2 Thessalonians 3:8

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.—2Th_3:8-9

Self-denying Labour.

Pioneer work involves hard toil and much patience and self-denial. The character and surroundings of the people whose highest good is sought must be studied. The apostle took his measure of the Thessalonian converts, and, perhaps foreseeing the extravagances to which they would yield, he and his co-labourers determined to set them an example of unselfish industry, even to the extent of surrendering their just rights.

I. Here we see self-denying labour carried on amidst weariness and suffering.—“Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day” (2Th_3:8). Work is a pleasurable exercise to the strong and healthy, but it becomes a hardship when carried to excess. The devoted missionaries worked when they were weary—worked when they should have been resting. After a hard day’s toil in teaching and visiting, they laboured far on into the night, so as to maintain themselves independent of help from their converts. Much as we hear of the dignity of labour, the toiler, whether by hand or brain, in the weariness and pain that overtake him, feels that some portion of the original curse still clings to his handiwork. The best work is often accomplished in the midst of acute suffering. The unique histories of England were written by J. R. Green while the shadow of death was consciously hovering over his desk; and the exquisite Christian lyrics of H. F. Lyte were penned while he felt that every moment his heart was throbbing “funeral marches to the grave.”

II. Here we see self-denying labour declining the maintenance that might be legitimately claimed.—“That we might not be chargeable to any of you: not because we have not power” (2Th_3:8-9)—right, authority. While the apostle forbears to urge their just right to ministerial support by the people, he gives them clearly to understand it is their right. Their self-denial in this instance was for a special purpose, and was only intended to be temporary, and not to establish a universal rule. In other places, St. Paul insists upon the duty of the Church to maintain its ministers (1Co_9:4-14; Gal_6:6). All honour to the self-denying zeal and suffering toil of the unaided Christian worker; but what shall we say of the parsimony and injustice of the people who allow such a state of things to continue?

III. Here we see self-denying labour set forth as an example and reproof to those who are most benefited by it.—“To make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us” (2Th_3:9). Here the purpose of their disinterested conduct is plainly stated—to set an example of industry to the idlers. St. Paul acted in a similar manner towards the Corinthians, but with a different design. In the latter case he wished to manifest a better spirit than that of the false teachers who were greedy of filthy lucre (2Co_11:8-13). The earnest evangelist is ever anxious to clear his work from the taint of self-seeking. Let the heart of man be changed and sanctified, and it will inspire and regulate the practical exercise of every Christian virtue. How little does the world appreciate its greatest benefactors! And yet no unselfish act is without its recompense. The actor is not unblessed. To exchange, as Christ did, the temple for Nazareth, the Father’s house for the carpenter’s shop, the joy of preaching for irksome toil, is a great advance in spiritual obedience and nobility of character.

Lessons.—

1. The essence of the Christian spirit is unselfishness.

2. The earnest Christian pioneer labours ungrudgingly for the good of others.

3. The self-denial of the preacher does not exonerate the people from the duty of his legitimate maintenance.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES

2Th_3:8. Industry the Secret of Success.—When Sir Isaac Newton was asked by what means he had been able to make that successful progress in the sciences which struck mankind with wonder, he modestly replied, that it was not so much owing to any superior strength of genius as to a habit of patient thinking, laborious attention, and close application.

2Th_3:9. Ministerial Maintenance.

I. Is a claim based on scriptural and apostolic authority.

II. The temporary waiving of the right is a noble example of self-denial and unselfish devotion.

III. No personal waiving of the right releases the Church from its obligation.

The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.

3:8 without paying for it: Although Paul taught that workers in the Christian church could receive pay for their labor (3:9; see Matt 10:10; 1 Cor 9:7-14; 1 Tim 5:17-18), he did not take advantage of that privilege (1 Thes 2:9; 2 Thes 3:6-10).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

2Th 3:8. Ἐργαζόμενοι, working) This is construed with ἐφάγομεν, we ate.—ἐπιβαρῆσαι, to be a burden to) Whilst waiving (yielding) his right, he expresses what might have been viewed as a matter of justice (his just claim to maintenance) by a somewhat unfavourable term.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Th_3:8. See on 1Th_2:9.

δωρεάν] by way of gift.

ἄρτον φαγεῖν] to eat bread (Mar_3:20; Luk_14:1; ἄρτον ἐσθίειν, Mat_15:2), has as the Hebrew אָכַל לֶהֶם (Gen_43:25; 2Sa_9:7; Pro_23:6, etc.) the idea of eating generally, so that it is not to be distinguished from the simple φαγεῖν (Mar_6:31) or ἐσθίειν (2Th_3:10). ἄρτον φαγεῖν παρά τινος denotes: to have maintenance from any one, without care on our part.

ἐργαζόμενοι] is not to be taken in the sense of temp. finit. (Flatt and others), but ἐν κόπῳ … ἐργαζόμενοι is to be taken together, and forms a statement of mode attached to ἄρτον ἐφάγομεν in contrast to δωρεάν. Yet we may, with Winer, p. 314 [E. T. 442], de Wette, and Hofmann, assume that to ἐφάγομεν, as a contrast to δωρεάν, are added first ἐν κόπῳ καὶ μόχθῳ taking the place of an adverb, and then to this νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν ἐργαζόμενοι as a parallel clause.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Th 3:8 . Paul’s practice of a trade and emphasis upon the moral discipline of work are quite in keeping with the best Jewish traditions of the period. Compare e.g. , the saying of Gamaliel II. ( Kiddusch . i. 11): “He who possesses a trade is like a fenced vineyard, into which no cattle can enter, etc.” δωρεάν = “for nothing, gratis”.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

eat any man's bread--Greek, "eat bread from any man," that is, live at anyone's expense. Contrast Th2 3:12, "eat THEIR OWN bread."

wrought-- (Act 20:34). In both Epistles they state they maintained themselves by labor; but in this second Epistle they do so in order to offer themselves herein as an example to the idle; whereas, in the first, their object in doing so is to vindicate themselves from all imputation of mercenary motives in preaching the Gospel (Th1 2:5, Th1 2:9) [EDMUNDS]. They preached gratuitously though they might have claimed maintenance from their converts.

labour and travail--"toil and hardship" (see on Th1 2:9).

night and day--scarcely allowing time for repose.

chargeable--Greek, "a burden," or "burdensome." The Philippians did not regard it as a burden to contribute to his support (Phi 4:15-16), sending to him while he was in this very Thessalonica (Act 16:15, Act 16:34, Act 16:40). Many Thessalonians, doubtless, would have felt it a privilege to contribute, but as he saw some idlers among them who would have made a pretext of his example to justify themselves, he waived his right. His reason for the same course at Corinth was to mark how different were his aims from those of the false teachers who sought their own lucre (Co2 11:9, Co2 11:12-13). It is at the very time and place of writing these Epistles that Paul is expressly said to have wrought at tent-making with Aquila (Act 18:3); an undesigned coincidence.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 8. Neither did we eat any man's bread for naught] We paid for what we bought, and worked with our hands that we might have money to buy what was necessary.

Labour and travail night and day] We were incessantly employed, either in preaching the Gospel, visiting from house to house, or working at our calling. As it is very evident that the Church at Thessalonica was very pious, and most affectionately attached to the apostle, they must have been very poor, seeing he was obliged to work hard to gain himself the necessaries of life. Had they been able to support him he would not have worked with labour and travail night and day, that he might not be burdensome to them; and, as we may presume that they were very poor, he could not have got his support among them without adding to their burdens. To this his generous mind could not submit; it is no wonder, therefore, that he is so severe against those who would not labour, but were a burden to the poor followers of God.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(8) Neither.—They might have thought it possible to live on others without incurring so serious a charge as “disorderliness.”

Eat any man’s bread.—Still more literally, eat bread from any man—i.e., “from any man’s table.” St. Paul always becomes picturesque and vivid in a passage of this kind, and generally Hebraistic (“eat bread,” 2Sa_9:7, and often). “For nought” is literally at a gift. There is a flavour of scorn in St. Paul’s disclaimer of such a parasite’s life.

Wrought.—In the original it is the participle, “working,” which better suits the rapid flow of the sentences. The order also is slightly more forcible: “We ate bread from no man’s table at a gift, but in toil and travail, all night and day labouring that we,” &c. To “be chargeable” means more than “to make you pay”: it contains the notion of burdensome expense.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8. neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought] This clause follows up and makes application of the last, showing by contrast in what lay the chief complaint against the “brethren walking disorderly.” They would not work for their bread, and seemingly expected the Church to support them. The Church officers very properly resisted this demand, telling them to return to their occupations; so the Apostle himself had directed in 1Th_4:11-12. This some of them refused to do; and they went up and down (2Th_3:11) retailing their supposed grievances, allying themselves with the false prophets of the Parousia, and making all kinds of mischief. Such is the picture of this unruly faction that we draw from the two Epistles. The fraternal spirit of the Primitive Church and the readiness of its members to put their goods at the common service (see Act_2:44-45; Act_4:32-35) were thus abused by idlers and fanatics—qualities not unfrequently united—by men impatient of the monotony of daily toil, and who found in spiritual excitement at once a diversion from irksome duty and an excuse for its neglect.

To correct this morbid tendency was one reason of many for which the Apostle practised manual labour. He tries to make these ill-conducted men feel by his own example the disgrace of living, without an effort, at the cost of others: neither did we eat bread for nought at any man’s hand (R.V.) There was a manly pride about St Paul in this matter. Comp. 2Co_11:9-10, and 1Co_9:15 : “No man shall stop me of this glorying.”—“To eat bread” is a Hebraistic synonym for receive maintenance; comp. 2Sa_9:7.

but wrought with labour and travail night and day] Rather, but in labour and travail, night and day working (R.V.). Here are two clauses, the former standing in opposition to the foregoing sentence: “It was not for nought that we ate our bread, but in labour and travail;” then he continues, “working night and day.” Dearly, and with hard labour did St Paul and his comrades earn their daily bread. The Thessalonians had seen him at his task. For the particular words of this clause see 1Th_2:9, which it repeats almost identically.

that we might not be chargeable to any of you] More lit., that we might not put a burden on any of you. Comp. again 1Th_2:9.

“The disorderly,” without any right, were leaning heavily on their brethren and taxing their charity; the orderly apostles, with every right to do so, had never charged them anything.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought.... Or freely, at free cost, without paying for it; he signifies, that what they ate, they bought with their own money, and lived on no man, without giving him a valuable consideration for what they had; though if they had not paid in money for their food, they would not have ate it for nought, since they laboured among them in preaching the Gospel to them; and such labourers are worthy of their maintenance, Luk 10:7 though the former sense is the apostle's here:

but wrought with labour and travail night and day: not only laboriously preaching the Gospel to them, as often as they could have opportunity, but working very hard and incessantly with their hands, at the occupations and trades they had been brought up to; and that of the Apostle Paul's was a tentmaker, at which he sometimes wrought, thereby ministering to his own, and the necessities of others, Act 18:3, nor was this inconsistent with his learning and liberal education. It was usual with the Jewish doctors to learn a trade, or follow some business and calling of life; See Gill on Mar 6:3. The apostle's end in this was,

that we might not be chargeable to any of you; or burdensome to them, they being for the most part poor; and the apostles being able partly by their own hand labour, and partly by what they received from Philippi, Phi 4:16 to support themselves, chose to that they might not lie heavy upon them, and any ways hinder the spread of the Gospel among them, at its first coming to them. And so Maimonides says the ancient Jewish doctors behaved, and with a like view: wherefore, says he (p),

"if a man is a wise man, and an honourable man, and poor, let him employ himself in some handicraft business, even though a mean one, and not distress men (or be burdensome to them); it is better to strip the skins of beasts that have been torn, than to say to the people, I am a considerable wise (or learned) man, I am a priest, take care of me, and maintain me; and so the wise men have ordered: and some of the greatest doctors have been hewers of wood, and carriers of timber, and drawers of water for the gardens, and have wrought in iron and coals, and have not required anything of the congregation; nor would they take anything of them, when they would have given to them.''

(p) Hilchot Mattanot Anayim, c. 10. sect. 18.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

8 Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:

Ver. 8. Any man’s bread for nought] But earned it before we eat it. Bread should not be eaten, till it sweat in a man’s hand, or head.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought - We were not supported in idleness at the expense of others. We gave a fair equivalent for all that we received, and, in fact, labored for our own support; see the notes on 1Th 2:9.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Burthensome. By the Greek, he understands those who being idle, and not keeping themselves employed, lead a disorderly life. (Witham)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought: the apostle here gives a particular positive instance of what before he speaks negatively, and in general; and brings his discourse home to the present case, and declares his orderly working in this, that he wrought for his own bread, and did not eat for nought, or live upon that which was freely given. δωρεαν the word is sometimes taken for that which is without effect, as Gal 2:21, answering to the Hebrew word Chinnam, oft used, Psa 7:4; 25:3; 69:4; 119:61. Or, that which is without cause; and that either with respect to injury received, as Joh 15:25, or benefit bestowed, as Rom 3:24, when it is freely given without merit. The apostle means that he preached the gospel to them freely, as he tells the Corinthians, 2Co 11:7. Though if he had received maintenance for his labour in the gospel among them, it was that which he well deserved, and he had not eaten their bread for nought; but he wrought with his own hands to maintain himself, as he did at Corinth, Act 18:3.

But wrought with labour and travail; and he wrought laboriously, with wearisome and toilsome labour, as the words import; and that

night and day; as he had told them in the former Epistle, 1Th 2:9; only he speaks of it here upon a different account; there, to clear his ministry from suspicion of covetousness, and to evidence his sincere affection to them; here, to set before them an example of industry against such who lived idly, and did eat others’ bread. Had he not wrought with his hands, he had not walked disorderly; but lest any should think so, he would do it to take away all occasion of evil. For though the labour of the ministry in the exercise of the mind and study may be reckoned as the greatest, yet most people cannot judge of it, and think it such; and though he had power to forbear working, as he tells the Corinthians, 1Co 9:6, yet he would do it rather than any good should be hindered, or any evil furthered thereby.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Neither did we eat any man"s bread; a Hebraism for "neither did we get our sustenance," as bread was the staff of life. For nought; gratis, free of expense. But wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable unto any of you. The apostle makes the same declaration in his First Epistle, expressed in almost similar terms: "For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail; for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God". (1Th_2:9)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

neither did we eat bread for nought [gratis, without compensation] at any man's hand, but in labor and travail, working night and day, that we might not burden any of you [ 1Th_2:9 ]:

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

8. νυκτος και ημερας, אBG and six minn.; νυκτα και ημεραν, ADKLP &c. See Expository Note.

8. οὐδὲ δωρεὰν ἄρτον ἐφάγομεν παρά τινος, nor indeed ate bread for nought at the hand of any one: whereas the ἄτακτοι would not work for their bread, and expected the Church to support them. For δωρεάν (advbl. accus.), gratis, by way of gift, cf. 2Co 11:7; Mat 10:8; Exo 21:2; Isa 52:3 (LXX); in Gal 2:21, &c., the phrase gets a further meaning. Ἄρτον ἐσθίειν (Mat 15:2; Mar 3:20; Luk 14:1) renders the Heb. אָכַל לֶחֶם (Gen 43:15; 2 Sam. [Kingd.] 2Sa 9:7, &c.), to get food, have one’s maintenance (τρέφεσθαι); similarly ἐσθίειν alone in 2Th 3:10, 1Co 9:4. For παρά τινος, “acceptum a quoquam” (Beza)—“from” of the bestower—cf. Eph 6:8; Php 4:18; Act 2:33, &c. There was a manly pride about St Paul in this matter; cf. 2Co 11:10 f., ἡ καύχησις αὔτη οὐ φραγήσεται.

ἀλλʼ ἐν κόπῳ καὶ μόχθῳ νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας ἐργαζόμενοι, but in toil and travail, by night and day working. Ἐν κόπῳ καὶ μόχθῳ forms one adjunct, νυκτὸς … ἐργαζόμενοι another, both qualifying ἐφάγομον and negativing δωρεάν (cf. the connexion in 2Th 3:12). Along with the clause that follows, this reminder is almost a repetition of 1Th 2:9: see notes on that verse for the identical words. With hard, exhausting labour the Apostle Paul earned his daily bread; “tent-making” (Act 18:3) was a poorly paid handicraft. His companions, if not pursuing the same trade, acted on the same principles.

πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἐπιβαρῆσαί τινα ὑμῶν, in order not to put a burden on any one amongst you. For πρός with infinitive, and for ἐπιβαρέω, see notes on 1Th 2:9.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8.] ἄρτον ἐφάγομεν, a Hebraistic expression for ‘got our sustenance:’ παρά τινος, ‘at any one’s expense,’ from any one as a gift: there seems to be an allusion in the construction to the original sense of δωρεάν.

ἐργαζόμ. belongs to ἄρτον ἐφ. as a contrast to δωρεάν: but by working, &c. The sentence may also be taken as De W. and Ellic., regarding ἐν κόπῳ κ. μόχ. as the contrast to δωρεάν, and ἐργαζ. νύκτ. κ. ἡμ. as a parallel clause to ἐν κόπ. κ. μόχ.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8. ἀλλʼ ἐν κόπῳ κτλ. “We were not idle (οὐ), and we did not receive support from any one without paying for it (οὐδε), but on the contrary (ἀλλα, this strong adversative being antithetical here as in I 2:3 to both the negative clauses) we were working,” etc. But instead of proceeding “working in order that we might give ourselves as an example for you to imitate us” (v. 9b), and thus coming directly to the point introduced by μιμεῖσθα (v. 7), Paul interjects two considerations designed to increase enormously the value of his example. (1) First, he calls attention to the fact, with which the readers are already acquainted and to which he had alluded in another connection in his first epistle (2:9), that his labour was (a) exacting, “in toil and hardship,” (b) incessant, “by night and by day,” and (c) solely in their interests, “so as not to put on any one of you a financial burden”; and secondly (2), he observes characteristically that he worked to support himself, not because he had no right to demand, as an apostle of Christ, support from the church, but worked, waiving his right to maintenance, in order that he might give in himself a visible and constant example of self-sacrificing industry for them to imitate.

The participle ἐργαζόμενο is loosely attached to both ἠτακτἠσαμε and ἐφάγομε, a construction not uncommon in Paul (see I 2:12, 2Co 7:5).—Some expositors separate the adverbial clauses, putting ἑν κόπῳ καὶ μόχθῳ in sharp opposition to δωρεάν, and taking νυκτὸ … ἐργαζόμενο as an explanatory parallel of ἐν κόπῳ καὶ μόχθῳ “more remotely dependent on the foregoing ἐφάγομε” (Ell.; so also De W., Wohl., Schmiedel, et al.). But as Lillie, who inclines to the separation, remarks: “Grammatically, however, the words ἐν κόπῳ … ἐργαζόμενο may just as well be taken together in one antithetical clause,” antithetical we may repeat, in the light of I 2:3, to both οὐκ ἠτακτήσαμε and οὐδὲ ἐφάγομεν—The reference to the manner and purpose of his work is evidently advised. But whether the reminiscence of I 2:9, which is almost verbal (except that ἐν κἁπῳ καὶ μόχθῳ is closer to 2Co 11:27 than to I 2:9), is likewise conscious is not certain.—אBG read here νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρα as in I 2:9; ADEKLP, et al., emphasise the duration of the labour by reading the accusative. On the repeated phrase as a whole, see on I 2:9.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Any man's bread [αρτον παρα τινος] . Lit. bread from any one, or at any man's hand.

For nought [δωρεαν] . The word is a noun, meaning a gift. See Joh 4:10; Act 2:38; Rom 5:15. The accusative often adverbially as here; as a gift, gratis. Comp. Mt 10:8; Rom 3:24; Rev 21:6. Labor and travail. See on 1Th 1:3.

Be chargeable [επιβαρησαι] . P o. Better, burden. By depending upon them for pecuniary support. Comp. 1Co 9:3 - 18, and see on 1Th 2:6.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.