1 Thessalonians 2:11

As a father with his own children

(ως πατηρ τεκνα εαυτου). Change from the figure of the mother-nurse in verse 1 Thessalonians 2:7. There is ellipse of a principal verb with the participles παρακαλουντεσ, παραμυθουμενοι, μαρτυρουμενο. Lightfoot suggests ενουθετουμεν (we admonished) or εγενηθημεν (we became). The three participles give three phases of the minister's preaching (exhorting, encouraging or consoling, witnessing or testifying). They are all old verbs, but only the first (παρακαλεω) is common in the N.T.