II Thessalonians 3:8

eat any man's bread--Greek, "eat bread from any man," that is, live at anyone's expense. Contrast Th2 3:12, "eat THEIR OWN bread." wrought-- (Act 20:34). In both Epistles they state they maintained themselves by labor; but in this second Epistle they do so in order to offer themselves herein as an example to the idle; whereas, in the first, their object in doing so is to vindicate themselves from all imputation of mercenary motives in preaching the Gospel (Th1 2:5, Th1 2:9) [EDMUNDS]. They preached gratuitously though they might have claimed maintenance from their converts. labour and travail--"toil and hardship" (see on Th1 2:9). night and day--scarcely allowing time for repose. chargeable--Greek, "a burden," or "burdensome." The Philippians did not regard it as a burden to contribute to his support (Phi 4:15-16), sending to him while he was in this very Thessalonica (Act 16:15, Act 16:34, Act 16:40). Many Thessalonians, doubtless, would have felt it a privilege to contribute, but as he saw some idlers among them who would have made a pretext of his example to justify themselves, he waived his right. His reason for the same course at Corinth was to mark how different were his aims from those of the false teachers who sought their own lucre (Co2 11:9, Co2 11:12-13). It is at the very time and place of writing these Epistles that Paul is expressly said to have wrought at tent-making with Aquila (Act 18:3); an undesigned coincidence.

In the close of the foregoing chapter, the apostle had prayed earnestly for the Thessalonians, and now he desires their prayers, encouraging them to trust in God, to which he subjoins another petition for them (Th2 3:1-5). He then proceeds to give them commands and directions for correcting some things he was informed were amiss among them (Th2 3:6-15) and concludes with benedictions and prayers (Th2 3:16-18).

3:8 without paying for it: Although Paul taught that workers in the Christian church could receive pay for their labor (3:9; see Matt 10:10; 1 Cor 9:7-14; 1 Tim 5:17-18), he did not take advantage of that privilege (1 Thes 2:9; 2 Thes 3:6-10).