It is at Thessalonica that we first read of Paul's working with his hands in self-supporting labor while preaching the word. Writing to the church of believers there, he reminded them that he "might have been burdensome" to them, and added: "Ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail: for laboring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God." 1 Thessalonians 2:6, 9. And again, in his second epistle to them, he declared that he and his fellow laborer while with them had not eaten "any man's bread for nought." Night and day we worked, he wrote, "that we might not be chargeable to any of you: not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us." 2 Thessalonians 3:8, 9.

Første gang vi hører om, at Paulus arbejdede med sine hænder for at kunne klare sig, mens han prædikede ordet, var han i Tessalonika. Da han skrev til de troendes menighed dér, mindede han dem om, at "han nok kunne ligge dem til byrde," og tilføjede: "I husker jo nok, brødre, vort slid og vor møje; mens vi arbejdede nat og dag for ikke at falde nogen af jer til byrde, prædikede vi Guds evangelium for jer." 1Tess. 2,6