Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
I gave you an example (upedeica). First aorist active indicative of upodeiknumi, old verb to show under one's eyes, to give object lesson, by deed as well as by word (Luke 6:47). upodeigma means example (John 13:15; James 5:10). So Paul appeals to his example in I Corinthians 11:1; Philippians 3:17. Panta is accusative plural of general reference (in all things).
So labouring ye ought to help (outwv kopiwntav dei antilambanesqai). So, as I did. Necessity (dei). Toiling (kopiwntav) not just for ourselves, but to help (antilambanesqai), to take hold yourselves (middle voice) at the other end (anti). This verb common in the old Greek, but in the N.T. only in Luke 1:54; Acts 20:35; I Timothy 6:2. This noble plea to help the weak is the very spirit of Christ (I Thessalonians 5:14; I Corinthians 12:28; Romans 5:6; Romans 14:1). In I Thessalonians 5:14 antexesqe twn asqenountwn we have Paul's very idea again. Every Community Chest appeal today re-echoes Paul's plea.
He himself said (autov eipen). Not in the Gospels, one of the sayings of Jesus in current use that Paul had received and treasured. Various other Agrapha of Jesus have been preserved in ancient writers and some in recently discovered papyri which may be genuine or not. We are grateful that Paul treasured this one. This Beatitude (on makarion see on Matthew 5:3-11) is illustrated by the whole life of Jesus with the Cross as the culmination. Aristotle (Eth. IV. I) has a saying somewhat like this, but assigns the feeling of superiority as the reason (Page), an utterly different idea from that here. This quotation raises the question of how much Paul personally knew of the life and sayings of Jesus.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Acts 20:35:
Luke 3:7
Acts 20:35
1 Corinthians 7:25
1 Timothy 5:18
1 Timothy 6:2
1 Timothy 6:3
Revelation 2:1
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