Answer: The Words of Jesus that Paul quoted to the
Ephesian elders was: "It is more blessed to give than to
receive," (verse 35).
MORE INFORMATION AND/OR OTHER SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:
The context of these quoted Words of Jesus is set in
verses 33-35. To review, Paul says, "I
have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. You
yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs
and the needs of my companions. 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.'"
With this in mind, consider the following from The Acts of
the Apostles From Jerusalem to Rome by Wayne Jackson:
The apostle [Paul] returns to some personal matters. In
defense of possible charges that he was one who made merchandise of
the Gospel (2 Corinthians 7:2;
12:17-18; 1 Thessalonians 2:5), Paul
affirms that he coveted no one's silver, gold, or
clothes. He even refused support at times, when he would have
been justified in receiving such (1 Corinthians
9:12-15), simply because he did not want to give his
critics grist for their mills. The Ephesian brethren knew
this very well. They were aware that "these
hands" had supplied the things necessary for his welfare.
"Necessities" were food, clothing, etc., not
luxuries! Working at his trade as a tentmaker (Acts
18:1-3), he had labored with his hands by night and
preached the Gospel in the day. In addition, he helped to
sustain others (e.g., Timothy) who worked with him. Paul was
a generous soul!
In all areas, both doctrinal and in matters of practical
living, the apostle had provided the brethren with an
"example" ["I showed you" -- NIV] of
what a Christian should be. "Example" translates
a Greek word which means "to show under," like tracing
an image placed under thin paper. Paul was the original; the
Ephesians should be doing the tracing (cf. 1 Corinthians
11:1). Was this an expression of arrogance? Not
at all; it was merely a matter of absolute confidence. One
aspect of Paul's example was that in "laboring"
["hard work" -- NIV] (kopiao -- to
work to the point of weariness; the word is related to a root
meaning "to strike"), the disciples ought to help the
weak. The verb "help" is interesting. It is
the present, middle form of a compound Greek word. The word
is antilambano (anti -- facing; lambano
-- to take up). The picture hints of a person facing a
friend, helping him take up a load. The present tense reveals
a characteristic mode of activity, and the middle voice suggests
the personal involvement of the helper. The weak can be
either those who are in physical need (Ephesians
4:28), or those spiritually weak (cf. Romans
14:1).
A motivating factor in assisting the weak is to
"remember" (constantly call to mind -- present
tense) the words of the Lord Jesus, Who said: "It is
more blessed to give than to receive." Several
preliminary things need to be said regarding this saying.
1) It is attributed to Jesus; that affirmation is emphatic in
the Greek text ("Jesus Himself said"). Though
there are some similar sentiments in the literature of antiquity,
there is no reason not to believe that the form here expressed is
original with Christ (Larkin, 298-99). Knowling has discussed
the superiority of Jesus' statement over similar expressions
of the pagan community (440-41). It was obviously a
well-known saying, as evidenced by the fact that the elders in
Ephesus were urged to recall it. 3) It is not found in the
Gospel Accounts, but that is no argument against its genuineness;
those records were highly abbreviated (cf. John
21:25).
The word for "blessed" is makarios, which
means "happy." William Barclay once observed that
the Greeks called Cyprus he makaria, "the happy
island," because they thought it so rich and beautiful, one
need never leave its shores to enjoy the perfectly happy
life. The verb "give" is a present tense form;
Kenneth Wuest, in his Expanded Translation, rendered it
"constantly giving." Thus, the sense is:
"Happier is the one who consistently practices giving, than
is he who constantly receives." The person who makes
"giving" a matter of habit is happier because: 1)
He is emulating a trait of the Creator Himself, Who is the
limitless Giver (Genesis 22:8-13; Psalm
23; John 3:16, 34). 2) One who shares
with others is less likely to be self-centered, which generates a
whole host of additional problems.
Some Scriptures about what one's attitude should be in
giving:
Matthew 5:38-42: [Jesus said,] "You
have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for
tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person.
If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other
also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic,
let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go
one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks
you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from
you. "
Matthew 6:1-3: [Jesus said,] "Be
careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before
men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from
your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not
announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues
and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the Truth,
they have received their reward in full. But when you give to
the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is
doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, Who
sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
Matthew 22:15-21: "Then the
Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap Him [Jesus] in His Words.
They sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians.
'Teacher,' they said, 'we know You are a man of
integrity and that You teach the Way of God in accordance with the
Truth. You aren't swayed by men, because You pay no attention to
who they are. Tell us then, what is Your opinion? Is it right
to pay taxes to Caesar or not?' But Jesus, knowing
their evil intent, said, 'You hypocrites, why are you trying
to trap Me? Show Me the coin used for paying the tax.'
They brought Him a denarius, and He asked them, 'Whose
portrait is this? And whose inscription?'
'Caesar's,' they replied. Then He said to them,
'Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is
God's.'"
Luke 6:38: [Jesus said,] "Give, and
it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken
together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with
the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Romans 12:4-8: "Just as each of us
has one body with many members, and these members do not all have
the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and
each member belongs to all the others. We have different
gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is
prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it
is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it
is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the
needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let
him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it
cheerfully."
Romans 13:7-8: "Give everyone what
you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue,
then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor,
then honor. Let no debt remain outstanding, except the
continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman
has fulfilled the law."
1 Corinthians 13:3: "If I give all
I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have
not love, I gain nothing."
2 Corinthians 8:7, 10-12: "But just
as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge,
in complete earnestness and in your love for us--see that you
also excel in this grace of giving...And here is my advice
about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the
first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so.
Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be
matched by your completion of it, according to your means.
For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according
to what one has, not according to what he does not
have."
2 Corinthians 9:6-8: "Remember
this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever
sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should
give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or
under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is
able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all
times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good
work."
1 Timothy 6:17-19: "Command those
who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put
their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope
in God, Who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be
generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up
treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so
that they may take hold of the life that is truly
life."
