Able Also to Exhort One Another

What is required to be able to do this? We read about it in the same verse. We need to be full of goodness, or filled with a good attitude. That is the main condition. Otherwise the result will be upbraiding instead of exhortation. Upbraiding is rooted in the opposite of goodness, namely, in the overflow of wickedness that is in the heart. Upbraiding is often confused with exhortation. A person thinks that he is exhorting, but the fact is that he is upbraiding instead, in which case he is dissatisfied with the other person instead of loving him.

It is of particular significance that there is no exhortation—or almost none—to be found in the mouths of many. When they speak, their words are only knowledge and doctrine, for which they can be very enthusiastic!

Another main condition for truly being able to exhort is, of course, that we ourselves live what we are exhorting to. A condition for being able to exhort much is, also, that we are rich in true knowledge, so that we know what exhortation to give. The name “Barnabas” means “son of encouragement.” Acts 4:36. We read about him that he was a good man. It is very important to understand that exhortation is rooted in our love for the person we are exhorting, whereas upbraiding is rooted in the evil of the one who does the upbraiding. Or else, the light the person imagines he has is actually a dark area in his life.