It is easy to stir up hate and godless deeds; it takes much more to stir up another to love and good works. Verse 25 continues to develop the exhortation by the use of two participles: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together and exhorting one another. These two participles seem to function modally, showing that the manner in which one is to consider others is his “stirring up.” One is negative; the other is positive. The positive manner involves encouraging (Gr parakaleō) one another.