As you know how we exhorted, comforted, and implored every one of you, as a father does his own children,

 (ii) He speaks of the Thessalonians being his crown. In Greek there are two words for crown. The one is diadema ( G1238) which is used almost exclusively for the royal crown. The other is stephanos ( G4735) which is used almost exclusively for the victor's crown in some contest and especially for the athlete's crown of victory in the games. It is stephanos ( G4735) that Paul uses here. The only prize in life that he really valued was to see his converts living well. 