing in the eyes of God and people. In other words, he lived according to the will of God and according to the Word (commandment) of God. In fact, Paul lived a blameless life before God and people. That doesn’t mean that he lived as a perfect man without committing any sin. It means Paul didn’t act shamefully before God and people (The College Press NIV commentary). As he lived like that, he prayed for the Thessalonians church saints as follow: “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (5:23). Paul was holy, righteous and blameless (2:10). He showed an example to the beloved Thessalonians church saints. So he said to them, "You are witnesses, and so is God" (v. 10). In other words, Paul's example of life is that God and people were his witnesses. Paul not only became the example to the Thessalonians church saints, but he also prayed for them: “May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones” (3:13). What was the result? As a result, the Thessalonians church saints became an example to all believers in Macedonia and Achaia (1:7).
We too should be holy, righteous, and blameless like Paul (2:10). We must live by God's word and God’s will, seeking holy life that is separated from sin. Therefore, we must not be found fault with in front of God and people. A good example is Daniel in the Old Testament. King Darius appointed 120 satraps over the kingdom and over them 3 commissioners of whom Daniel was one of them (Dan. 6:1-2). At that time Daniel was quickening his mind over other prime ministers and princes, so King Darius tried to rule him over the whole nation (v. 3). Then, other prime ministers and dignitaries tried to prosecute him for finding fault or wrong in dealing with the state affairs, but found no evidence or no fault (v. 4). Because Daniel was faithful and had never committed wrongs or wrongs, they could not find any fault with Daniel (v. 4, verse 6). Gentlemen, should not we be here? Like Daniel, no matter how much we hate and hate us, the unbelievers should try to find fault in us. So, as we have said, the apostle Paul told the believers in the Corinthian church, "Be imitators of me, just as I have been imitators of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11: 1). You will be able to tell. I wish you and me to go to such a place. “Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom” (v. 3). “Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption” (v. 4). It was because Daniel was faithful and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him (v. 4). Shouldn’t we be like Daniel? No matter how much we are hated by the non-believers and they try to find fault in us, shouldn’t there be any? Then we can say to our beloved brothers and sisters in Christ like what Paul said to the Corinthians church saints, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). I hope and pray that we will be able to do so.
Fifth and last, Paul encouraged, comforted and urged the Thessalonians church saints like a father who dealt with his own children.
What do you think the father's role is in child-rearing? I believe that God has given authority to the father of the family. And our duty as a head of the family is to lead our family with this divine authority that God had given us. Then how should the father lead the family well? I thought of three things:
(1) We the fathers, the head of the family, shouldn’t abuse the authority God has given us.
If we abuse the authority given by God, we will never earn the respect and the hearts of our children. So we must use God’s given authority wisely so that there can be peace and order in our home. Nowadays, I think the father's authority seems to have fallen on the ground. Since the wife is ignoring her husband's authority, her children are also ignoring their father’s authority in following their mother’s example. I think this is a serious problem. Although the abuse of the father’s authority is a serious problem, the neglecting the father’s authority is a serious problem as well.
(2) We the fathers, the head of the family, should trust our children.
Of course this may not be easy. Especially if we think that our children are lying to us, it will be very difficult for us to trust them. But if we fully trust God and commit our children to God, we can trust our children. We must devote ourselves in trusting our children by trusting God. In doing so, we will be able to earn the hearts of our children. Although we want and expect the quick result, it may not seem obvious and may take some time for our children to gradually trust and follow us as we devote ourselves to trusting them.
(3) We the fathers, the head of the family, should have heart to heart conversation with our children.
In particular, we should have heart to heart conversation with our sons. Of course this will not be easy either. Especially to the fathers who don’t speak that much, it may not be familiar to talk with their children. But we have to do it. We must deliberately try to have conversation with our children. We need to open each other's hearts and communicate truthfully rather than just having a formal dialogue. When we have heart to heart conversation with our children, we will be able to lead our children well.
Look at 1 Thessalonians 2:11 – “For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children.” Isn’t it interesting to see that Paul not only said that he was gentle among the Thessalonians church saints “as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children” (v. 7) but also he said that he dealt with each of them “as a father deals with his own children” (v. 11). When I think of this fact, I think Paul loved the Thessalonians church saints in a balanced way. In other words, Paul didn’t lean toward one way as the nursing mother tenderly caring for her own children but at the same time he loved them as the father did to his children. How will our children be if our children, who grow up in our homes, receive only the mother’s love without receiving the father’s love? On the contrary, what if our children grew up with only receiving the father’s love and not the mother’s love? What does it mean? It means that our children should receive both the father’s love and the mother’s love. In that sense, I think Paul loved the Thessalonians church saints with both the mother’s love and the father’s love in the balanced way. Then what does it mean when Paul said “as a father would his own children” in verse 11? It means Paul told the Thessalonians church saints that he was the father of their faith (Kim). What do you think the father of your faith or your spiritual father does?
(1) The spiritual father admonishes his beloved spiritual children.
Look at 1 Corinthians 4:14 – “I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.” Here, the literally meaning of the Greek word “admonish” is to put in mind with the purpose of warning and reproof. This presupposes that the other party is doing something wrong and and intends to fix it and correct it. In a word, as their spiritual father Paul warned the Corinthians church saints to change. And he told them that if they ignored the warning and didn’t change, then there would be judgment (punishment). The motive behind this Paul’s admonishment was love. It was because he loved the Corinthians church saints that he admonished them.
(2) The spiritual Father shows an example to his beloved spiritual children.
Look at 1 Corinthians 4:16 – “Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me.” Paul showed the example to the Corinthians church saints in two ways. The first one was that Paul didn’t exceed what is written (v. 6) and the second one was that Paul was without honor for Christ’s sake (v. 10). Paul sent Timothy, his faithful spiritual son whom he loved, to the Corinthians church saints to remind them of Paul's life in Christ Jesus so that they might imitate him (v. 17). What is very important here is that Paul's life in Christ Jesus was consistent with what he taught everywhere in every church. In other words, Paul's actions and teachings were consistent with one another.
When we look at 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12, what did Paul do for the Thessalonians church saints “as a father dealt with his children”? Paul said the three things:
(1) Paul exhorted the Thessalonians church saints.
Here, the word ‘exhortation' is to persuade other person’s will with words to make him/her to determine to do good deeds (Park). For example, Paul exhorted the Thessalonians church saints in 1 Thessalonians 4:1 – “Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.”
(2) Paul encouraged the Thessalonians church saints.
Here, the word ‘encouragement’ means to edify a discouraged person (Park). For example, in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Paul encouraged the Thessalonians church saints like this: “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”
(3) Paul urged the Thessalonians church saints.
Look at 1 Thessalonians 4:3-6: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you.” By this we can see that Paul not only exhorted and encouraged the Thessalonians church saints as their spiritual father, but also he even urged them. In fact, the role of a father in the home is to urge his children with the truth when they are at risk of sinning or actually committing sins against God.
Why did Paul exhort, encouraged and urged the Thessalonians church saints? What was the purpose? Look at 1 Thessalonians 2:12 – “so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.” The purpose was so that the Thessalonians church saints to walk in the manner worthy of the God who called them into His own kingdom and glory.
How should we express our love for the ones we love? We have meditated on five things based on 1 Thessalonians 2:6-12: (1) We should be gentle among them like a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. (2) We should be delighted to share with them not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. (3) We should work night and day in order not to be burden to them while we preach the gospel of God to them. (4) We should live holy, righteous and blameless life while we are among them. (5) We should encourage, comfort and urge them like a father who deals with his own children. I hope and pray that we will be able to practice in our homes and churches according to the lessons we have received through this Word of God.