Acts 20:31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.
Romans 15:14 Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all wisdom, able also to admonish one another.
1 Corinthians 4:14 I do not write these things to shame you but as my beloved children I warn you.
1 Corinthians 10:11 Now these things happened to them as examples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
Ephesians 6:4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
Colossians 1:28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:12 And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you.
1 Thessalonians 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the faithhearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.
2 Thessalonians 3:15 Yet do not count him as an enemy but admonish him as a brother.
Titus 3:10 Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition
- “Admonish” and “warn” are used interchangeably.
- The contexts:
- Paul warned the elders of Ephesus for three years about the divisiveness in their future. Unlike a healer whose ability was under God’s control, those who had been miraculously appointed as elders could easily maintain their authority without God’s further endorsement, similar to prophets and tongue-speakers. The idea of this admonition was to be prepared for future bad stuff.
- Paul implied that the aim of the letter to the Romans was admonition when he points out that the Christians in Rome also are able to admonish one another. The idea of Paul’s admonition was to give them understanding and to advise them of pitfalls.
- Paul’s admonitions to the church at Corinth were not to shame but in the sense of family looking out for one another.
- Paul’s objective in his teaching of the Christians of Colossae was to make them fully consistent.
- The church at Thessalonica certainly had minimal teaching at this point. Paul warned them about ignoring advice from the more mature. Although followers decide whom to follow, wisdom teaches that we all need to follow someone.
- In Thessalonica, Paul assigns to all the task of warning those who would turn faith into laziness.
- Titus was instructed to “reject” divisive people after two warnings.
- Conclusion: To admonish is to warn of the results of pitfalls as one would caution a family member with the goal of helping them avoid bad choices.