Therefore, we see here that apostles truly need to leave their own occupations. Apostles also need to have only one occupation, which is the occupation of being an apostle. But I want to mention Paul to clarify this one matter. This does not mean that he could not go and make some money. Paul was an apostle, and he always worked as an apostle. When we read the book of Acts, we would never dream that Paul changed his line of work. Paul went to Ephesus and made tents, yet he was still an apostle, and in Ephesus especially he made many more tents so that he could experience the church life. Whether one made tents or practiced medicine, all were for the purpose of being an apostle, not that he might not be an apostle. Perhaps he could not be an apostle if he did not make tents. I hope we can see this point clearly before God. Many times, God allowed Paul to do some work to enable Paul to be an apostle all the more.
Do we see this? This is a matter entirely different from occupation. This is entirely different from what we ordinarily call occupation. Today, if Matthew would go back to be a tax collector, we would say that Matthew was looking for a job. But, today if Paul would go to make tents, we would not say that Paul was looking for a job. Matthew could not say that he must be a tax collector in order to be an apostle. However, Paul could say, “Behold, these two hands! Without them, it seems that I cannot be an apostle.” His tentmaking enabled him to be an apostle all the more. His purpose was to be an apostle, his living was as an apostle, his work was as an apostle, and his life was as an apostle; all that he was, was as an apostle. His two hands helped him to be an apostle. His two hands did not distract him so that he could not be an apostle. Brothers, is this clear? This way is very clear.
A certain brother asked me a month or two ago whether we should give up our occupation completely or take a second job in the future, if we go out to preach the gospel for the Lord and do the work of an apostle. I tell you, this is my answer today. Everyone who wants to be an apostle must throw away his occupation, throw away what man calls occupation. However, please note that while you travel to various places for the gospel, it would be better to take a second job to enable you to be an apostle rather than complain that the church lacks love, as some do because of their own lack of faith. Rather than being weak in faith and maintaining hope toward God in appearance, but in reality having hope toward man and the brothers, it would be better to be like Paul and say, “These hands!” It would be better at that time to work a little with your own hands so that you could support yourself and also support others. I think and believe that the most dishonorable thing to God is to look to the love of the church more than having faith before God. I think and I believe that the most dishonorable thing to God is to complain against men, yet not be able to trust in the Lord. I think it is more dishonorable to God for a man to hope in God in appearance, yet in reality to turn his eyes not heavenward but toward his surroundings and environment. This is even more dishonorable to God.
However, here is a matter which I would do my best to emphasize—the principle of “These hands!”, that is, that these two hands will enable me to be an apostle all the more. The two hands of many people do not need to fish. Do we see this? We must emphatically maintain before God what we are really doing, what we are here for on this earth, and what kind of persons we are before God. Please remember that before God you are an apostle called by God. Because you are an apostle, you must leave your occupation entirely. From now on, even if you work with your hands again, it is not for an occupation. If you work with your hands again, it is to supply you and the needs of your fellow workers. There are needs because you are an apostle. You have become an apostle; therefore, there are needs, and you must work with your hands. My brothers here have needs; therefore, I need to work with my hands so that they can be apostles. I work with my hands in the hope that I may support myself and my co-workers, not because of a lack in my own finances, or because I am hindered, or because I have taken a wrong way.
Therefore, I hope the brothers and sisters can see that this way is different. It is not a change of occupation, but the support of our apostleship with a job. It is not changing from apostleship to the occupation of tentmaking, but supporting our apostleship by the work of tentmaking.
If a brother thinks that he cannot do the work well or that he has financial difficulties, he may go to teach or to fish. I tell you that when the Lord died, many did go fishing. But, when the Lord died, could you say that our Lord was living forever in the heavens? Only the disappointed ones went fishing! But here was a person who went to make tents not out of disappointment; there was no disappointment at all. These are two different matters.
Peter’s fishing and Paul’s tentmaking were two entirely different matters. Peter’s fishing was his arriving at a dead end with no way to go on. Peter’s fishing meant that he considered the Lord to have died, to be finished, to be terminated, and that everything was hopeless. He considered himself as a failure, and the Lord had died; therefore, he went fishing. Brothers, you must take note that Paul’s tentmaking was not an occupation. Paul had clearly determined that the Lord was living, and he could not help but be an apostle. If it was comfortable, he would be an apostle, and if it was a suffering, he would still be an apostle. If he received money, he would be an apostle, and if he did not receive any money, he would still be an apostle. When there was the support from the brothers, he would be an apostle, and when there was no support, he would still be an apostle. This is an entirely different matter from Peter’s fishing. To live was to be an apostle, and to die was also to be an apostle. If he needed to endeavor, he would still endeavor to be an apostle. He put his two hands to it; besides all the work and all the labor, he was willing to do one more work so that the work of the apostles would not collapse. This was Paul. He was this way not only toward himself, but also toward those who were with him. By the work of his two hands he supported himself and also those who were with him. This was the way in which Paul walked.
Today, brothers and sisters, we need to see this basic principle: All who go out to preach the gospel, who have been called by the Lord to serve Him fully in the gospel, who are apostles, whether brothers or sisters, need to throw away their occupation entirely. This is the proper way. We should drop everything to be an apostle. However, when there is the need and if we can bear the extra burden to work for a short period of time, then we may work, but not as the tax collectors who work day and night in the tax office. If there is no such need, then we do not have to work. When the church has no way to support or when the church does not support, as in the days when the Israelites did not give the offerings and the Levites were hungry, we may work a little on the side to help ourselves and our co-workers and still be an apostle. Please remember, the principle of tentmaking not only does not distract us, but it makes us single-hearted all the more. Not only is it not a hindrance, but rather it is a help. Not only is it not the changing of our occupation, but rather it is the bettering of our occupation. Brothers and sisters, this means we need to endeavor all the more. We have to bear the work which the Lord has assigned to us and the responsibility which the Lord has given to us. Because we want to bear it, we will use all our means to bear it. It is right to go out to work in this way. This I say in reference to the apostles specifically.