2 Thessalonians 3:7-9

‘For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, for we did not behave in a disorderly way among you, nor did we eat bread which cost us nothing at any man’s hand, but rather we worked in labour and travail night and day that we might not burden any of you, not because we have not the right, but to make ourselves an example to you that you should imitate us.’

It is interesting the great emphasis that Paul puts on people earning their own living, and to such an extent that he himself was not prepared to live on others’ hospitality, even though it meant that they had less time for the missionary work they were doing. They wanted all to recognise that being a Christian did not exempt anyone from honest toil. His policy, which he also carried out elsewhere, was in fact in line with what he had learned as a Pharisee, that a Rabbi should have a trade and not live off his study and teaching of the Law. His trade was connected with tent making and leather work (Acts 18:3).

And he calls on them to imitate him. Note that he accepts that it would have been his right to live on the hospitality of others. That had been Jesus Christ’s command to His first disciples (Matthew 10:9-11; Luke 10:3-7 compare 1 Corinthians 9:3-14; Galatians 6:6). Yet he would not, for he felt that it would give a bad example, as well as being a burden to them (see also 1 Thessalonians 2:9).

It had not been easy. The hardship is emphasised. They had ‘worked in travail and labour day and night’, working and then teaching and preaching. It had not been a soft option. We are probably to see from this that, among many Gentiles, preachers and teachers who lived off others were looked on with disdain. ‘An example.’ It may also be that there was a tendency to sponging off others among Macedonians. ‘Imitate us.’ Use us for an example of how you should behave.