<p>20:34 <i>You yourselves know that t<em>hese hands- </em></i>Paul told those Ephesian elders, beset as they already were with the evident beginnings of apostasy: &quot;<em>These hands</em> (showing them) have ministered unto my necessities... I have shewed you all things, how that <em>so</em> <em>labouring</em> you (too) ought to support the weak (implying Paul worked at tent making not only for his own needs but in order to give support to the spiritually (?) weak), <em>and to (also)</em> remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive&quot; (:34,35). Paul seems to be unashamedly saying that those words of Jesus had motivated his own life of service, and he had shown the Ephesians, in his own life, how they ought to be lived out; and he placed himself before them as their pattern. The Lord Jesus recognized, years later, that the Ephesians whom Paul was addressing had followed Paul's example of labouring motivated by Christ as he had requested them to; but they had done so without <em>agape</em> love (Rev. 2:3,4).</p><p><em>Have provided for my necessities- </em>See on 28:10 <em>Such things as we needed</em>. This could well have been said with a fleck of pride, which the events of 28:10 sought to remove from him.</p><p><em>And for those who were with me</em>- Paul had a profession, as all trainee rabbis did. But his co-workers apparently didn't, or couldn't use it over the three years he was in the area. We might be able to infer from this that they were untrained men, who were therefore likely illiterate. Paul could so easily have reasoned that his talents were better used in preaching and pastoral work, than in working in order to support others. His ability to earn enough money to support a group of people, as well as doing all his ministry work, is a testament to his wise use of time, and also his strong dislike of a salaried ministry. We note a possible contrast with the attitude of the twelve in Acts 6:2: &quot;It is not fitting that we should forsake the teaching of the word of God and instead serve tables&quot;.</p>