And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:
Paul with his fellow workers and apostles supported themselves by working with their own hands at the trade of tent-making while serving the gospel and Christ. When reviled he answered with blessing, when persecuted he patiently endured it, and when defamed or slandered he entreated, continuing his work though attacked, insulted and abused rather than retaliating. That labor and endurance took place amid weariness, pain, sleeplessness, hunger, thirst, fasting, cold, nakedness, buffeting, homelessness, dangers in every place and being made as the filth of the world, for the apostles shared the same feelings, weaknesses, temptations and bodily liability to suffering, peril, fear and anxiety as people today. He bore these hardships for the sake of the truth and the salvation of others, and though his life was toil and struggle with sorrow and poverty, he found joy in service while enriching many and possessing all things while having nothing. His example teaches ministers to sacrifice for their work and not expect an easy life nor treat manual labor as beneath them, but to be willing to work for their support when not preaching, since such toil does not lower or discredit ministry but strengthens the body and opens access to those otherwise unreachable.
Paul's Labor and Endurance
Paul with his fellow workers and apostles supported themselves by working with their own hands while serving the gospel and Christ. That self-supporting labor belonged to his preaching ministry, not apart from it, as he carried on the gospel work while providing for his own needs. His manual work was the trade of tent-making in its higher and lower branches, done often during his ministry to support himself and others.
When reviled he answered with blessing, when persecuted he patiently endured it, and when defamed or slandered he entreated. He continued his work though attacked, insulted and abused rather than retaliating, answering abuse with blessing and enduring persecution with patient, gracious endurance. That labor and endurance took place amid weariness, pain, sleeplessness, hunger, thirst, fasting, cold, nakedness, buffeting and homelessness. It also took place amid dangers from waters, robbers, countrymen, heathen, city, wilderness, sea and false brethren, with constant journeying, danger and opposition, and being made as the filth of the world and offscouring of all things.
The apostles were men of the same feelings, weaknesses and temptations as people today, with bodies liable to disease, pain, suffering, hardship and peril, feeling hunger and cold, fear, anxiety and disquietude just as severely. He endured these hardships for the sake of the truth and the salvation of others. Though his life was toil and struggle with sorrow and poverty, he found joy in service, with constant rejoicing while enriching many and possessing all things while having nothing. At the close he was able to look back on its struggles and triumphs as a fight well fought.
Call to Faithful Ministry
Paul's working with his own hands while serving the gospel sets the pattern of sacrifice for ministers, who are not to expect an easy life nor to treat manual labor as beneath them. Being reviled, he answered with blessing, and being persecuted, he patiently endured it, accepting hardship rather than retaliating. Young or inexperienced preachers in particular are to be willing to work for their support when they are not preaching, rather than immediately relying on the church for livelihood. Preaching does not excuse ministers from useful physical labor, and by working Paul opposed ease and indulgence while showing that physical work strengthens the body, including its muscles and sinews.
Manual labor and hardship did not lower or discredit his ministry. His toil-hardened hands took nothing away from the force of his earnest appeals as a Christian minister. The time spent in manual labor, often during his ministry to support himself and others at the trade of tent-making in its higher and lower branches, was not lost time but gave him access to a class he could not otherwise have reached. Skill in the common arts is a gift from God to be used to honor Him even in everyday toil, and idleness is sin.
The verse defines what a faithful steward of the mysteries of God looks like, which ministers of Christ and physicians are to make their diligent study in 1 Corinthians 4 to see where they stand. Such stewards labor, working with their own hands, and when reviled bless, when persecuted endure, and when defamed entreat, accepting hunger, thirst, nakedness, buffeting, homelessness, and being made as the filth of the world and offscouring of all things. Stewardship is great accountability for handling the Master's goods in means or property and keeping everything in order, with a conscience void of offense toward God and fellow men, with no mean actions in dealing with other stewards, and with no attempt to make one's own course appear as possessing great wisdom.
The apostles lived the truth they preached and gloried in nothing except the cross of Christ. They were men of the same feelings and weaknesses as people today, subject to temptation, with bodies liable to disease, pain, suffering, hardship and peril, feeling hunger and cold, fear, anxiety and disquietude just as severely, yet they labored with their own hands and endured reviling and persecution. Ministers today must do the same, being saved by the truth they present and practicing what they preach by giving themselves wholly to Jesus because He gave Himself for them and died for them, with life hid with Christ in God. This follows Christ Himself, the Monarch of heaven crucified in shame with intense agony of soul and body, who became a servant in humble obedience so that men debased by sin might through His righteousness be exalted, made kings and priests of God, crowned with eternal glory and given the incorruptible inheritance.
Paul with his fellow workers and apostles supported themselves by working with their own hands at the trade of tent-making while serving the gospel and Christ. When reviled he answered with blessing, when persecuted he patiently endured it, and when defamed or slandered he entreated, continuing his work though attacked, insulted and abused rather than retaliating. That labor and endurance took place amid weariness, pain, sleeplessness, hunger, thirst, fasting, cold, nakedness, buffeting, homelessness, dangers in every place and being made as the filth of the world, for the apostles shared the same feelings, weaknesses, temptations and bodily liability to suffering, peril, fear and anxiety as people today. He bore these hardships for the sake of the truth and the salvation of others, and though his life was toil and struggle with sorrow and poverty, he found joy in service while enriching many and possessing all things while having nothing. His example teaches ministers to sacrifice for their work and not expect an easy life nor treat manual labor as beneath them, but to be willing to work for their support when not preaching, since such toil does not lower or discredit ministry but strengthens the body and opens access to those otherwise unreachable.
Paul's Labor and Endurance
Paul with his fellow workers and apostles supported themselves by working with their own hands while serving the gospel and Christ. That self-supporting labor belonged to his preaching ministry, not apart from it, as he carried on the gospel work while providing for his own needs. His manual work was the trade of tent-making in its higher and lower branches, done often during his ministry to support himself and others.
When reviled he answered with blessing, when persecuted he patiently endured it, and when defamed or slandered he entreated. He continued his work though attacked, insulted and abused rather than retaliating, answering abuse with blessing and enduring persecution with patient, gracious endurance. That labor and endurance took place amid weariness, pain, sleeplessness, hunger, thirst, fasting, cold, nakedness, buffeting and homelessness. It also took place amid dangers from waters, robbers, countrymen, heathen, city, wilderness, sea and false brethren, with constant journeying, danger and opposition, and being made as the filth of the world and offscouring of all things.
The apostles were men of the same feelings, weaknesses and temptations as people today, with bodies liable to disease, pain, suffering, hardship and peril, feeling hunger and cold, fear, anxiety and disquietude just as severely. He endured these hardships for the sake of the truth and the salvation of others. Though his life was toil and struggle with sorrow and poverty, he found joy in service, with constant rejoicing while enriching many and possessing all things while having nothing. At the close he was able to look back on its struggles and triumphs as a fight well fought.
Call to Faithful Ministry
Paul's working with his own hands while serving the gospel sets the pattern of sacrifice for ministers, who are not to expect an easy life nor to treat manual labor as beneath them. Being reviled, he answered with blessing, and being persecuted, he patiently endured it, accepting hardship rather than retaliating. Young or inexperienced preachers in particular are to be willing to work for their support when they are not preaching, rather than immediately relying on the church for livelihood. Preaching does not excuse ministers from useful physical labor, and by working Paul opposed ease and indulgence while showing that physical work strengthens the body, including its muscles and sinews.
Manual labor and hardship did not lower or discredit his ministry. His toil-hardened hands took nothing away from the force of his earnest appeals as a Christian minister. The time spent in manual labor, often during his ministry to support himself and others at the trade of tent-making in its higher and lower branches, was not lost time but gave him access to a class he could not otherwise have reached. Skill in the common arts is a gift from God to be used to honor Him even in everyday toil, and idleness is sin.
The verse defines what a faithful steward of the mysteries of God looks like, which ministers of Christ and physicians are to make their diligent study in 1 Corinthians 4 to see where they stand. Such stewards labor, working with their own hands, and when reviled bless, when persecuted endure, and when defamed entreat, accepting hunger, thirst, nakedness, buffeting, homelessness, and being made as the filth of the world and offscouring of all things. Stewardship is great accountability for handling the Master's goods in means or property and keeping everything in order, with a conscience void of offense toward God and fellow men, with no mean actions in dealing with other stewards, and with no attempt to make one's own course appear as possessing great wisdom.
The apostles lived the truth they preached and gloried in nothing except the cross of Christ. They were men of the same feelings and weaknesses as people today, subject to temptation, with bodies liable to disease, pain, suffering, hardship and peril, feeling hunger and cold, fear, anxiety and disquietude just as severely, yet they labored with their own hands and endured reviling and persecution. Ministers today must do the same, being saved by the truth they present and practicing what they preach by giving themselves wholly to Jesus because He gave Himself for them and died for them, with life hid with Christ in God. This follows Christ Himself, the Monarch of heaven crucified in shame with intense agony of soul and body, who became a servant in humble obedience so that men debased by sin might through His righteousness be exalted, made kings and priests of God, crowned with eternal glory and given the incorruptible inheritance.