For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate.
And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way.
and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.
For in what were you less favored than the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong! Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.
I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.
She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day,
For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ.
What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting.
Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?
Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.
Now what was prepared at my expense for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people.
The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God.
in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.
as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?
But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.
remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again.
beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger;
and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;
by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ;
to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,
You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?
and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.
Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!
A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite. O Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out day and night before you.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com.