9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and travail; for working night and day, that we might not burden any of you, we preached to you the Good News of God.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
For ye remember. These things tend to confirm what he had stated previously -- that to spare them he did not spare himself. He must assuredly have burned with a wonderful and more than human zeal, inasmuch as, along with the labor of teaching, he labors with his hand as an operative, with the view of earning a livelihood, and in this respect, also, refrained from exercising his right. For it is the law of Christ, as he also teaches elsewhere, (1-Corinthians 9:14) that every church furnish its ministers with food and other necessaries. Paul, therefore, in laying no burden upon the Thessalonians, does something more than could, from the requirements of his office, have been required from him. In addition to this, he does not merely refrain from incurring public expense, but avoids burdening any one individually. Farther, there can be no doubt, that he was influenced by some good and special consideration in thus refraining from exercising his right, [1] for in other churches he exercised, equally with others, the liberty allowed him. [2] He received nothing from the Corinthians, lest he should give the false apostles a handle for glorying as to this matter. In the mean time, he did not hesitate to ask [3] from other churches, what was needed by him, for he writes that, while he bestowed labor upon the Corinthians, free of charge, he robbed the Churches that he did not serve. (2-Corinthians 11:8) [4] Hence, although the reason is not expressed here, we may, nevertheless, conjecture that the ground on which Paul was unwilling that his necessities should be ministered to, was -- lest such a thing should put any hindrance in the way of the gospel. For this, also, ought to be matter of concern to good pastors -- that they may not merely run with alacrity in their ministry, but may, so far as is in their power, remove all hindrances in the way of their course.
1 - "Entre les Thessaloniciens;" -- "Among the Thessalonians."
2 - "La liberte que Dieu donne;" -- "The liberty that God gives."
3 - "Il n'a point fait de conscience de prendre lors des autres Eglises;" -- "He made no scruple to take at that time from other Churches."
4 - See Calvin on the Corinthians, [51]vol. 2, p. 347.
Ye remember, brethren, our labour - Doubtless in the occupation of a tent-maker; Acts 20:34 note; 1-Corinthians 4:12 note.
And travail - see the notes on 2-Corinthians 11:27. The word means "wearisome labor."
For labouring night and day - That is, when he was not engaged in preaching the gospel. He appears to have labored through the week and to have preached on the Sabbath; or if engaged in preaching in the day time during the week, he made it up by night labor.
We preached unto you the gospel of God - That is, I supported myself when I preached among you. No one, therefore, could say that I was disposed to live in idleness; no one that I sought to make myself rich at the expense of others.
Ye remember - our labor and travail - From this it appears that St. Paul spent much more time at Thessalonica than is generally supposed; for the expressions in this verse denote a long continuance of a constantly exercised ministry, interrupted only by manual labor for their own support; labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable to you. Probably Paul and his companions worked with their hands by day, and spent a considerable part of the night, or evenings, in preaching Christ to the people.
(7) 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.
(7) To let go of his own rights, rather than to be a cost to his sheep.
For ye remember brethren, our labour and travail,.... The great pains they took, even to weariness. The Vulgate Latin version renders the last word, "weariness"; and the Arabic version, "anxiety"; and the Ethiopic version, "affliction"; it is to be understood both of corporeal and spiritual labour, working with their hands and preaching the Gospel; this could not but be remembered by them, since it was not a year ago they were with them:
for labouring night and day; at our handicraft, or "at the work of our hands", as the Syriac version renders it; which they continually attended to, even night and day, when they were not preaching the Gospel, or disputing with the Jews, or praying and conversing with those that believed, or refreshing themselves with food and rest. The apostle's business was making of tents; see Gill on Acts 18:3,
because we would not be chargeable to any of you; neither to the whole body, nor to any single person; which shows that they did not seek their own ease and worldly interest; and proves what is before asserted, that they did not use a cloak of covetousness, but chose to forego, and not insist on what they had a right to, lest the Gospel should be hindered or reproached:
we preached unto you the Gospel of God; freely and with great application and diligence; for this is the other part of their labour and travel; for the ministry of the word is a work, and a laborious one, when closely attended to; a preparation for it by prayer, reading, meditation, and much study, are wearisome and fatiguing; and to preach the word in season and out of season, with all longsuffering and doctrine, is very laborious; to which no man is sufficient of himself, and is a work which requires great faithfulness, application, and industry; and is oftentimes made the more heavy through the malice and opposition of enemies, and the weakness of friends.
labour and travail--The Greek for "labor" means hardship in bearing; that for "travail," hardship in doing; the former, toil with the utmost solicitude; the latter, the being wearied with fatigue [GROTIUS]. ZANCHIUS refers the former to spiritual (see 1-Thessalonians 3:5), the latter to manual labor. I would translate, "weariness (so the Greek is translated, 2-Corinthians 11:27) and travail" (hard labor, toil).
for--omitted in the oldest manuscripts.
labouring--Greek, "working," namely, at tent-making (Acts 18:3).
night and day--The Jews reckoned the day from sunset to sunset, so that "night" is put before "day" (compare Acts 20:31). Their labors with their hands for a scanty livelihood had to be engaged in not only by day, but by night also, in the intervals between spiritual labors.
because we would not be chargeable--Greek, "with a view to not burdening any of you" (2-Corinthians 11:9-10).
preached unto you--Greek, "unto and among you." Though but "three Sabbaths" are mentioned, Acts 17:2, these refer merely to the time of his preaching to the Jews in the synagogue. When rejected by them as a body, after having converted a few Jews, he turned to the Gentiles; of these (whom he preached to in a place distinct from the synagogue) "a great multitude believed" (Acts 17:4, where the oldest manuscripts read, "of the devout [proselytes] and Greeks a great multitude"); then after he had, by labors continued among the Gentiles for some time, gathered in many converts, the Jews, provoked by his success, assaulted Jason's house, and drove him away. His receiving "once and again" supplies from Philippi, implies a longer stay at Thessalonica than three weeks (Philippians 4:16).
Ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail. There was hard and exhausting labor, "night and day." The apostle was not willing to be chargeable to them; hence, while preaching "in season, out of season," he labored at his trade for a support. To this day the weaving of black cloths for tents is a great industry at Thessalonica.
Ye are witnesses. How holy and blameless were our lives.
As a father doth his children. As tenderly and earnestly.
Hath called you unto his kingdom. The kingdom of Christ, visible as the church on earth.
*More commentary available at chapter level.