Here is my commentary on Ephesians 4:28. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 4:28

“He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.”

In any church that is successfully winning people to the Lord, there will be some, perhaps many, who have come from a place where they have made an income from various dishonest means.

The Greek word for stealing here means pilfering, that is small time theft such as shoplifting or picking pockets, Rather than violent robbery or fraud. nonetheless, what Paul speaks of here should equally apply to these other forms of theft.

The principle here is that followers of Christ should never have to resort to dishonest means to survive. He has promised to supply what we need. To steal, then, under any pretext, is a sign of unbelief, that we do not trust our Lord.

To some people, this way of living seems easier than the drudgery of a nine to five job. It becomes a habit to steal rather than to work.

Paul says clearly here that if you were a thief before you came to Christ, you must stop this now and turn to an honest living.

Paul says that rather than stealing, such people should turn to working with their own hands. The Greek word here is korato which means the kind of physical labour which makes you tired at the end of the day. Rather than taking the easy route of theft, Paul says they must work hard for their living. In many senses, this is the most fulfilling kind of work, resulting in things being produced by our hands.

We are were created to be productive. This is clear from Genesis 2, where Adam and Eve were meant to co- labour with God in tending His creation. Unemployment can lead to despair and depression, a sense that we are not useful for anything .

The purpose of work is not just to earn an income with which to feather one’s own nest. People in the world are very good at finding ways to spend their cash on their personal comforts and entertainment. They see this as a reward for working hard. Once we have paid for our basic needs of food and shelter, we can believe that what’s left over is ours to spend as we like.

Paul says that the goal of working is to have something to share with others. Instead of focusing on what I can do with “my” money, Paul is saying that we must use it to meet the needs of other people.

In our very self-centred society, that is a strange notion. Surely we want to feed our family and ourselves. No, we work to feed those in need.

For people who are used to meeting their own needs by taking from others, this is a total reversal. They are to stop taking from others to gain an income, and instead they must work hard in order to give to others.

In the natural, this sort of lifestyle change is inconceivable. A leopard cannot change its spots. Christ turns us all around. Repentance is about a change of thinking that leads to a change in action. So, in Christ those who used to be thieves become generous donors. Their eyes move from themselves and their own needs to others and their needs.

Key points in this verse

• Thieves who come to Christ are to stop stealing
• All followers of Christ must find honest ways to support themselves
• God honours productive work
• The goal of working is to earn an income in order to share with the needy, not just for our own comfort
• The kind of transformation that sees a thief become a generous giver is only possible in Christ