Occasionally I write something on my personal Facebook page that provokes an angry response. Or I will read something written by someone else that I know is going to provoke a flood of anger or annoyance. Often that is the intention of the author – to provoke.
Provoke is an interesting word. The English definitions include stimulating a strong or unwelcome reaction or emotion in someone, inciting or arousing anger in someone, and deliberately making someone annoyed or angry.
Much of our media and social media is designed to do just that—make people angry. When we are angry and operating from an emotional level, our brain goes into neutral. We stop thinking and start reacting to things that may not even be true.
I guess all that explains why I consider Hebrews 10:24 to be such an interesting verse when it uses the word provoke. “Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.” [KJV]
The NIV substitutes the words “spur one another on” for the provoke in the KJV. “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”
The word in the Greek is paroxusmos and it means incitement to do good as well as to dispute in anger.
I am not sure why the author of Hebrews did not just use the word encourage and chose to use the work provoke instead. Maybe he wanted his exhortation to be more urgent or intense than just an encouragement.
Christians are to provoke each other, but not in a bad way. We are to spur each other to love more and to do good works. It is vitally important that we keep each other on the right track – not one of annoyance or anger – but one of love and good deeds.
So, beloved, provoke someone today! But do it in the way Hebrews 10:24 commands.