Tag: thalpo

1 Thessalonians 2:7 – Caring Like Mothers

Posted on by Will

But we became gentle among you, just as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.

Truth to Learn

Christian service should demonstrate love and care for others.

 

Behind the Words

“Gentle” is translated from the Greek word nēpios, which is made up or nē, meaning “not” and epos, which refers to “a spoken word.” Thus, nēpios literally means “one who does not speak.” Its common usage is a reference to “infants,” that is, “those who have not yet learned how to talk.” On many Greek manuscripts, however, this word appears as ēpios, meaning “one who is gentle, easy, or mild.” This seems to make more sense in the reading of this verse.

The words “among you” are from the Greek en mesō humōn, which literally translates to “in the midst of you (plural).” This implies a more intimate interaction between the apostles and the people of Thessalonica.

Trophos is the word translated “nursing mother.” It is derived from the verb trephō, meaning “to nourish, feed, or nurture.” It generally refers to “a nurse, someone who nurses an infant.” In classical Greek it was often used to indicate “a mother.”

“Tenderly cares for” is from the verb thalpō, which literally means “to make warm.” Figuratively, it means “to brood over, to foster, or to cherish.”

The word “children” is translated from the Greek noun teknon. This is based on the verb tiktō which means “to bear a child,” thus teknon refers to “an offspring” or “a child.”

 

Meaning Explained

In defense against false accusations, Paul has been telling the Christians in Thessalonica what the true intentions of the apostles had been while they ministered there. In the previous verse he said that they didn’t lay heavy burdens on the people to whom they ministered.

In Behind the Words we noted that there is a variation in this verse. Some manuscripts have nēpios (infants) while others have ēpios (gentle ones). Paul says that they were like a nursing mother who tenderly takes care of her children. It doesn’t make sense that he would say the apostles were children in the midst of those people and at the same time say that they were like a mother. So, his message is, instead of laying heavy burdens on the people, he and his co-workers were gentle and treated the Thessalonians with the same tender love and concern that a mother does for her own children.

Paul may have been making a reference to Moses’ complaint when he referred to himself as a nursing mother to Israel:

Did I conceive all these people? Did I give birth to them, that You should say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child,' to the land which You swore to their fathers? (Numbers 11:12)

One of the hallmarks of Paul’s (and Moses’) ministry was that he performed his responsibilities out of his love for God and his concern for the welfare of those to whom he ministered.

 

Application

All of our service for God should be done out of our love for Him and our desire to gently help others to become more Christ-like. This is the heart of a true servant of God.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 5:29 – Nourishment and Comfort

Posted on by Will

For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as also Christ does the church.

Truth to Learn

Men are responsible for providing for the nourishment and comfort of their wives.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “hated” is misesō, which means “to hate, to detest, or to abhor.” It is used frequently in the New Testament to indicate the opposite of agape love.

Sarx is the Greek word translated “flesh.” This word refers to the flesh of a living creature. It is a reference here to the physical part of our existence.

“Nourishes” is translated from extrephō, which is made up of ek, meaning “out of” but used here as an intensifier and trephō, meaning “to nourish, to feed, or to bring up to maturity (as is done to children).” This is probably a reference to providing the needs of the body that allows the body to grow physically.

“Cherishes” is from the Greek verb thalpō, meaning “to make warm.” It is used figuratively to mean “to foster with tender care.” This is probably a reference to comfort and security that a person needs to develop psychologically.

 

Meaning Explained

Since verse twenty-two in this chapter, Paul has been teaching about the relationship between a man and a woman within a marriage. First, he said, the wife is to “under-rank” herself. She is to voluntarily place herself under the authority of her husband. This action is clearly easier to do when her husband is treating her in the proper manner. However, it is not a conditional “suggestion,” but an unconditional command given by the Apostle. Paul confined this instruction for women to just three verses. He then spent the next seven verses telling men how to relate to their wives. Based on the length of the teaching alone, it appears that his teaching to men is even more important than that which he gave to women.

Paul said that a man is to love his wife with a self-sacrificing love, being more concerned for her needs than for his own. He used two examples to show men how they are to love their wives. The first example is the manner in which Christ loves the church, even to the point of sacrificing His own life to provide life for His bride.

The second example is the manner in which we all love our own flesh and blood. This is what he describes in today’s verse. We all provide nourishment for our bodies in order for our bodies to sustain physical life and grow. And, we all provide for physical comfort for our own bodies. Thus, it follows that part of a man’s responsibility to his wife is to provide both comfort and nourishment for her.

In our current twenty-first society it would be easy to twist this teaching and insist that women should stay at home and men should be the breadwinner of the family. That is NOT what Paul is teaching in this passage. His teaching is simply that a man should love his wife and ensure that her physical and comfort needs are taken care of. It was uncommon, but not unheard of, for a woman in the first century to be the breadwinner of the family. There are several examples of women in the church who were successful business women. One of them was Lydia, who had a business selling purple dye and /or purple fabric. My point is that the customs of the twenty-first century are different from those of the first century, but God’s teaching applies to all time.

 

Application

Men, how do you stack up against Paul’s teaching in these verses? Are you demonstrating the kind of love in action that places the needs for the sustenance and comfort of your wife above your own needs for these things?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 2:7 – Caring Like Mothers

Posted on by Will

But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children.

Truth to Learn

Christian service should demonstrate love and care for others.

Behind the Words

“Gentle” is translated from the Greek word nēpios, which is made up or nē, meaning “not” and epos, which refers to “a spoken word.” Thus, nēpios literally means “one who does not speak.” Its common usage is a reference to “infants,” that is, “those who have not yet learned how to talk.” On many Greek manuscripts, however, this word appears as ēpios, meaning “one who is gentle, easy, or mild.” This seems to make more sense in the reading of this verse.

The words “among you” are from the Greek en mesō humōn, which literally translates to “in the midst of you (plural).” This implies a more intimate interaction between the apostles and the people of Thessalonica.

Trophos is the word translated “nursing mother.” It is derived from the verb trephō, meaning “to nourish, feed, or nurture.” It generally refers to “a nurse, someone who nurses an infant.” In classical Greek it was often used to indicate “a mother.”

“Cherishes” is from the verb thalpō, which literally means “to make warm.” Figuratively, it means “to brood over, to foster, or to cherish.”

The word “children” is translated from the Greek noun teknon. This is based on the verb tiktō which means “to bear a child,” thus teknon refers to “an offspring” or “a child.”

Meaning Explained

In defense against false accusations, Paul has been telling the Christians in Thessalonica what the true intentions of the apostles had been while they ministered there. In the previous verse he said that they didn’t lay heavy burdens on the people to whom they ministered.

In Behind the Words we noted that there is a variation in this verse. Some manuscripts have nēpios (infants) while others have ēpios (gentle ones). Paul says that they were like a nursing mother who tenderly takes care of her children. It doesn’t make sense that he would say the apostles were children in the midst of those people and at the same time say that they were like a mother. So, his message is, instead of laying heavy burdens on the people, he and his co-workers were gentle and treated the Thessalonians with the same tender love and concern that a mother does for her own children.

Paul may have been making a reference to Moses’ complaint when he referred to himself as a nursing mother to Israel:

Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child,' to the land which You swore to their fathers? (Numbers 11:12)

One of the hallmarks of Paul’s (and Moses’) ministry was that he performed his responsibilities out of his love for God and his concern for the welfare of those to whom he ministered.

Application

All of our service for God should be done out of our love for Him and our desire to gently help others to become more Christ-like. This is the heart of a true servant of God.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 5:29 – Nourishment and Comfort

Posted on by Will

For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.

Truth to Learn

Men are responsible for providing for the nourishment and comfort of their wives.

Behind the Words

The word translated “hated” is misesō, which means “to hate, to detest, or to abhor.” It is used frequently in the New Testament to indicate the opposite of agape love.

Sarx is the Greek word translated “flesh.” This word refers to the flesh of a living creature. It is a reference here to the physical part of our existence.

“Nourishes” is translated from extrephō, which is made up of ek, meaning “out of” but used here as an intensifier and trephō, meaning “to nourish, to feed, or to bring up to maturity (as is done to children).” This is probably a reference to providing the needs of the body that allows the body to grow physically.

“Cherishes” is from the Greek verb thalpō, meaning “to make warm.” It is used figuratively to mean “to foster with tender care.” This is probably a reference to comfort and security that a person needs to develop psychologically.

Meaning Explained

Since verse twenty-two in this chapter, Paul has been teaching about the relationship between a man and a woman within a marriage. First, he said, the wife is to “under-rank” herself. She is to voluntarily place herself under the authority of her husband. This action is clearly easier to do when her husband is treating her in the proper manner. However, it is not a conditional “suggestion,” but an unconditional command given by the Apostle. Paul confined this instruction to just three verses. He then spent the next seven verses telling men how to relate to their wives. Based on the length of the teaching alone, it appears that his teaching to men is even more important than that which he gave to women.

Paul said that a man is to love his wife with a self-sacrificing love, being more concerned for her needs than for his own. He used two examples to show men how they are to love their wives. The first example is the manner in which Christ loves the church, even to the point of sacrificing His own life to provide life for His bride.

The second example is the manner in which we all love our own flesh and blood. This is what he describes in today’s verse. We all provide nourishment for our bodies in order for our bodies to sustain physical life and grow. And, we all provide for physical comfort for our own bodies. Thus, it follows that part of a man’s responsibility to his wife is to provide both comfort and nourishment for her.

In our current Western society it would be easy to twist this teaching and insist that women should stay at home and men should be the breadwinner of the family. That is NOT what Paul is teaching in this passage. His teaching is simply that a man should love his wife and ensure that her physical and comfort needs are taken care of.

Application

Men, how do you stack up against Paul’s teaching in these verses? Are you demonstrating the kind of love in action that places the needs for the sustenance and comfort of your wife above your own needs for these things?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved.