Paul the
apostle told the Thessalonian church members they knew how they
“ought to follow” he and his traveling companions because
they “behaved not” “disorderly among” them.
Unlike those who were “disorderly” which means “out
of order, neglectful of duty, lawless or quitting of the ranks”,
Paul and his companions lived according to the doctrine of the gospel
of Jesus Christ. In chapter three and verse eight of his second
letter to the Thessalonians, Paul told them how he and his entourage
worked “night and day”
so they “might not be chargeable to any of” them.
We read:
Neither
did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labor and
travail night and day,
that we
might not be chargeable to any of you:
The
verse begins, “Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought;”
Paul began with the word, “Neither” which means “but
not, nor or not even” “did we eat” or “devour or
consume” “any man's bread” which means “any person's
food of any kind” “for nought” or “freely or
undeservedly”. Paul and his companions did not partake of anyone's
food in an underserved manner.
The
verse goes on to say, “but wrought with labor and travail
night and day,...” Paul
continued with the word, “but”
which is a disassociation conjunction which means what is about to be
stated takes precedence over what was just written, “moreover,
nevertheless, notwithstanding, nay and rather” “wrought”
or “work, trade, do business, exercise, perform, commit, cause to
exist, produce, earn by working or acquire” “with
labor” which literally means
“a beating of the breast with grief and sorrow”, and refers to
“intense labor united with trouble and toil” “and
travail” or “a hard and
difficult labor, toil, travail, hardship and distress” “night
and day” which refers to
“nighttime or the time when work ceases, the time of death, deeds
of sin and shame, and the time of moral stupidity and darkness, and
the natural day, or the interval between sunrise and sunset, as
distinguished from and contrasted with the night which is regarded at
the time for abstaining from indulgence, vice and crime which are
perpetrated at night and in darkness”.
Paul and his men worked “night and day”
to earn their own food, provision and sustenance rather than living
off the Thessalonian church members.
Finally the verse says,
“that we might not be chargeable to
any of you:” Paul
added, “that we”
which refers to Paul and his traveling companions “might
not be chargeable”
which is the Greek phrase “epibareō
mē epibareō” and
means
“to put a burden upon, load or be burdensome” “to
any of you”
which refers to the Thessalonian church members. Paul's reason for
laboring “night and day”
was so he and his traveling companions would not be a burden to the
Thessalonians.
When
we consider Paul's words, we have to admire his desire to make his
own living rather than simply living off the Thessalonians. His
desire was to have a pure message and example before them of the
“free” gospel which he and his companions presented to them. Many
leaders today act as though parishioners “owe” them their living,
and rather than the “gospel” being “free”, it comes at a
great cost. We might hear this, “Send your prayers to Jesus, and
send your money to me”. Paul and his companions lived in contrast
to this. They did not want anyone to confuse the gospel of Jesus
Christ with a great cost of food, provision or any other sustenance
for the messenger. May the Lord Jesus teach us to follow the example
of Paul and his men, and may we ever “labor” to present
the gospel to others “without charge”.
Next
time Paul tells the Thessalonians how he and his companions desired
to be “an example”
to them, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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