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The Role of the Exhorter
Philippians 4:1
In the early church, certain gifted pastor-teachers were given the title of "exhorter." They used their gift of exhortation to encourage and motivate their listeners toward holiness in their Christian walk. Unfortunately, the church today has developed skill in analyzing and criticizing.
We could learn much from these early exhorters. Paul exhorted the Philippians with the following messages:
- Do not be defeated. Paul considered the Philippian believers beloved family members. He valued them and called them his joy. He did not want them to give in to the enemy or lose heart.
- Do not be divisive. The church cannot stand if it is divided with disharmony and friction. Two women—Euodia and Syntyche—were disrupting the church with controversy. Paul appeals to them to remember their unity in salvation, their unity in Spirit, and their unity in service for the Lord.
- Do not be discouraged. Paul reminds the Philippians to rejoice nine times in this letter and uses the word joy five times.
- Do not be defensive. Paul exhorts his friends to avoid an inflexible, unyielding attitude and to let their "gentleness be known to all men" (4:5).
