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Monday, January 13, 2020

PAUL, Ministry, AND WORK (re-thinking "church")




PAUL, Ministry,  AND WORK






Another reason to respect the apostle Paul.
He was not a slick-suited orator on a glitzy stage, nor a robed and pointy-hatted "cleric". Paul was a man's man who worked and ministered.

Look at WHY Paul worked in Corinth, Ephesus, and Thessalonia.
It is written in God's Word for us.
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Acts 18: 2 (Corinth Greece. And Paul found a certain Jew named Aquila, a man of Pontus by race, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla, ..and he came to them 3 and because he (PAUL) was **of the same trade**, he stayed with them, **and they worked**,
for **by their trade** they were tent-makers.
..................
Acts 20: 29 Paul to the Ephesian pastors:
I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.
31 Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.
32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 
33 I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes.

34 You yourselves know that these hands (PAUL'S HANDS)  ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me.
35 In everything I showed you that **by working**like this you (bishops) must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘
It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
<note: he is commanding the bishops to work so they can give to the needy)
..............
2Corinthians 6:5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults,
** in labors**, in watchings, in fastings;

2Corinthians 11:27 in labor and travail...
1Thess. 2: 9 For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail:
working night and day, that we might not burden any of you
we preached unto you the gospel of God.
...................
2Thess 3: 7 For yourselves know how you ought to **imitate us**: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;
8 neither did we eat bread for free at any man's hand
but in labor and travail, working night and day,
(in order that) that we might not burden any of you:

9 not because we have not the right,
but TO MAKE OURSELVES AN EXAMPLE TO YOU,
that ye (ALL the men) should imitate us.
10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you,
If any will not work, neither let him eat.
...............
There you have it. Paul worked and instructed the bishops and men to work and be diligent. He said to "imitate us" in this....