I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
This comes from Paul's farewell speech to the leaders of the church in Ephesus — a city in modern-day Turkey where Paul spent three years teaching. Paul is saying goodbye and reminding them how he lived among them: working with his own hands rather than taking money from the community. He then quotes a saying of Jesus that doesn't appear anywhere in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John — making it one of the rare recorded words of Jesus preserved outside the four Gospels. The heart of the teaching is that giving your time, energy, money, or attention to others brings a deeper satisfaction than accumulating things for yourself. Paul's point is that generosity isn't just a moral duty — it is, according to Jesus himself, the more blessed way to live.
Lord, it's easy to agree with this verse and still live like receiving is what I'm really after. Loosen my grip on what I hold tightly. Show me someone this week who needs what I have to offer — and give me the courage and genuine joy to give it freely, without keeping score. Amen.
There's a kind of tired that only comes from giving — the good kind. The exhaustion after a long volunteer shift, after staying up late to help a friend through a crisis, after spending a Saturday at a food pantry instead of doing what you actually "needed" to do. You probably didn't regret it afterward. That's what Paul is pointing to here. He's quoting Jesus — and this is one of only a handful of Jesus' sayings recorded outside the Gospels — because this truth mattered enough to be passed down even though no one thought to include it in the main story. Generosity is not just an obligation. According to Jesus, it is literally the more blessed life. It's easy to nod along with "it is more blessed to give than to receive" while quietly ordering something for yourself online. The challenge isn't the concept — it's the habit. Paul didn't just say this; he showed it. He worked with his own hands so he wouldn't be a burden to anyone. The real question isn't whether you believe this is true. It's whether your schedule, your spending, and your attention actually reflect that you do. What would it look like this week to give something — time, a meal, a genuine conversation, money you'd rather keep — to someone who has no way to pay you back?
Paul quotes a saying of Jesus that doesn't appear in any of the four Gospels. What does it tell you about the early church that they preserved this teaching — and what does it suggest about how Jesus actually lived?
Think of a time when giving something — time, money, or energy — left you feeling more full than empty. What made that experience different from times when giving felt like a drain?
Is it possible to give in ways that are actually self-serving — for recognition, to manage guilt, or to feel superior? How do you personally tell the difference between genuine generosity and performed generosity?
Paul describes helping 'the weak' as a core purpose of hard work. How does that framing change the way you think about why you work and what you do with what you earn?
Paul 'showed' this principle through how he worked and lived, not just through what he said. What is one concrete way you could demonstrate this kind of giving — not just talk about it — in your daily life this week?
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully .
2 Corinthians 9:6
Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
1 Thessalonians 5:14
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
2 Corinthians 8:9
And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
Luke 14:14
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly , or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7
He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.
Proverbs 19:17
But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Hebrews 13:16
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Matthew 10:8
In everything I showed you [by example] that by working hard in this way you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed [and brings greater joy] to give than to receive.'"
AMP
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.’”
ESV
'In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you 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.''
NASB
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
NIV
I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
NKJV
And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
NLT
In everything I've done, I have demonstrated to you how necessary it is to work on behalf of the weak and not exploit them. You'll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said, 'You're far happier giving than getting.'"
MSG