Paul Worked with His Own Hands

In the Letter to the Ephesians, too, he gives a command on this subject of work: “Let him who stole steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands at what is good, so that he may have something to give to the one in need.” And in the Acts of the Apostles we find that he not only taught this but actually practiced it himself. For when he came to Corinth, he would not let himself stay anywhere except with Aquila and Priscilla, because they followed the same trade that he himself used to practice. For we read: “After this Paul left Athens and came to Corinth. And finding a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, and Priscilla his wife, he went to them because they were of the same trade, and stayed with them and worked; for they were tentmakers by trade.” [a]