I Thessalonians 5:11 · Bible study
1 Thessalonians 5:11 Commentary: Encourage and Build
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Study the command to encourage and build one another up, grounded in the hope of salvation through Christ's death and return.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Because God has saved us through Christ, believers must continually encourage and strengthen one another, a practice the Thessalonians already do well.
- Key words: Parakaleō (encourage/comfort, present imperative) and oikodomeō (build up, present imperative). The distributive phrase “one the one” (εἷς τὸν ἕνα) emphasizes reciprocal responsibility.
- Main debate: Whether parakaleō should be rendered “comfort” or “exhort”; most commentators see both meanings combined here.
- Theological theme: Eschatological hope as the foundation for corporate edification. The church builds itself up as it rehearses God’s promise of salvation.
- Best use: Pastoral preaching on community life, small-group studies on encouragement, and personal reflection on the link between doctrine and daily relationships.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Therefore exhort one another, and build each other up, even as you also do.
KJV King James Version 1769
Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Wherefore exhort one another, and build each other up, even as also ye do.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
wherefore, comfort ye one another, and build ye up, one the one, as also ye do.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Wherefore encourage one another, and build up each one the other, even as also ye do.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
For which cause comfort one another and edify one another, as you also do.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Por lo cual, consolaos los unos á los otros, y edificaos los unos á los otros, así como lo hacéis.
Portanto exortai-vos uns aos outros, e edificai-vos uns aos outros, como já fazeis.
C’ est pourquoi exhortez-vous réciproquement, et édifiez-vous les uns les autres, comme en réalité vous le faites.
Darum ermahnet euch untereinander und bauet einer den andern, wie ihr denn tut.
Daarom vermaant elkander, en sticht de een den anderen, gelijk gij ook doet.
Perciò, consolatevi gli uni gli altri, ed edificatevi l’un l’altro, come d’altronde già fate.
Przetoż napominajcie jedni drugich i budujcie jeden drugiego, jako i czynicie.
Посему увещавайте друг друга и назидайте один другого, как вы и делаете.
所以，你們該彼此 勸慰， 互相 建立，正 如 你們素常所行的。
So then, go on comforting and building up one another, as you have been doing.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · I Thessalonians 5:11
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that the “therefore” (Διό) links the command directly to the assurance of salvation in verses 9, 10. Calvin notes that the verb παρακαλεῖτε can mean either “comfort” or “exhort,” and that the preceding verses supply matter for both. Vincent’s Word Studies adds that the present imperative implies ongoing, habitual action, mutual encouragement is not a one-time task. On “build up” (οἰκοδομεῖτε), the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges observes that Paul uses a favorite metaphor of the church as a spiritual house, where each part contributes to the strength of the whole. The phrase “εἷς τὸν ἕνα” (literally “one the one”) distributes the responsibility: every believer is to edify every other. Barnes and Gill both emphasize the commendation “even as you also do”, Paul affirms what they already practice, asking them to continue.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse commands ongoing mutual encouragement and edification grounded in the hope of salvation through Christ's death, a practice the Thessalonians already exhibit.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Translation of παρακαλεῖτε | All traditions recognize the word can mean comfort, exhort, or encourage, and that the context of verses 9, 10 supports a sense of encouragement grounded in salvation. | Some versions (KJV, ASV) favor 'comfort,' reflecting the parallel to 1 Thess 4:18; others (BSB, WEB) prefer 'encourage' or 'exhort.' Calvin and Vincent argue the two senses are deliberately combined. |
| Scope of 'one another' | The command applies to the whole congregation, not just leaders; every believer is called to participate. | A minor debate exists over whether the distributive Greek phrase 'εἷς τὸν ἕνα' (one the one) implies a more pointed, personal obligation than the standard 'ἀλλήλους.' Most see them as equivalent. |
| Function of 'even as you also do' | Paul commends the Thessalonians for their existing practice of mutual encouragement. | Some (e.g., Calvin) see this as a gentle stimulus for the slow to goodness; others (Barnes, Gill) read it primarily as affirmation, to encourage continuance. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians to a young church facing persecution and confusion about the fate of believers who had died before Christ’s return. In chapters 4, 5 he addresses these concerns directly: the dead in Christ will rise, the living will be caught up with them, and believers are not appointed to wrath but to obtain salvation through Jesus, who died for them (4:13, 5:10). Verse 11 is the practical conclusion to that entire section. The Thessalonians already demonstrated remarkable mutual love (4:9, 10), yet Paul knows that hope needs regular reinforcement. The command to “comfort” or “exhort” one another springs from the certainty that God’s purpose is salvation, not judgment. The word “edify” (οἰκοδομέω) appears frequently in Paul’s letters (1 Cor 8:1, 10; 14:4; Eph 2:20) and always points to corporate strengthening in faith, not individual growth alone. In a culture where public letters were read aloud to the assembly, the distributive phrase “εἷς τὸν ἕνα” would impress upon each listener their personal, reciprocal duty. The church in Thessalonica lived under pressure from their own countrymen (1 Thess 2:14), so this call to encourage one another was no idle platitude, it was survival equipment for a community whose hope lay beyond this world.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for 1 Thessalonians 5:11. The earliest manuscripts (including Codex Sinaiticus and Vaticanus) agree on the wording. The minor variation in word order (καὶ before vs. after ποιεῖτε) does not affect meaning.
Reception History
This verse has been a staple in Christian teaching on mutual care. Early church writers like Chrysostom drew on it to urge believers to use the hope of the resurrection to comfort one another. During the Reformation, both Luther and Calvin cited 1 Thessalonians 5:11 as a key text for the priesthood of all believers, every Christian is called to edify the body. In modern times, it appears frequently in sermons on community life, small group ministry, and pastoral care. The phrase “build each other up” has become shorthand for the kind of speech and action that strengthens faith, echoed in hymns and devotionals that emphasize the church as a spiritual house.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Ground of Our Encouragement: Because God has appointed us to salvation through Christ’s death, we can face any circumstance without fear (vv. 9, 10). That certainty is the fuel for mutual encouragement.
- The Shape of Our Encouragement: We are to “build each other up”, the verb suggests patient, constructive work over time, like raising a building. Every believer participates; no one is excused.
- The Trajectory of Our Encouragement: Paul commends the Thessalonians for already doing this, then urges them to continue. Growth in grace means deepening, not abandoning, the habits that sustain the church.
Five-point outline
- Therefore, the hinge: why we can encourage (v. 9, 10).
- Encourage, comfort, exhort, summon to courage.
- One another, the whole body, not just leaders (see 1 Thess 5:12, 13 on leaders, but here it’s every member).
- Build up, lay stone on stone in faith, hope, and love.
- As you also do, affirmation spurs continued obedience.
Illustration hooks
- A construction crew doesn’t stop halfway through a wall because one brick is already in place. Paul says: keep building.
- Think of a family gathered around a hospital bed. They don’t fix the medical problem, but they stay, they speak, they hold. That is encouragement grounded in shared hope.
- Imagine a sports team where veteran players refuse to coach the rookies because they “already know how to play.” Paul won’t let that happen, even the strongest need to build others up.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can I encourage someone else when I feel discouraged myself?
- Does “building each other up” mean I can never speak a hard truth?
- What if my attempts to encourage are rejected or ignored, should I keep trying?
Leading a Discussion
This verse invites us to see mutual encouragement not as an optional friendship activity but as a command tied to the deepest hope we have. Paul grounds it in the certainty of salvation. Before you discuss, read 1 Thessalonians 5:9, 11 aloud together.
Discussion questions
- What does “therefore” refer to in this passage? Why does that matter for understanding the command?
- The Greek verb parakaleō can mean comfort, exhort, or encourage. Which nuance do you think fits best here? Does it have to be one or the other?
- Paul says “build each other up.” What does that look like in practical terms, at home, at work, at church?
- Why does the apostle add the phrase “even as you also do”? What effect did that affirmation have on the Thessalonians, and what effect might it have on us?
- How is the hope of salvation (vv. 9, 10) a concrete motivation for encouraging others? What difference does that hope make when we are tired or afraid?
- This command is directed to the whole church, not just leaders. What keeps ordinary believers from taking it seriously?
- Think of one person in your life who needs encouragement this week. What would building them up look like in a single, specific action?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Romans 14:19 | So then, let’s follow after things which make for peace, and things by which we may build one another up. |
| Romans 15:2 | Let each one of us please his neighbor for that which is good, to be building him up. |
| Romans 15:14 | I myself am also persuaded about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish others. |
| I Corinthians 10:23 | “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are profitable. “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things build up. |
| I Corinthians 14:5 | Now I desire to have you all speak with other languages, but even more that you would prophesy. For he is greater who prophesies than he who speaks with other languages, unless he interprets, that the assembly may be built up. |
| I Corinthians 14:12 | So also you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, seek that you may abound to the building up of the assembly. |
| I Corinthians 14:29 | Let two or three of the prophets speak, and let the others discern. |
| II Corinthians 12:19 | Again, do you think that we are excusing ourselves to you? In the sight of God we speak in Christ. But all things, beloved, are for your edifying. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke emphasizes that the specific comfort believers are to offer each other is the settled assurance that it will always be well with the righteous. He insists this certainty must be taken to heart and then actively used to encourage and build up one another through every trial.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin notes that the same Greek word can mean both "comfort" and "exhortation," and he treats both senses as fitting here. He observes that Paul acknowledges the Thessalonians are already doing this, yet even the most willing believers still need the spur of encouragement to keep at it.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Paul gives the work of building up the church to the whole congregation, not just to its leaders. Every member contributes to the strength of the whole, like parts of a house where God dwells. This shared responsibility, not official ministry alone, makes the church grow in love.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights that Paul urges believers to keep encouraging and building each other up, and he adds the phrase "even as ye do" to affirm that they are already doing this. His point is not to start something new but to keep doing what they are already doing well.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill presents mutual comfort and edification as an ongoing duty grounded in several doctrines: resurrection, Christ's return, believers' status as children of light, divine predestination to salvation, and Christ's atoning death. He notes that the phrase can also mean mutual exhortation, urging believers to persist in building one another up even when they already practice it.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the Greek wording calls for mutual, not individual, comfort. Edifying one another means actively building each other up in faith, hope, and love through conversation focused specifically on the Lord's return and the glory believers will share.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange draws a careful distinction between "times" (periods of duration) and "seasons" (critical moments of decision). The plural forms hint at repeated cycles of development and crisis, suggesting the coming may be more distant than some expected. Paul refuses to calculate dates, insisting instead on watchful readiness.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that the Greek word carries a double sense of both comfort and exhortation, and that the two belong together. Those who can draw comfort from Scripture are best able to comfort others, and mutual edification involves building each other up in faith through shared knowledge, prayer, and praise.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent argues that "comfort" better captures Paul's meaning here than "exhort," though he notes the two ideas may combine as urging one another to be of good heart. He points out that "edify" literally means "build up," a metaphor Paul consistently uses for strengthening others.