Tag: labour

Labour

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Proverbs 13:11 Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathers by labour shall increase. 

‘Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathers by labour shall increase.’ Ill-gotten wealth shall not be permanent, but that received by honest labour will continue to be blessed.

The righteous labour to support life and then have to divide with the poor, but the wicked live to produce sin. They live to satisfy their appetites (10:16). All labour profits, but all talk and no work brings poverty. A man of words is not always a man of deeds (14:23).

Three examples of labouring for riches: Lot (Gen. 13:10); the rich fool (Luke 12:16-20); rich men (1Tim. 6:9-10; Jas. 5:1-6).

Two things not to labour for: To be rich only (23:4). To have temporal food only (John 6:27).

Eight things to labour for: Eternal food (John 6:27). To help the poor (Eph. 4:28). To win lost souls (Php. 2:16). To support the weak (Acts 20:35). To perfect the saints (Col. 4:12; Eph. 4:11-14; Gal. 4:11; 1Thess. 5:12). Not to burden others (1Thess. 2:9). To enter eternal rest (Heb. 4:1). To be accepted by God (2Cor. 5:9).

The Office of a Bishop

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1Timothy 3:1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desires a good work. 

‘Bishop’ [Greek: episcope] overseer, bishop, or preaching elder. The word “elders” in the Old Testament meant the heads or rulers of the tribes, cities, and nations (Deut. 1:13). In the Gospels and Acts it generally refers to the Sanhedrin (Matt. 15:2; 16:21; 21:23; 26:3; Acts 4:5, 8, 23). In the early congregations’ elders were the ministers and deacons, or preaching elders and business elders of the local congregational groups (Acts 11:30; 14:23; 16:4; 20:17, 28; 21:18; 1Tim. 5:17; Tit. 1:5; Jas. 5:14). All apostles were elders (Acts 11:30; 1Pet. 5:1; 2Jn. 1:1; 3Jn. 1:1), but all elders were not apostles (Acts 15:2, 4, 6, 22, 23; 16:4). The elders of Acts 20:17, were the overseers of Acts 20:28. The elders of 1Timothy 5:17; Titus 1:5-10 and 1Peter 5:1-2 were preaching elders or bishops. The business elders were deacons (Acts 6:1-15).

Bishops and deacons are mentioned in Philippians 1:1 and 1Timothy 3:1-13. The word presbuteros is also used for older men and women (Luke 15:25; John 8:9; Acts 17:1-34; 4:22; 1Tim. 5:2). It is used also of heavenly ranks (Rev. 4:4, 10; 5:6, 8, 11, 14; 7:11, 13; 11:16; 14:3; 19:4). It is found 68 times and is translated “elder” except in John 8:9 and Acts 2:17; 4:22.

Romans 16 names at least seven women who served as presbuteros in congregational groups: Phebe (Rom. 16:1), Priscilla (Rom. 16:3), Mary (Rom. 16:6), Tryphena, Tryphosa, Persis (Rom. 16:12), Julia (Rom. 16:15); and mention is made of an unnamed sister of Nereus (Rom. 16:15). All of them were Christian workers, deaconesses and Christians who exercised the gift of prophecy (quoting and implementing the Old Testament prophecies) who “labour in the Lord” (Rom. 16:12). This indicates that they laboured in the ministry of the Word.

The Least of the Apostles

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1Corinthians 15:9-11 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so you believed. 

‘For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.’ This is true in reference to his being chosen last and after the 12 apostles. As a preacher he was greater than any of the other apostles, hence the fourteen New Testament books he wrote through Holy Spirit inspiration. Paul always considered himself the least and not worthy to be an apostle because of his past persecution of Christ’s followers (1Tim. 1:11-16). The sixfold former state of Paul: Blasphemer of Christ (1Tim. 1:13); persecutor of Christians (Acts 8:1-3); injurious – killed saints (Acts 9:1); ignorant of the gospel (1Tim. 1:13); an unbeliever in Christianity (1Tim. 1:13); chief of sinners (1Tim. 1:15).

‘But I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.’ 2Corinthians 11:16-28 list all the sufferings Paul endured in labour. He laboured, yet not him, but he acknowledges God’s grace that enabled him.