Eph.4:28 – The one who steals must no longer steal; but rather he must labor, producing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with the one who has need.
Apparently stealing was quite common in Ephesus when Paul wrote this letter. One of the most common examples of thievery was found in the Ephesian bath houses. These bath houses were at the center of the Ephesian lifestyle featuring hot and cold baths and areas to change your clothes. Apparently stealing other’s belongings was common in these bathhouses and thievery was part of many people’s lives when Christianity began to make its influence here. Paul touches on the problem with theft in this letter, stealing is obviously all about the person doing the stealing, taking no thought for the victim. The whole motivation is to improve your life at someone else’s expense. Paul points out a very interesting solution, rather than just saying that stealing is wrong he gives another purpose for our day to day activities. He said to get a job and let the purpose of this job be more than just taking care of your needs and advancing your life and lifestyle. Let the motivation of this employment be giving. Now this is a radical idea, living and working in order to give away. Sowing becomes the joy of working, being able to effect your world with your day to day activities is why you go to work. Here is how Barclay describes this verse.
“The interesting thing about this saying is the reason Paul gives for being an honest worker. He does not say: ‘Become an honest worker so that you may support yourself.’ He says: ‘Become an honest worker so that you may have something to give away to those who are poorer than yourself.’ Here is a new idea and a new ideal – that of working in order to give away.”
So how would this lifestyle of living to give look in your world? Apparently Paul had seen this in action as people from the business community supported Paul’s work. One example was the prominent business woman in Philippi named Lydia. Her support of Paul’s ministry became the prototype of Christian giving in her community as well as in Christianity for all ages. She saw her business as primarily existing for expanding the influence of the gospel, her prosperity was just lagniappe. So let’s take Paul’s teaching as a way to live our lives, we work hard everyday in order to advance the work of God.
