Paul: Faith, Vocation, and Witness in the Marketplace

Many of us feel the grind. We struggle to find meaning in our daily work, feeling a sharp divide between the “sacred” activities of the weekend and the “secular” obligations of Monday through Friday. We operate as if our spiritual life is on pause from the moment we clock in until the moment we clock out. This split can leave us feeling disconnected, wondering if our professional lives hold any real, lasting purpose beyond a paycheck.

When we look for models of a faith-filled life, we often turn to towering figures like the Apostle Paul. We envision him as a theologian, a missionary, and a church planter—a spiritual giant far removed from the mundane reality of our 9-to-5 work. However, in doing so, we overlook a critical aspect of his identity: Paul was a skilled craftsman. He was a tentmaker, a blue-collar tradesman from Tarsus, a city famous for its goat-hair cloth called cilicium. He spent countless hours working with his hands.

This article explores four surprising and counterintuitive lessons from Paul's life as a labourer that can radically reframe our modern perspective on work, faith, and purpose.

1. He was a tradesman, and for centuries, almost no one cared.

For all the volumes written about the Apostle Paul, his trade as a tentmaker is characteristically relegated to the periphery. Most studies of his life and ministry give his manual labour, at best, a passing mention. Scholars have historically been far more concerned with his theological contributions and his role in early church history, often dismissing the very work that supported his mission.

This scholarly neglect is so profound that it has been formally acknowledged by experts in the field, who note that the subject has been almost entirely overlooked.

"Paul's tentmaking has never been the subject of a book-length investigation. Indeed, apart from a few exceptions, those who discuss Paul's trade... do so only in passing with the consequence that their statements are derivative and perfunctory...scholars are content to dispose of Paul's trade with comments that are thoroughly predictable." — Ronald Hock, The Social Context of Paul's Ministry.

This oversight is more than a historical footnote; it reveals a persistent bias that divorces theology from the very soil of daily life in which it grew. Acknowledging Paul as a tradesman is crucial for Christians in the marketplace today because it grounds the "theological titan" in the everyday reality of manual labour. It demonstrates a model of resilience, adaptability, and ethical integrity, presenting him not as an abstract thinker but as a relatable model who embodied his message in the marketplace.

2. He chose to work, even when he had the right to be fully funded.

In the ancient world, itinerant teachers like Paul had several means of support. There were at least five standard options: charging fees for teaching, begging for alms, securing a wealthy patron, receiving gifts from congregations, or working a trade. Paul deliberately chose the last option—the hardest and least popular path.

He was fully aware of his rights. In his letter to the Corinthian church, he argued forcefully that apostles had the right to be financially supported by the communities they ministered to (1 Corinthians 9). Yet, he voluntarily chose not to exercise this right. This was a deliberate and strategic decision, driven by several key motivations: to avoid being a financial burden, to protect the integrity of the gospel from accusations of profiteering, and to set a model of diligence for other believers.

This choice was not only counterintuitive but also costly. Paul’s opponents used his self-support as a weapon against him, arguing it proved he was a "weak" and illegitimate apostle who lacked the authority to command support. In a world that often seeks the path of least resistance, Paul deliberately chose a more challenging road—one that invited criticism and undermined his authority in the eyes of the world, all for the sake of his mission's integrity.

3. He demolished the 'sacred vs. secular' divide.

Paul did not live a compartmentalised life. His tentmaking and his apostleship were not two separate spheres of activity; they were seamlessly interwoven. He embodied the Gospel in the marketplace, demonstrating that faith was not an abstract belief system but a practical, lived reality.

His work was an intentional strategy and a platform for evangelism. The workshop he shared with fellow tentmakers Priscilla and Aquila was more than a place of business—it became a hub for building relationships, engaging in meaningful conversations, and discipling others in a natural, everyday context. While he preached in synagogues, he also demonstrated his faith through the cutting and stitching of leather and cloth.

This integrated approach was deeply rooted in Jewish tradition, which elevated honest work and considered learning a trade a moral obligation. Even the most esteemed Rabbis were expected to work for a living to maintain humility, a principle captured in stark rabbinic sayings. As one proverb states: "Whoever does not teach his son a craft teaches him to be a robber."

"The only Christian work is good work well done. Let the church see to it that the workers are Christian people and do their work well, as to God: then all work will be Christian work, whether it is Church, embroidery, or sewage farming." — Dorothy Sayers, "Why Work?" from Creed or Chaos (p. 58)

4. He never glorified his work—he called it 'hardship'.

The modern world tends to romanticise work, encouraging people to "find your passion" as if a meaningful calling should always feel effortless. Paul had no such glamorised view of his manual labour. His work was physically demanding, involving spinning raw goat hair, weaving it into the coarse fabric known as cilicium, and then cutting and sewing the heavy cloth with large needles. He was realistic about the toll it took on him.

When describing his work in his letters, he didn't use inspirational language. He used words that conveyed the harsh reality of his trade: "labour and travail" (1 Thessalonians 2:9), "hard toil and struggles," and "weariness and pain" (2 Corinthians 11:27). His work was both physically demanding and socially humbling.

Scholar Ronald Hock vividly captures the difficulty of Paul's chosen path:

"Tentmaking involved wearisome toil...sleeplessness, hunger, and thirst...and, in general, a life of having nothing, of being poor...When the physical exhaustion and the social humiliation that came from Paul's tentmaking are kept clearly in mind, it is easy to see that his boast of offering the gospel free of charge was truly a boast in his weakness as an artisan." — Ronald Hock, The Social Context of Paul's Ministry.

This is one of the most impactful lessons from Paul's work life. It validates the struggle, exhaustion, and frustration that often accompany our own jobs. It shows that meaningful, God-honouring labour isn't always glamorous or fulfilling in the way we expect it to be. Purpose is often forged in hardship, not in the absence of it.

Conclusion: Reclaiming Your Daily Work

The Apostle Paul’s example as a tentmaker offers a powerful corrective to our modern, often-divided view of faith and work. He models a life where everyday labour is not a distraction from our spiritual purpose but the very arena in which that purpose is lived out with integrity, grit, and missional focus.

By working with his hands, he demonstrated that no honest job is "secular," that sacrifice is essential to authentic witness, and that the most significant ministry often happens far from a pulpit. He shows us that our work, no matter how mundane it may seem, can be a platform for worship and a testament to the God we serve.

If Paul saw his workshop as a place of worship and witness, how might that change the way we see our own desks, workshops, and offices on Monday morning?

Check out the book "Your Work - God's Work" Available as a paperback or e-book from your local Amazon store or from the Compass Bookstore.

For Bible Study Groups - check out the study "Paul the Tentmaker." A 7-Part Bible Study on how Paul's theology of work and how he practised this during his missionary jrneys.