Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Thessalonians 2:11
Verse 11. How we exhorted] What pastoral care is marked here! They exhorted - were continually teaching and instructing, the objects of their charge; this was their general work. And comforted] They found many under trials and temptations, and those they encouraged.
And charged] marturoumenoi? Continued witness to the people that all the threatenings and promises of God were true; that he required faith, love, and obedience; that he could not behold sin with allowance; that Jesus died to save them from their sins; and that, without holiness, none should see God. And all these things they did, not in a general way only, but they spoke to every man; none was left unnoticed, unadmonished, uncomforted. The spirit in which they performed all these branches of the pastoral care was that which was most likely to insure success; as a father treats his children, so they treated every member of the Church.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 11. As you know , etc.] This is added to the end of the last verse in the Arabic version, and which begins this verse thus, as one of you, and as a father comforting his sons, so we, etc. but for what is said in the former verse, an appeal is made both to God and to the Thessalonians, so that there is no need of adding such a clause there; it properly stands here in connection with what follows, how we exhorted ; to flee from wrath to come, and to Christ for refuge; to look to, and believe in him, as the only Saviour of lost sinners; to perform the duties of religion, and to continue in the faith; to cleave to Christ, and walk on in him as they had received him, and to abide by the truths and ordinances of the Gospel they had embraced: and comforted ; under a sense of sin, with the soul comforting doctrines of free justification by the righteousness of Christ, of full pardon by his blood, and of a plenary satisfaction and atonement by his sacrifice; and under all their afflictions and persecutions for the sake of Christ, with exceeding great and precious promises of the presence, grace, and strength of Christ here, and glory hereafter: and charged everyone of you ; not only publicly, but privately, going from house to house; not in an austere and domineering way, but with the greatest tenderness, and yet faithfulness: even as a father doth his children ; not only in an authoritative, but in an affectionate way, and also with solid wisdom and judgment; for in such a relation, in a Spiritual sense, did the apostle and his fellow ministers stand in to them; (see 1 Corinthians 4:15) and the substance of the charge is as follows:
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 7-12 - Mildness and tenderness greatly recommend religion, and are mos conformable to God's gracious dealing with sinners, in and by the gospel. This is the way to win people. We should not only be faithfu to our calling as Christians, but in our particular callings an relations. Our great gospel privilege is, that God has called us to his kingdom and glory. The great gospel duty is, that we walk worthy of God. We should live as becomes those called with such a high and holy calling. Our great business is to honour, serve, and please God, and to seek to be worthy of him.
Greek Textus Receptus
καθαπερ 2509 οιδατε 1492 5758 ως 5613 ενα 1520 εκαστον 1538 υμων 5216 ως 5613 πατηρ 3962 τεκνα 5043 εαυτου 1438 παρακαλουντες 3870 5723 υμας 5209 και 2532 παραμυθουμενοι 3888 5740
Vincent's NT Word Studies
11. Comforted (paramuqoumenoi). The A.V. renders the three participles in this verse as finite verbs, we exhorted, etc. Rev. retains the participial construction. Better than comforted, persuading. Persuasion is the form which the exhortation assumed. Paraklhsiv exhortation, and paramuqiou persuasion, are associated in Philip. ii. 1. The verb paramuqeomai, to persuade occurs only four times in N.T. See on Philip. ii. 1. Neither verb nor noun in LXX.
Charged (marturomenoi). Rev. testifying; but the A.V. is more correct. Rend. charging. The verb means to conjure, or appeal to by something sacred. So Eph. iv. 17. Comp. Acts xx. 26; Gal. v. 3, and diamarturomai I charge, 1 Tim. v. 21; 2 Tim. ii. 14; iv. 1. Comp. Thucyd. vi. 80.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
2:11 {As a father with his own children} (hws pater tekna heautou). Change from the figure of the mother-nurse in verse #7. There is ellipse of a principal verb with the participles parakalountes, paramuthoumenoi, marturoumenoi. Lightfoot suggests enouqetoumen (we admonished) or egeneqemen (we became). The three participles give three phases of the minister's preaching (exhorting, encouraging or consoling, witnessing or testifying). They are all old verbs, but only the first (parakalew) is common in the N.T.
