Topical Bible: Industry: Commanded

◄ Industry: Commanded ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The concept of industry, understood as diligent and productive labor, is a recurring theme in the Bible, where it is often commanded and commended as a virtue. The Scriptures emphasize the importance of hard work, responsibility, and stewardship, reflecting God's design for human activity and the cultivation of the earth.

Biblical Foundations of Industry

From the very beginning, the Bible establishes the principle of work. In Genesis 2:15, God places Adam in the Garden of Eden "to work it and take care of it." This mandate underscores the divine intention for humanity to engage in productive labor as a means of stewardship over creation. The call to industry is not merely a post-Fall necessity but an integral part of God's original design for human flourishing.

Industry in the Wisdom Literature

The Book of Proverbs frequently extols the virtues of diligence and hard work, contrasting them with the perils of laziness. Proverbs 6:6-11 advises, "Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways and be wise. Without a commander, without an overseer or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest." This passage highlights the industrious nature of the ant as a model for human behavior, emphasizing self-motivation and foresight.

Proverbs 31:10-31 describes the "wife of noble character," whose industriousness is evident in her management of household affairs, business acumen, and charitable works. Her example serves as an ideal of diligence and productivity, demonstrating how industry can be expressed in various aspects of life.

New Testament Teachings on Industry

The New Testament continues to affirm the value of industry. In 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, Paul exhorts believers "to aspire to live quietly, to attend to your own matters, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you, so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and be dependent on no one." This instruction underscores the importance of self-sufficiency and the witness of a diligent life to the broader community.

Similarly, in 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12, Paul addresses the issue of idleness, stating, "For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: If anyone is unwilling to work, he shall not eat. Yet we hear that some of you are leading undisciplined lives and accomplishing nothing. We command and urge such people by our Lord Jesus Christ to begin working quietly to earn their own living." Here, industry is not only a personal virtue but a communal responsibility, essential for the well-being of the Christian community.

Parables and Teachings of Jesus

Jesus' parables often incorporate themes of industry and stewardship. In the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), the servants are entrusted with their master's wealth and are expected to invest and multiply it. The industrious servants are rewarded, while the one who buries his talent is rebuked. This parable illustrates the expectation of productive use of one's gifts and resources in service to God's kingdom.

Theological Implications

The biblical command for industry is rooted in the understanding of work as a divine calling. It reflects the character of God, who is depicted as a worker in the act of creation (Genesis 1) and as one who continues to sustain the universe. Human industry, therefore, is a participation in God's creative and sustaining work, a means of glorifying Him through the faithful stewardship of His creation.

In summary, the Bible commands and commends industry as a vital aspect of human life, integral to personal responsibility, community welfare, and spiritual obedience. Through diligent labor, believers are called to reflect God's character, fulfill their God-given purpose, and contribute to the flourishing of the world.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ephesians 4:28
Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needs.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Thessalonians 4:11
And that you study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

How the Will Variously Governs the Powers of the Soul.
... nourishing ourselves or growing; he that will prevail with these powers must use
industry. ... unto the palate or stomach, but the hands must be commanded only to ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter ii how the will.htm

The Sermon that the Reverend Father in Christ
... I commanded you, that with all industry and labour ye should feed my sheep: ye
earnestly feed yourselves from day to day, wallowing in delights and idleness. ...
/.../sermons on the card and other discourses/the sermon that the reverend.htm

Whether a Man is Bound to Restore Whatever Profits He Has Made Out ...
... worth more than what they paid in usury, but it is commanded that the ... the usurious
money as instrumental cause, but on account of his own industry as principal ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether a man is bound 5.htm

Chap. Ii Though the Soul Perceive it Self Deprived of Discourse ...
... Seven days after God commanded Moses, to come up to the top of the Mountain, where ...
that it is not by the means of ones one Ratiocination, or Industry, that a ...
/.../the spiritual guide which disentangles the soul/chap ii though the soul.htm

Of the First Covenant Made with Man
... The highest advancement of art and industry in this life reaches no further than
to ... the will of the commander than the goodness or use of the thing commanded. ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture xxi of the first.htm

Thanksgiving to God for the Pardon Granted to the Offenders ...
... animals, and implanted divers dispositions in the creatures, He commanded us to ... likewise
receive from this animal the best exhortation to industry; and marvel ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily xii thanksgiving to god.htm

How the Abbot Ceolfrid Sent Master-Builders to the King of the ...
... We are commanded to observe the full moon of the Paschal month after the vernal ... But
by the industry of Eusebius, who took his surname from the blessed martyr ...
/.../bede/bedes ecclesiastical history of england/chap xxi how the abbot.htm

Laboring under Difficulties
... Banished by the decree of Claudius, which commanded all Jews to leave Rome, Aquila ...
in spiritual things, and he also set an example of industry and thoroughness ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 33 laboring under difficulties.htm

The Conversion of the Jailor of Philippi.
... of imposture, they should be compelled to betake themselves to honest industry in
order ... of new Gods, or of the Gods of other nations, and commanded the people ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xviii the conversion of.htm

Chapter thirty-one
... Would Jesus, if He were here today as a part of our age and commercial industry,
feel nothing, do nothing, say nothing ... Is he not commanded to follow in His steps ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sheldon/in his steps/chapter thirty-one.htm