2 Thessalonians 3:8

Let them imitate the Lord, who at the very time of His passion was not more proud, but more humble. For then He washed His disciples' feet, saying, "If I, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye ought also to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you." Let them also follow the example of the Apostle Paul, who, after often-repeated imprisonment, after scourging, after exposures to wild beasts, in everything continued meek and humble; and even after his rapture to the third heaven and paradise, he did not proudly arrogate anything to himself when he said, "Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought, but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you."

"For yourselves know how ye ought to imitate us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; neither did we eat bread for nought at any man's hand." And yet even if they had eaten, it would not have been for nought. "For the laborer," he says, "is worthy of his hire." (Luke x. 7.) "But in labor and travail, working night and day, that we might not burden any of you. Not because we have not the right, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you that ye should imitate us." ...For if Paul, not being under a necessity, and having a right to be idle, and having undertaken so great a work, did nevertheless work, and not merely work, but "night and day," so that he was able even to assist others, much more ought others to do this. ...Great is the confidence of the Teacher, when from his own good actions he is entitled to reprove his disciples. Wherefore also Paul said, "For yourselves know how ye ought to imitate us." (2 Thess. iii. 7.) And he ought to be a Teacher more of life than of the word. And let no one think that this is said from a spirit of boasting. For it was as reduced to necessity that he spoke it, and with a view to general advantage. "For we behaved not ourselves," he says, "disorderly among you." From this do you not see his humility, in that he calls it "for nought," and "disorderly behavior"? "We did not behave ourselves disorderly among you," he says, "neither did we eat any man's bread for nought." Here he shows that perhaps also they were poor; and tell me not, that they were poor. For he is discoursing concerning the poor, and those who obtained their necessary subsistence from no other source than from the work of their hands. For he has not said, that they may have it from their fathers, but that by working they should eat their own bread. […]

This same thing is apparent through the apostolic example, Second Thessalonians three: You yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, for we were not disorderly among you, nor did we eat bread from anyone without paying, but in labor and toil, etc.; Gloss: "The …

We did not behave disorderly, that is, we did not remain in idleness. By "disorderliness" the apostle here means doing nothing, as he did above. For God ordained that man should be in labor, and for this purpose furnished him with members suited to it; …

"Neither did we eat any man's bread for nothing: but in labor and in toil we worked night and day, lest we should be chargeable to any of you," because he labored with the work of his hands. "You yourselves know that these hands ministered …

Though he might justly have demanded a maintenance, because those who preach the gospel may of right expect to live by the gospel. This is a just debt that people owe to their ministers, and the apostle had power or authority to have demanded this (

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought....

Neither did we eat any man’s bread for naught - We paid for what we bought, and worked with our hands that we might have money to buy what was necessary. Labour and travail night and day - We were incessantly employed, either in preaching the Gospel, visiting from house to house, or working at our calling. As it is very evident that the Church at Thessalonica was very pious, and most affectionately attached to the apostle, they must have been very poor, seeing he was obliged to work hard to gain himself the necessaries of life.

eat any man's bread--Greek, "eat bread from any man," that is, live at anyone's expense. Contrast 2Th 3:12, "eat THEIR OWN bread." wrought-- (Ac 20:34).

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought - We were not supported in idleness at the expense of others. We gave a fair equivalent for all that we received, and, in fact, labored for our own support; see the notes on 1Th 2:9.