1 Thessalonians 2:12-Paul, Silvanus and Timothy Exhorted, Encouraged and Urged Thessalonians to Live in a Manner Worthy of God Lesson # 29

1 Thessalonians 2:10 You are witnesses, and so is God, as to how holy and righteous and blameless our conduct was toward you who believe. 11 As you know, we treated each one of you as a father treats his own children. 1 Thessalonians 2:12 exhorting and encouraging you and insisting that you live in a way worthy of God who calls you to his own kingdom and his glory. (NET)

We noted that 1 Thessalonians 2:10 states that each member of the Thessalonian Christian community as well as God the Father are witnesses to the fact that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy conducted themselves in a holy, righteous and blameless manner in the presence of and for the benefit of the Thessalonians.

We also noted that 1 Thessalonians 2:11 asserts that these men conducted themselves in a holy, righteous and blameless manner in the presence of and for the benefit of the Thessalonians by training the Thessalonians like a father would his own children.

Now, 1 Thessalonians 2:12 describes specifically how or the means by which Paul, Silvanus and Timothy trained each member of the Thessalonians Christian community like a father would train his own children.

It asserts that they did so by making it their habit of exhorting, encouraging as well as urging each one of them to make it their habit of living in a manner worthy of God.

“Exhorting” speaks of authoritatively training the Thessalonians through instruction in the sense of communicating the Word of God to them so as to compel obedience in every area of their lives.

This authoritative training through instruction in the Word of God would include teaching, conviction, correcting and training with regards to living out in one’s life the righteousness of God (2 Timothy 3:16) and it would also involve convicting of sin, rebuking as well (cf. 2 Timothy 4:2).

This authoritative training through instruction would also involve reproving, rebuking, encouraging and warning of danger.

“Encouraging” speaks of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy encouraging the Thessalonians to live in a manner worthy of God in the sense that they spoke to them in a friendly manner by persuading them to this course of action and inspiring courage in them to do so.

“Insisting” speaks of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy urging that the Thessalonians live in a manner worthy of God in the sense that they solemnly urged them to live in a manner worthy of God since it was a matter of great importance to them.

It was of great importance that they did so since it would result in growing up spiritually to become like Christ, which glorifies God and will result in rewards at the Bema Seat.

“That you live in a way worthy of God” is a purpose clause which answers the question as to “why” Paul, Silvanus and Timothy trained the Thessalonians by exhorting, encouraging and urging them that they conform to a particular course of conduct.

This purpose is speaking in a figurative sense of the lifestyle of each member of the Thessalonian Christian community.

Here it is used of the Thessalonians living or conducting their lives in a manner worthy of God which would require them to be experiencing fellowship with God, which is accomplished by learning and obeying the teaching of the Word of God.

Consequently, they would also be experiencing their sanctification, salvation and eternal life.

This purpose clause emphasizes the principle that God must be involved in every area of the Christian’s life since they are servants and ambassadors of His kingdom and rule.

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 also addresses the conduct of the Thessalonian Christian community.

Throughout the New Testament there is a concern for the Christian’s lifestyle or conduct.

In fact, the verb peripateō which appears in 1 Thessalonians 2:12 appears often in the New Testament with reference to the lifestyle or conduct of the believer (cf. Rom. 6:4; 8:4; 13:13; 1 Cor. 7:17; 2 Cor. 5:7; 10:3-4; Gal. 5:16; Eph. 4:1, 17; 2:10; 5:2, 9, 15; Col. 1:10; 2:6; 4:5; 1 John 1:6-7; 2:6; 2 John 4, 6; 3 John 3-4).

1 Thessalonians 2:12 concludes with a clause which simply speaks of God the Father “effectually” calling each member of the Thessalonian Christian community.

This “effectual call” refers to the “effective evocation” of faith through the presentation of the gospel by the Holy Spirit which unites the sinner to Christ according to the Father’s gracious purpose in election.

It does not refer to the “call of God,” which is related to “common grace” meaning grace given to all sinners by God in the form of being exposed to the gospel or in other words, it does not refer to the “invitation” to receive the gift of salvation by trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior.

Rather, it refers to those sinners who have responded to the divine invitation or call of God when they were presented the gospel and have exercised faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior, thus, it is an “effectual call.”

Therefore, this “effectual call” refers to the “effective evocation” of faith through the presentation of the gospel by the Holy Spirit who united the believer to Christ according to the Father’s electing him to privilege and His gracious eternal purpose and predetermined plan.

It refers to not only the Father’s invitation to salvation for the Christian through the presentation of the gospel by the Holy Spirit, but it also refers to their acceptance of this invitation by faith and which invitation originates from eternity past.

So therefore, when 1 Thessalonians 2:12 asserts that God the Father “effectually called” the Thessalonian Christian community, it is referring to the Thessalonians conversion to Christianity or in other words, the moment of justification.

The word “effectual” is used of that which produces the effect desired or intended or a decisive result and thus, the Father’s calling of the Thessalonians produced the effect He desired, intended from them and the decisive result.

Namely, it delivered them from sin, Satan, condemnation from the Law, spiritual and physical death as well as eternal condemnation.

“His own kingdom and his glory” refers to the Father’s authority, His subjects, His royal authority in a realm over which He has sovereign right to rule as God.

It also speaks of an organized community of regenerate human beings and elect angels who reside in a major territorial unit who are under a monarchical form of government headed by God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

The term “glory” describes the Father’s kingdom as possessing glory and deserving glory and marked by beauty and splendor.

Basically, the word describes the visible, manifested radiance of Father’s holy character or nature and presence, thus, His kingdom is glorious because He is glorious.

“His own kingdom and his glory” is a reminder that there are other kingdoms in this world which are competing for the Christian’s allegiance, namely, the various kingdoms of the world which are temporarily under the authority of the god of this world, Satan (cf. 2 Cor. 4:4; 1 John 5:19).

So therefore, in 1 Thessalonians 2:12, “kingdom” refers to the Father’s authority which He delegated to His Son Jesus Christ and also speaks of the Father’s subjects who are regenerated through faith in His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.

Lastly, it expresses the fact that the Father through His Son Jesus Christ exercises royal authority in a realm over which He has sovereign right to rule as God and that realm is not only in the first heaven (abode of God, throne of God) and the second heaven (the stellar universe) but also on planet earth.

Thus, “kingdom” refers to an organized community of regenerate human beings and elect angels who reside in a major territorial unit who are under a monarchical form of government headed by God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

Paul asserts in Colossians 1:13 that the Father transferred the Christian at the moment of their justification from Satan’s kingdom to His Son’s kingdom whom He loves.

Therefore, when 1 Thessalonians 2:12 speaks of the Thessalonians living in a manner worthy of God who effectually called them into His own glorious kingdom, it is teaching that the Thessalonians must live their lives in a manner which is consistent with their ultimate destiny as members of the kingdom of God.

Now, positionally, the child of God belongs to the Father’s kingdom, which refers to God’s view of them, what He has done for them through Christ and the Spirit and sets up the potential for them to experience this fact.

It also guarantees that they belong to this kingdom in a perfective sense which refers to the child of God perfected in a resurrection body but there is no guarantee that they will experience this fact since they can sin.

Thus, the need for the Thessalonians to be exhorted, encouraged and urged by Paul, Silvanus and Timothy to live in a manner worthy of this glorious kingdom or in other words, the Thessalonians were to live in a manner which is consistent with the standards of God’s kingdom.

They were obligated to live in a manner worthy of God because they were subjects of God’s kingdom.