1 Thessalonians 2:10-12 10You are witnesses and God, of how devoutly and rightly and blamelessly we were toward to you believers, 11just as you know how to each one of you as a father to his own children, 12encouraging and cheering up and affirming in order that you might walk worthy of God who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
Paul calls on two witnesses, which verifies the truthfulness of what he claims (Deuteronomy 17:6). The Thessalonians could see the results of his claim for themselves. Adding God as a witness makes Paul accountable to God for what he claims. The only way he could do this is if what he says is true. Paul’s description of the ministry of Silas, Timothy, and himself in two sets of three.
The first short list focuses upon the “who” with a strong overtone of piety and religious sincerity. Devoutly (osiōs) can also mean holy piety and devotion in a way that pleases God. Rightly (dikaiōs) adds a moral aspect of obedience to God’s command. Blamelessly (amemtōs) adds further emphasis to the obedience that the brothers showed in their ministry. These terms also prepare for Paul’s call for the Thessalonians to be sanctified and embrace a holy lifestyle (4:3). The description of the Thessalonians as believers also helps them remember their commitment to Jesus as their Savior. This was a description for the earliest Christians (Acts 5:14).
The second short list focuses on the “how” with an emphasis on what the ministry team did when they were in Thessalonica. This was their ministry not only there but everywhere they went. They treated the Thessalonians as if they were their own children, in a loving and caring way like a father to his own children. The list is made of three participles with a strong instrumental sense. Encouraging (paraklountes) is a relatively frequent word in this letter ( 2:3; 3:2; 4:1, 10, 18; 5:11). Its repeated use suggests that one of Paul’s goals was to encourage this church to stand strong in its witness and holy lifestyle. One of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is to “come along side” and encourage believers. The Spirit will lead us also in a ministry of encouragement. Cheering up (paramythoumenoi) has the sense of encouraging those who are down or discouraged. The gospel offers joy and peace to those who are beaten down by the events of life. Paul and his companions brought a message of hope to turn the Thessalonians sorrow into joy. Affirming (martyromenoi) means to testify or witness in a way that affirms a matter of faith. The message Paul brought to the Thessalonians bore witness to the greatest news of all time. The gospel (“good news”) is all about new life and everlasting hope.
Verse 12 shows the reason Paul and his companions came to Thessalonica. They invested themselves in the Thessalonians so that they could participate in God’s kingdom and experience his glory. This verse gives a strong ethical path for this: walk worthy of God. God’s grace works in us, but we must respond in obedience, and this obedience should be evident in a holy lifestyle. The deep question of our life is what it means to walk in a worthy way. This worthiness is not something we do to earn salvation but it is required as we work out our salvation. Holiness is required to be in God’s presence (Hebrews 12:14). Paul will build on these ideas in other parts of the letter.
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