Essays on I Thess. 2.7-12 (Part 6)

‘For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory’ (NIV).

Paul concludes the passage in vv. 11-12 by casting himself in the role of the father of the Thessalonians. This metaphor is perhaps the most important image in the chapter; Paul’s understanding of it illumines all of what he has said thus far and sets precedence for his further discussion.

As the leader of the Roman family the father had complete authority over his household. This included especially the didactic and pedagogical duties that a parent would perform (v.12) and would also include aspects of providing an example by which those children could pattern their lives after. Often times the Roman father was cast as a harsh and domineering figure, however Burke shows that the Roman father could also be very affectionate, which would further elucidate his use of a maternal metaphor as an auxiliary explanation of his fatherly affection.[1]

Verse 11-12 then states the ways in which Paul interacted with the Thessalonians. Mention should be made here that v.11 possesses no verb of its own and should instead be seen as an extension of v.10, in which case “dealt” is probably better translated as “brought up” or “trained,” centering on the didactic role of Paul’s fatherhood.[2]

The three participles in v.12 describe the specific nature of Paul’s paternal care; that is, “encouraging, comforting, and urging.” The first two of these participles are often used interchangeably and are closely tied. Here “encourage” most probably means “to exhort the Thessalonians towards Christian conduct” whereas “comfort” is likely looking back on their distress upon becoming converted (seen in 1.6).[3] The final participle “urging” is the strongest of the three and perhaps the most important as it conveys an idea of insistence, which suggests a “strong moral thrust where he [Paul] charges his converts about the necessity to live radically different lives compared to their previous way of living.”[4] This notion of the way a Christian was to live his life is further supported by Paul’s metaphor of a spiritual walk, of which Paul has provided an example in 2.10.[5]

Verse 12 closes with Paul making mention of God as He who “calls you into his kingdom and glory.” With this he makes reference to the eschatological aim of the believer’s life “[indicating] a believer’s ultimate goal: to live under the dominion and in the presence of God” which is both a partial present reality and future expectation.[6] The Thessalonian believers could identify with this as it referenced the “royal theology” which had already been presented to them (Acts 17.7) and pushed them towards the kind of living involved in God’s “kingdom and glory.”[7]

---

[1] Burke, 148-49.

[2] Wannamaker, 105-06.

[3] Burke, 144.

[4] Best, E. The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians (London: A. & C. Black, 1977), 107; Burke, 144.

[5] This metaphor is traded out in the NIV to simply say, “live lives worthy of God.” The meaning of the phrase remains unaffected.

[6] Holmes, 68. Here I would like to note that Gorman’s theology of cruciformity, that idea that our Christian experience should reflect the experience of Christ himself, effectively unites all of the differing ideas in this passage together. There is talk of moral instruction, righteous living, and God’s kingdom. These ideas are united in what it means to be a follower or imitator of Christ. Paul himself was a living example of this theology in action as he not only taught others the “way of Christ” but lived it out himself as a self-sacrificing servant, who in living as Christ lived experienced what he came to call “life in Christ” which is regarded as that partial present reality of the future participation in God’s presence and glory.

[7] Green, 138.