Question:

Question

Answer:
I know a Christian is required to work (I Thessalonians 4:11), but since it says "laboring
with your hands" doesn't that mean only manual labor?
There are several passages which command Christians to labor.
Ephesians 4:28 "Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his
hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need."
I Thessalonians 4:11 "that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to
work with your own hands, as we commanded you"
II Thessalonians 3:10 "For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will
not work, neither shall he eat."
The question is: "Do these passages restrict the type of employment to exclusively manual forms
of labor?" The words used by Paul in these passages refer to hard work or heavy labor, but
physical labor is not the only type of hard work that exists.
Preaching is a form of heavy labor. In I Timothy 5:17, Paul states that elders are worthy of
support, "especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching." The word translated "work
hard" is the same one that is used in Ephesians 4:28. Good preaching and teaching is hard
work(II Timothy 4:5). Paul invested a lot of effort preaching in various congregations (I
Corinthians 15:10-11) and he did not want to find out that his hard work was in vain (Galatians
4:11; Philippians 2:16). As a result, even though preaching is not physical labor, a preacher is
worthy of monetary support (I Corinthians 9:1-14). Note especially verse 14, "Even so the Lord
has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel."
Similarly, the role of an elder within a congregation is also considered work (I Timothy 3:1). As
Paul told the Thessalonians, "we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you,
and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their
work's sake" (I Thessalonians 5:11-12). Again, this is why an elder is worthy of monetary
support (I Timothy 5:17-18).
What about other occupations which involve more mental effort than physical efforts, are they
considered work as well? Take a look at the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. The servants
given talents went out and traded to gain more talents (Matthew 25:16). The word traded in
Matthew 25:16 is the same word used in Ephesians 4:28, I Thessalonians 4:11, and II
Thessalonians 3:10 and translated as work. It appears that investing is a form of work.
"The New Testament utilizes kopiao and kopos to describe hard work, the pains of labor and
strain -- both physical and mental." [The Complete Biblical Library: The New Testament Greek-
English Dictionary] The New Testament commands that Christians work hard to support
themselves. Often that work will involve physical activity, but it is not exclusively physical
labor.