Work

DEVOTION

THE BOOK OF ACTS

WORK

Acts 20:32-35

32 "Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

NIV

Here is the proof that Paul supported both himself and his companions with the work of his own hands. Paul did not ever expect to get paid for preaching the gospel, especially by the people he was preaching to. Of course times have changed since then and we certainly pay those who not only preach to us, but all those who do anything at all in the church as a vocation. This does not include all of those who work for a living and volunteer in the church, but still somehow we have come to a place that is not supported by the scripture. Of course Paul wrote to Timothy that the elders who lead the church, especially those who preach are due double honor and that a laborer is due his reward. Many have taken this or interpreted this to imply we should pay our pastors twice as much as anyone else makes. But those Greek words can be used both as pay money and as give esteem or praise, to hold those who preach in the highest esteem. Not muzzling the ox while he trends out grain simply means not to hold those who preach in contempt or as Paul goes on, not to entertain an accusation against them unless you have several witnesses. He also tells the Thessalonians to hold those who lead them, the elders in the highest regard, but does not mention pay. This whole idea of paid staff has gotten way out of control, especially when those who preach the word live a far better lifestyle then many of those they preach to. Paul would never have allowed that which he made sure he did not do for the sake of the gospel. Paul did not consider preaching the gospel as qualifying as work to be paid for, as he made tents to sell, for his food. Although this sounds as a rant, there is a purpose as it still serves as a life lesson for all of us. We should work and support ourselves and our companions which in today’s meaning could well mean our families. There was not a welfare state in the time of Paul, although there was some people who were in need from time to time and the believers cared for those in need. But Paul also told those in Thessalonica they should live a quiet life and work with their own hands, and then later he even said in his second letter to them that if a man does not work he should not eat. He told them he gave them that example so again, Paul was consistent with that message and that he worked although he was an elder in all respects of the word to the church. We all should work, we all should be busy supporting our life with our own hands, and none of us should ever expect to be supported by the work of another man’s hands. All these words of Paul are the last established principles God is instilling in his people. There is no room for man to supersede that which God has established. Work with own hands and eat.