<p>20:35 <i>In all things I gave you an example, that so labouring you should help the weak</i>- &quot;The weak&quot; may refer to &quot;those who were with me&quot; (:34). Perhaps they could not work like he did because of physical or mental or spiritual weakness. The Greek for &quot;weak&quot; is particularly used of the physically weak; Timothy appears to have been like this, being frequently sick and weak (1 Tim. 5:23). Paul's co-workers were therefore weak, unable to support themselves, and those whom man might despise. The way they travelled alone such great distances in dangerous circumstances is therefore even more to their credit, and to the credit of Paul's patient belief and hope in them.</p><p><em>And to remember the words that the Lord Jesus spoke- </em>Paul's attitude, working at manual work in order to support others, was motivated by continual reflection on the Lord's words. And he asks them to copy him in this. Note how he reminds the Ephesians to &quot;remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said...&quot;; not, 'how it is written' (for the Gospels were in circulation by this time). He jogged their memory of one of the texts they ought to have memorized. I suggested above on :34 that they were likely illiterate. See on Acts 6:4.</p><p><em>Saying: It is more blessed to give than to receive</em>- These words are unrecorded in the Gospels. But the same Greek words for giving and receiving are found in the Lord's advice to missionaries in Mt. 10:8,9: &quot;Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Acquire no gold, nor silver, nor brass for your purses...&quot;. Paul has just spoken of not coveting gold or silver. It may well be that the Lord added at this point: &quot;It is more blessed to give than to receive&quot;. Paul saw his working in order to 'give' to the weak mission workers as being a form of missionary service in itself. Paul implies he repeated these words of the Lord time and again as his source of motivation, and he asks the Ephesians to do likewise... and we can take the appeal to ourselves.</p>