Peace.
Yes, Jesus was a carpenter (tektōn) or rather a craftsman (such as mason or stone-worker).
The point here in the identification of the job of Jesus is to show us that He worked with His own hands to support Himself and this has a meaning for all who follow in His footsteps today.
Yes, we have this message: A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and in his own house. The people of the world always identifies a person by “what they do” for a living. They make judgments about people by the job they have and will not listen if you have a low position in this life or they are too familiar with you to listen and believe. Familiarity breeds contempt.
But there is this point as well: Jesus worked with His own hands (as a craftsman). He had an outside job not related to making a living off those He preached to. Jesus did not preach for pay. He did not go to the gatherings of people looking for “offerings” from those He preached to.
They asked in Matthew 13 about Jesus: “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?” “Where did He learn all these things”?
Jesus worked with His own hands as a craftsman and illustrates how one who follows Him can truly understand the Scriptures (“where did this man get this wisdom?’) in order to truly feed the church of God. Jesus did not preach for a paycheck but instead worked with His own hands and this is the point being made.
Matthew 13:53-57 KJV (53) And it came to pass, that when Jesus had
finished these parables, he departed thence. (54) And when he was
come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch
that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom,
and these mighty works? (55) Is not this the carpenter's son? is not
his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon,
and Judas? (56) And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence
then hath this man all these things? (57) And they were offended in
him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save
in his own country, and in his own house.
Paul also had an outside job as a tentmaker. This is not just trivia as it relates to how an overseer of the church can truly feed the church of God which Jesus purchased with His own blood.
Acts 20:28 KJV (28) Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all
the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to
feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Paul hits us with the message that shows us all things: how working with our own hands (at an outside-of-the-church job) as he did for our own earthly necessities can enable the overseers to truly feed the church of God and silence the weak consciences of the outside world from speaking evil of God's name because of the preaching for pay that they do not respect.
Only when an overseer works his own outside job and eats his own bread can he then truly understand the Scriptures so that he may truly feed those who need to hear the Word of Truth.
An overseer is not there to be ministered to by the congregation by getting a paycheck from them but to minister the Word of Truth freely so that the gospel is not hindered by the weak consciences of the outside world who speak evil of the Way of righteousness by the preaching for pay that they see going on.
Acts 20:33-35 KJV (33) I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or
apparel. (34) Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have
ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. (35) I
have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support
the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It
is more blessed to give than to receive.
But wait a second….didn’t the apostles of Christ have that power or right to get their material needs met by those they preached to?
Yes, the original apostles (meaning “sent”) of Christ had this power to do so but this right was forgone by them and now is binding upon those after them who preach the good news.
In fact, it is a command by the apostles of Christ: “ For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.”
If we do not have an outside job in order to eat our own bread, then we cannot truly understand the Scriptures and are not spiritually feeding anyone. Such are not “working” at all but are only feeding themselves and not those they are supposed to be feeding with the Word of Truth. They are called "busybodies" here in 2nd Thessalonians.
The apostles in the Lord: "Do all things which we command you..."
2 Thessalonians 3:4-15 KJV (4) And we have confidence in the Lord
touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command
you. (5) And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and
into the patient waiting for Christ. (6) Now we command you,
brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw
yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after
the tradition which he received of us. (7) For yourselves know how ye
ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;
(8) Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with
labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to
any of you:
This power to preach for earthly necessities was forgone by the original apostles who worked with labor and travail night and day so that they might not be chargeable to any. They did eat their own bread and not another’s. They are the example for us to follow today. They command us in the Lord Jesus Christ today to follow them in this. It is binding today upon all those who preach the Word.
(9) Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample
unto you to follow us. (10) For even when we were with you, this we
commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. (11)
For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly,
working not at all, but are busybodies.
Again, a command….with quietness to work and eat our own bread. Not busily, loudly preaching for pay but with quietness are we to work at our own jobs for our own bread .
(12) Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus
Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. (13)
But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
And a command to the rest: do not keep company with those who are not following after the transmission (tradition) of the apostles of Christ via this letter.
(14) And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man,
and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. (15) Yet count
him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Why spend money on those that do not feed us with the Bread of Heaven….with the Word of Truth from above? Why labor for that which does not satisfy? The Lord does not teach for money's sake.
Isaiah 55:1-2 KJV (1) Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the
waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come,
buy wine and milk without money and without price. (2) Wherefore do
ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that
which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that
which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
We must work our own job and eat of our own bread and not another’s. Yet, many trust in the preachers who are close to us (and whom we feed with their daily necessities) that they are feeding us the Word of Truth.
Psalms 41:9 KJV (9) Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted,
which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.
Judas received sop (meaning a mouthful of crumbs or morsel) from Jesus after which Satan entered into him. This sop was dipped and represents the hard-earned (sweat of the brow) bread that was worked for.
John 13:26-27 KJV (26) Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give
a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave
it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
We must not covet after another’s gold, silver, apparel. After the receiving of the sop does Satan enter in to Judas.
(27) And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto
him, That thou doest, do quickly.
Having received the sop (a mouthful of a morsel), Judas went out and it was “night”.
John 13:30-31 KJV (30) He then having received the sop went
immediately out: and it was night.
We must not keep company with such so that the Son of man can be glorified and God is glorified in Him.
(31) Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of
man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
This of course is not a popular message as those who will hear it will make war with those who do not put food in their mouth.
It is “night” to those who preach for the mouthful of morsel (receiving the sop). They have no understanding of the Scriptures as it is “night”. They preach “peace” to those who do feed them but in return are not being truly fed with the Word of Truth.
Micah 3:5-7 KJV (5) Thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that
make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he
that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him.
(6) Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a
vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and
the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark
over them. (7) Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners
confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no
answer of God.
The issue here is the covetous preaching for hire…for reward…for money’s sake. They covet after money and have no understanding of the Scriptures as it is "night" in regard to the understanding of the Scriptures.
Micah 3:11 KJV (11) The heads thereof judge for reward, and the
priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for
money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD
among us? none evil can come upon us.
