As you know in what manner, entreating and comforting you (as a father doth his children),
καθαπερ οιδατε ως ενα εκαστον υμων ως πατηρ τεκνα εαυτου παρακαλουντες υμας και παραμυθουμενοι
8 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Having spoken above about his conduct among them, here he speaks of his love for them. This expressed more than mere protection. What he says is free of arrogance. “With each of you.” Wonderful! Amid such a multitude, not to overlook anyone, neither small nor great, neither rich nor poor.
Again he calls them witnesses, a sign that he speaks without any arrogance. It is wonderful how he left no one without consolation, but said to each one what was needed.
And that we were blameless among you in all things, you yourselves know, how we dealt with each of you, as a father with his own son.
Again he presented a new likeness and compared himself to a father, showing in many ways what attachment he had for them.
The Apostle’s manner of action among the Thessalonians was as fearless and direct as it was gentle and quiet. “After we had suffered before and were shamefully treated at Philippi,” the Apostle writes, “we were bold in our God to speak to you the Gospel of God amid great conflict. We never used words of flattery before you, nor a pretext for gain. We might have appeared with weight as Apostles of Christ, but we were gentle among you, as a nurse tenderly cares for her own children. Working night and day so that we might not burden any of you, we exhorted and encouraged and charged each one of you, as a father does his own children, to walk worthily of God” (1 Thess 2:2, 5, 7, 9, 11–12).
Portraying the many different methods of his apostolic guidance, the Apostle says that, like a father, he used various means and ways to influence the Thessalonians according to the difference in their dispositions. He entreated some, implored others, and persuaded still others.
All this was after their initial conversion, when he was guiding them as Christians to walk worthily of their calling. In this way they would attain the fullness of abiding in the Kingdom of God and receive eternal glory. The Thessalonians received this even by the fact that their faith and piety were glorified throughout the whole Christian world, and also in the Kingdom of Christ’s glory.
According to Saint Chrysostom, “The Apostle passed over no one, neither small nor great, neither rich nor poor, but everyone who had need, without distinction.” “In the correction of morals, one had to show not only the tenderness of maternal feeling, but also the firmness of a father’s will and authority, experience, and prudence. Fathers are usually distinguished by these qualities, in which mothers are not quite as strong.
The Apostles spoke with testimony. By the testimonies of Holy Scripture, by the words of God Himself, they bound and adjured them, bringing the will to an inspired resolve for a new way of life, with readiness for every kind of sacrifice for its sake.
Faith does not do everything. It gives entrance into the Kingdom of Christ, the Church. The one who has entered has the chief duty to walk as befits the sons of the Kingdom. This section also concludes by transferring attention to the future life, as did the first (1:10). So strongly was the Apostle occupied with that thought, and so strong a support for Christian character in Christians did he have in it,” says Bishop Theophan.
After this refutation of the accusations brought against him, the Apostle briefly portrays his activity in Thessalonica. He calls as witnesses the Thessalonians, eyewitnesses of his actions, and God, Who knows every disposition of his heart.
The Apostle’s conduct toward them, the Thessalonians, was fully worthy of his high ministry. Even though, having their trust (ΰμΐν τοΐς πιστεύουσίν), he could have dealt with them however he wished. As they know, the Apostle acted toward them as a good father and taught them only what was good.
First of all, the grammatical structure of the speech must be determined. “As you know, because...” that is, because, or insofar as, you know how we exhorted and comforted each one, and so forth. The governing verb is lacking for these participles, “exhorting” and the rest.
To supply it, some add ηγαπησαμεν or εφιλησαμεν, so that it would read, “Because you know how we, as a father his children, loved each one of you, exhorting,” and so forth. This addition is entirely arbitrary.
Others more directly supply the word ημεν, so that it would be, “You know how, with each one, we were exhorting,” or “we exhorted.” While agreeing that this is admissible, a third group says that there is no need for this addition. A similar verb already appears above, namely at the end of verse ten: “we were among you who believe,” εγενηθημεν. The Apostle mentally repeated it here, but did not write it so that it would not obscure “exhorting” and the rest. In these words, together with “walk worthily of God,” lies the whole force of the discourse.
Those who have believed must live according to faith. This life was not only inward, but also had to be expressed outwardly. The former outward order was pagan in many ways, even in essential matters, and did not agree with the Gospel. Therefore, after converting the Thessalonians, the Apostles undertook to order the life of the new Christians in family and civic life, besides religious life, in which the essence of the matter lay.
“Each one of you.” Saint Chrysostom says, “He passed over no one, neither small nor great, neither rich nor poor, but everyone who had need, without distinction.” Surely it was necessary to speak with each of the newly converted. With some, perhaps, there was much discussion and explanation before he understood and agreed to order his life according to the spirit of the new life. Each could have had circumstances of life that required explanation, so that he might know how to act in them according to the Gospel.
“As a father his children” indicates the source of such tireless care, namely, his fatherly love for them. Above, when the Apostle spoke of their conversion, when they were only being born into spiritual life, he compared himself to a mother. Now, when they had been reborn and had to be nurtured and led to perfection, he compares himself to a father.
In the correction of morals, one had to show not only the tenderness of maternal feeling, but also the firmness of a father’s will and authority, experience, and prudence. Fathers are usually distinguished by these qualities, in which mothers are not quite as strong.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 10 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS