Labor on

DEVOTION

THE BOOK OF ACTS

LABOR ON

Acts 18:1-4

18:1 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3 and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. 4 Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

NIV

Now we find out what Paul does for a living. He is a tent maker or something like that as the word used here to describe his trade has a wide usage. But nevertheless we see that Paul worked for his bread. There may have been times when he lived off the bounty or giving of others, but as we know from his letter to the Corinthians later he mentions he work for his own keep so as to not be a burden on them. When exactly the practice of pastors for hire came into being surely could be found in some historic record, but it appears it was not during the time of the early New Testament church. What we can learn here is that it is an honorable task to work for our bread. It would appear Paul labored during the week, then reasoned in the synagogue on the Sabbath. This would be a great life lesson for all of us. Labor for our bread, and meet with others to reason with then about Jesus on the Sabbath. It is not clear how we wandered from this pattern, especially when we profess to a New Testament church. Even though Paul was going to the synagogue on the Sabbath, it was because it was a place where Jews, who did not either know of or believe in Jesus as the Savior, attended.  We go to church on our Sabbath, but certainly not to reason with all those who do not believe. So how do we look at all like the early church? It is true they met together most likely in someone home, to worship together as we do, but they were going to places where non-believers were to reason with them. Do we do that? Are we involved in activities where we can reason with people, all the while we are laboring for our bread. The scripture does not seem to sustain the idea of pastors for hire, or of one person dependent upon another person for their bread. The scripture does support the fact that each man should earn his own bread by his own labor so as to not be a burden on others. Of course we are aware that Paul told the elders that rule the church should be given double honor which has been interpreted to mean a higher salary then others. Yet Paul who was indeed an elder in the Church worked for his own keep so perhaps that message in the letter to Timothy has been misunderstood. Perhaps it was meant as double honor as in esteem or respect which that Greek word is also used. But either case, because we are not among that group, our lesson remains in tack. We should work for our bread and reason with those who do not know Jesus yet.