Welcome to the MOR-Bible website

October 2022 Printable 206 KB .pdf

MOR-Bible, which is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, peace to you and grace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Father, thank you for your love, peace, and grace which you continually demonstrate to us daily through your son the Lord Jesus Christ. Father, thank you for working together with us each day to fulfill your Word. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

We continue with our word-based study of 2 Timothy 2:15 by looking at the word "workman" which is the Greek word ergates. 2 Timothy 2:15 tells us:

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman [the Greek word ergates] that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

The word "workman" is the Greek word ergates which means "a worker, a laborer; a worker or doer of anything." It is from the Greek root word ergon which means "to work." There are 16 occurrences of ergates in the Bible with nine (9) translated as "laborer," four (4) translated as "worker," and three (3) translated as "workman." Please note each will be bolded to emphasize its use as the Greek word ergates.

The sources for all Greek-English words are The Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament Bullinger (1975) and Young's Analytical Concordance to the Bible (1982). The Word Study Concordance by George V. Wigram and Ralph D. Winter (1972 and 1978) was also used for reference.

In the December 2021 teaching "Workers together with the one true God," we performed a Biblical word study on the Greek word sunergeo used for our English phrase "workers together." We learned that we, the born-again believers as children of God, help with and work together in conjunction with God our Father to get people saved or born-again of His Spirit so that they can come to the knowledge of the truth of His Word. We work and labor to know our Father's Will regarding His Word! Jesus showed us that it takes work and labor to teach, preach, and heal every sickness and every disease among the people.

Let's begin our study of the word "worker" and "laborer" or ergates. We will look at Matthew 9:37-38 with verses 35-36 documented for context.

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

Then saith he [Jesus] unto his disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers [ergates or workers] are few.

Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers [ergates or workers]into his harvest.

In these verses, we are taught that in the time that Matthew was written, the people were to pray to the Lord to send workers for the harvest. In our time, we are to pray for teachers who can teach us how to be born-again and how to come into the knowledge of the truth of God's Word.

Matthew 10:10 is our next verse for ergates with verses 1-9 documented for context.

And when he [Jesus] had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother.

Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus.

Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:

But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

And as ye go, preach, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,

Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman [ergates or workers] is worthy of his meat.

Jesus gave instructions on whom, where, and how the labors of the twelve disciples were to be conducted!

Matthew 20:1-2, 8 has our next usages of ergates with verses 3-7 as context.

For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers [ergates or workers] into his vineyard.

And when he had agreed with the labourers [ergates or workers] for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,

And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.

Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour and did likewise.

And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, why stand ye here all the day idle?

They say unto him, because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.

So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, [ergates or workers] and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.

In Luke 10: 2, 7, Jesus sent the 70 workers or laborers (ergates) out two-by-two to preach the Word and heal the sick in every city and place where he himself would come. Verses 1-2 are provided below, followed by verse 7.

After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.

Therefore, said he unto them [the seventy], the harvest truly is great, but the labourers [ergates or workers] are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers [ergates or workers] into his harvest.

Verse 7:

And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer [ergates or workers] is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.

Luke 13:27 shows us there are also workers of iniquity, deceitfulness, and evil!

But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are depart from me, all ye workers [ergates], of iniquity.

Acts 19:25:

Whom he [Demetrius] called together with the workmen [ergates], of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.

2 Corinthians 11:13 has our next example of ergates or workers. We will read verses 1-12 for context:

Would to God ye could bear with me [Paul] a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.

For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with [us] him.

For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.

But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.

Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?

I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.

And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.

As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.

But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers [ergates] transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

Just look at the world today with its false apostles and deceitful workers. All over social media we see the spread of false information and lies! That old serpent, the devil, who beguiled Eve through his subtilty, has corrupted the minds from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Turn to Philippians 3:1-3. Verse 2 has the use of ergates.

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.

Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers [ergates], beware of the concision.

For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

We are to beware of who? Evil workers! The word "beware" is used three (3) times in this verse. The number three (3) throughout the Word of God signifies divine perfection, wholeness, and completeness. "Beware" is the Greek word blepo which means "to see, denotes the act of seeing." It is also applied to mental vision, to consider, contemplate in order to behold, take heed. We are to beware of who? Evil workers!

1 Timothy 5:18:

For the scripture saith, thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And the labourer [ergates or workers] is worthy of his reward.

2 Timothy 2:15:

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman [ergates or workers] that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

James 5:4:

Behold, the hire of the labourers [ergates or workers] who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.

In this teaching, we continued with our word-based study of 2 Timothy 2:15 by looking at the word "workman" and "laborers" which are the Greek word ergates which means "a worker, a laborer; a worker or doer of anything." It is from the Greek root word ergon which means "to work." There are 16 occurrences of ergates in the Bible with nine (9) translated as "laborer," four (4) translated as "worker" three (3) translated as "workman."

We learned there are various kinds of workers, such as workers that teach, preach, and demonstrate the power of God by operating the manifestations of the gift of holy spirit. We also learned there are workers of iniquity or sin, deceitfulness, and evil!

Our heart's desire is to be workers and laborers with God our Father and His son the Lord Jesus Christ! Father, thank you for working in us both to Will and to do of your good pleasure so that we can be workers and labors with you Father and with your son the Lord Jesus Christ! Amen.

Bless your hearts, you're the best. We love you.

In the Lord,

Ministry of Reconciliation
Son of God through Jesus Christ
Ambassador for Christ

Return to the Top