But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:
The nurse is a nursing mother cherishing her own children with fond and tender affection. Those entrusted with the gospel are to be gentle among their people with that same tender, compassionate, caring affection, willing to give not only the message but their own lives because believers are dear to them. That gentleness stands together with bold, faithful preaching without deceit, flattery, covetousness, or seeking human glory, and with holy and blameless conduct. It is shown in becoming one with the people, visiting from house to house, bearing the sorrows of the burdened, and doing personal labor rather than only preaching, while like a father faithfully warning, exhorting, and charging believers to walk worthy of God. Boldness for truth never requires harshness or discourtesy, so even wrongs are corrected with a softened and pitiful heart that helps the erring see and turn.
Meaning and Historical Setting
The nurse is a nursing mother cherishing her children with fond and tender affection. That cherishing is affectionate desire that would impart not only the gospel of God but one's own life because the believers are dear. The setting is ministry at Thessalonica on the seacoast after leaving Philippi, where the gospel was preached while working with the hands, laboring and travailing night and day in preaching so as not to be chargeable to anyone and not to eat anyone's bread for nothing. The Greeks on the seacoast were sharp traders educated in shrewd dealing who held gain to be godliness and honored ability to make money by fair means or foul, and their practices were known. Support was therefore refused so as to give no opportunity to say preaching was done to be supported, no excuse to depreciate the gospel by imputing selfish motives to preachers, and no occasion to hurt the influence of God's servants with fellow laborers and hearers, even though it was perfectly right to be supported in that way because the laborer is worthy of hire.
Gentle Pastoral Ministry
Those entrusted with the gospel are gentle among their people with tender, compassionate, caring affection like a nurse cherishing her children, and Christian ministers after that example are to deal just as gently and tenderly with those they serve. Paul and his companions treated the Thessalonian believers with that gentle, tender care, and joined it to serving without seeking personal glory or using authority to burden others. That gentleness is deep, affectionate desire, so that workers are willing to impart not only the gospel but their own lives and souls because the believers are dear to them. It belongs together with bold, faithful preaching of the gospel without deceit, uncleanness, guile, pleasing men, flattering words, a cloak of covetousness, or seeking glory from men. It belongs together with night-and-day labor so as not to be chargeable or burdensome, and with holy and just and unblamable conduct.
It is to be Christlike at home and abroad, in health and sickness, amid the world and in the sanctuary. It is expressed in visiting from house to house, becoming one with the people, bearing the sorrows of the heavy laden, teaching the ignorant, drawing souls to God, and doing well-directed personal labor as servants of the people rather than contenting themselves with preaching only. The mother's tenderness is joined with a father's work of faithfully teaching, warning, exhorting, comforting, and charging believers as children to walk worthy of God who calls them to His kingdom and glory. Bold preaching of Christ and bold defense of truth are joined with a tender heart and kind, thoughtful conduct through the image of a nurse tenderly caring for her children, for boldness does not require harshness or discourtesy. When wrongs need correction, ministers should not rely only on censure and condemnation, for a softened, pitiful heart can help those who are wrong see and turn from evil.
Making this gentle, faithful experience personal gives a hope that does not make ashamed, and its fidelity and patient endurance of trial will receive a reward when Christ comes to give to every person according to works.
The nurse is a nursing mother cherishing her own children with fond and tender affection. Those entrusted with the gospel are to be gentle among their people with that same tender, compassionate, caring affection, willing to give not only the message but their own lives because believers are dear to them. That gentleness stands together with bold, faithful preaching without deceit, flattery, covetousness, or seeking human glory, and with holy and blameless conduct. It is shown in becoming one with the people, visiting from house to house, bearing the sorrows of the burdened, and doing personal labor rather than only preaching, while like a father faithfully warning, exhorting, and charging believers to walk worthy of God. Boldness for truth never requires harshness or discourtesy, so even wrongs are corrected with a softened and pitiful heart that helps the erring see and turn.
Meaning and Historical Setting
The nurse is a nursing mother cherishing her children with fond and tender affection. That cherishing is affectionate desire that would impart not only the gospel of God but one's own life because the believers are dear. The setting is ministry at Thessalonica on the seacoast after leaving Philippi, where the gospel was preached while working with the hands, laboring and travailing night and day in preaching so as not to be chargeable to anyone and not to eat anyone's bread for nothing. The Greeks on the seacoast were sharp traders educated in shrewd dealing who held gain to be godliness and honored ability to make money by fair means or foul, and their practices were known. Support was therefore refused so as to give no opportunity to say preaching was done to be supported, no excuse to depreciate the gospel by imputing selfish motives to preachers, and no occasion to hurt the influence of God's servants with fellow laborers and hearers, even though it was perfectly right to be supported in that way because the laborer is worthy of hire.
Gentle Pastoral Ministry
Those entrusted with the gospel are gentle among their people with tender, compassionate, caring affection like a nurse cherishing her children, and Christian ministers after that example are to deal just as gently and tenderly with those they serve. Paul and his companions treated the Thessalonian believers with that gentle, tender care, and joined it to serving without seeking personal glory or using authority to burden others. That gentleness is deep, affectionate desire, so that workers are willing to impart not only the gospel but their own lives and souls because the believers are dear to them. It belongs together with bold, faithful preaching of the gospel without deceit, uncleanness, guile, pleasing men, flattering words, a cloak of covetousness, or seeking glory from men. It belongs together with night-and-day labor so as not to be chargeable or burdensome, and with holy and just and unblamable conduct.
It is to be Christlike at home and abroad, in health and sickness, amid the world and in the sanctuary. It is expressed in visiting from house to house, becoming one with the people, bearing the sorrows of the heavy laden, teaching the ignorant, drawing souls to God, and doing well-directed personal labor as servants of the people rather than contenting themselves with preaching only. The mother's tenderness is joined with a father's work of faithfully teaching, warning, exhorting, comforting, and charging believers as children to walk worthy of God who calls them to His kingdom and glory. Bold preaching of Christ and bold defense of truth are joined with a tender heart and kind, thoughtful conduct through the image of a nurse tenderly caring for her children, for boldness does not require harshness or discourtesy. When wrongs need correction, ministers should not rely only on censure and condemnation, for a softened, pitiful heart can help those who are wrong see and turn from evil.
Making this gentle, faithful experience personal gives a hope that does not make ashamed, and its fidelity and patient endurance of trial will receive a reward when Christ comes to give to every person according to works.