You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. (1 Thess 2:10-12)
The way [Paul] makes distinctions shows us his precision in writing. He did not say, “We appeared blameless to everyone,” but “to you believers;” and he added God's testimony, since only visible things are obvious to men, but to God also what escapes the notice of men. Once again he developed another metaphor, likening himself to a father to bring out in further ways the affection he has for them. Now it was very suitable for him to employee the three verbs: exhorted, encouraged, and charged. It is necessary not only to offer consolation to the downhearted but also to put fear into those addicted to sloth with the reminder of threatened evils. “I did this,” he is saying, “to urge you to choose a life appropriate to the God who called you and promised the kingdom of heaven.”
The way [Paul] makes distinctions shows us his precision in writing. He did not say, “We appeared blameless to everyone,” but “to you believers;” and he added God's testimony, since only visible things are obvious to men, but to God also what escapes the notice of men. Once again he developed another metaphor, likening himself to a father to bring out in further ways the affection he has for them. Now it was very suitable for him to employee the three verbs: exhorted, encouraged, and charged. It is necessary not only to offer consolation to the downhearted but also to put fear into those addicted to sloth with the reminder of threatened evils. “I did this,” he is saying, “to urge you to choose a life appropriate to the God who called you and promised the kingdom of heaven.”
Theodoret of Cyrus, "The First Letter to the Thessalonians"
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