Hardworking (2872) (kopiao from kopos = labor, fatigue) This root word kopos (word study) is used in secular Greek of “a beating,” “weariness” (as though one had been beaten) and “exertion,” was the proper word for physical tiredness induced by work, exertion or heat. Kopiao means to to exhibit great effort and exertion, to the point of sweat and exhaustion. To physically become worn out, weary or faint. To engage in hard work with the implication of difficulty and trouble. The present tense pictures continual wearying, tiring activity. This is the "Christian farmer's" way of life. Momentary light affliction is producing for such "farmers" an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison (cp 2Co 4:17). Kopiao speaks of intense, hard, wearisome toil even to the point of utter exhaustion if necessary. The work described by kopiao was left one so weary it was as if the person had taken a beating. Kopiao describes not so much the actual exertion as the weariness which follows the straining of all one's powers to the utmost. Lightfoot says that kopiao... is used especially of the labor undergone by the athlete in his training. MacArthur adds that kopiao does not stress the amount of work, but rather the effort. A man’s reward from God is proportional to the excellence of his ministry and the effort he puts into it. Excellence combined with diligence mark a man worthy of the highest honor. (MacArthur, John: 1Timothy Moody Press or Logos) Kopiao is used 24 times in the NT in the NASB and is translated: diligently labor, 1; grown weary, 1; hard-working, 1; labor, 3; labored, 4; labors, 1; toil, 4; wearied, 1; weary, 1; work hard, 1; worked, 2; worked hard, 1; worked hard worked hard, 1; workers, 1; working hard, 1. Matthew 6:28 (note) "And why are you anxious about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, Matthew 11:28-Matthew 11:28-30 Come (aorist imperative - Command that conveys sense of urgency - Do it now! Don't delay!) to Me, all who are weary (kopiao) and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest (contest = Mt 11:29, 30) Luke 5:5 And Simon answered and said, "Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but at Your bidding I will let down the nets." Luke 12:27 "Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these. John 4:6 and Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. John 4:38 "I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor (kopos)." Acts 20:35 "In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Romans 16:6 (note) Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. Romans 16:12 (note) Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, workers in the Lord. Greet Persis the beloved, who has worked hard in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 4:12 and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; 1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. 1 Corinthians 16:16 that you also be in subjection to such men and to everyone who helps in the work and labors. Galatians 4:11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain. Ephesians 4:28 (note) Let him who steals steal no longer; but rather let him labor, performing with his own hands what is good, in order that he may have something to share with him who has need. Philippians 2:16 (note) holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may have cause to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. Colossians 1:29 (note) And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. 1Thessalonians 5:12 (note) But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, 1 Timothy 4:10 (note) For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. 1 Timothy 5:17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. 2 Timothy 2:6 (note) The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops. Revelation 2:3 (note) and you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary. Kopiao is used 34 times in the Septuagint (LXX) (Dt 25:18; Jos 24:13; Jdg 5:26; 1Sa 6:12; 14:31; 17:39; 2Sa 17:2; 23:7, 10; Job 2:9; 20:18; 39:16; Ps. 6:6; 69:3; 127:1; Pr 4:12; Is 5:27; 16:12; 30:4; 31:3; 33:24; 40:28, 30, 31; 43:22; 45:14; 46:1; 47:13, 15; 49:4; 57:10; 63:13; 65:23; Jer 2:24; 17:16; 51:58; La 5:5). Figuratively kopiao means to become emotionally fatigued and/or discouraged and thus to lose heart and/or give up. Jesus addressing the church at Ephesus says... And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured (kopiao), and hast not fainted. (Re 2:3KJV-note) Comment: Are you growing weary in your Christian life? Look to Jesus and His exhortation which is timeless and filled with edifying wisdom. Dear child of the King, press on in His power, for He has already won the victory, and though your battle may now seem intense, it is only for a short time compared to eternity!) (See commentary on Isaiah 40:31 = How to "Fly Like An Eagle") Paul explained to the Corinthians the "secret" of his ability to work hard writing... But (despite the fact that he was the least of all apostles) by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored (kopiao) even more than all of them, yet (Note: this is the key to life on the highest plain, a life that bears much fruit, fruit that endures for eternity) not I, but the grace of God with me (1Cor 15:10) Comment: Here is the "secret" of the Christian life in a nutshell! Not you striving (referring to your "natural" strength) to live the Christian life, but learning to die to self (cp Mk 8:34, 35) that He might live His life (in His supernatural strength) through you. To a large extent, this is a mysterious coalition or cooperation and one which is difficult to explain but it is the (only) way of victorious living in Christ, abiding in the Vine living (Jn 15:5), a walking by the Spirit type life (Gal 5:16-note) Paul's deep desire to "present every man complete in Christ" caused him to "labor (kopiao), striving according to His power, which mightily" worked within him (Col 1:28, 29-see notes Col 1:28; 29). This use by Paul gives us insight what is entailed by the picture of a hardworking farmer. These passages in Colossians describe the balance one should seek in their Christian life and ministry. J B Phillips paraphrases Colossians 1:29-note this way... This is what I am working at all the time, with all the strength that God gives me. J Vernon McGee commenting on Colossians adds... Oh, this should be the desire of everyone today who is working for Christ—that He would work in us mightily to do two things: to get out the gospel that men might be saved and then to build them up in the faith. These are the two things the church should be doing today. (McGee, J V: Thru the Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson or Logos) Paul writing to the Thessalonians says... we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor (kopiao) among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction. (see note 1Thessalonians 5:12) The faithful pastor works hard among his people and ministers to them as a shepherd cares for his sheep. In a parallel instruction Paul says to Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. (1Ti 5:17) There has to be a commitment to diligence and hard work when you search the Scriptures in preparation for preaching and teaching. The preacher and teacher must be the very opposite of the “sluggard” in Proverbs... The sluggard does not plow after the autumn, So he begs during the harvest and has nothing. (Pr 20:4) I passed by the field of the sluggard, and by the vineyard of the man lacking sense. And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles. Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. (Pr 24:30, 31) If the farmer works hard, he should be the first to take his share of the crops a principle found even in the Old Testament... (Moses asks) And who is the man that has planted a vineyard and has not begun to use its fruit? Let him depart and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man begin to use its fruit. (Dt. 20:6) Proverbs instructs us that... He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit; And he who cares for his master will be honored. (Pr 27:18). Constable explains that... A farmer must continue to sow seed and water it if he or she wants to harvest its fruit. Likewise the farmer for Christ must plant and nourish the gospel seed if he or she eventually expects to reap the fruit of God’s Word in the lives of people. All three illustrations imply dogged persistence and hold out the prospect of reward for the faithful. (Expository Notes) Hendriksen commenting on the metaphor of God's workman as a farmer emphasizes that... Not only will his own faith be strengthened, his hope quickened, his love deepened, and the flame of his gift enlivened, so that he will be blessed “in his doing” (Jas 1:25 [note] - But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.), but in addition he will see in the lives of others the beginnings of those glorious fruits that are mentioned in Gal 5:22, 23 (see notes Ga 5:22; 23). (Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. NT Commentary Set. Baker Book or Logos) And so we see Paul write to the saints at Rome... And I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented thus far) in order that I might obtain some fruit (karpos) among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles. (Ro 1:13-note) In his letter to the beloved saints at Philippi Paul writes... But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful (karpos) labor (ergon - ergs a unit to measure work or energy expended) for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. (Php 1:22, 23, 24-notes) (See notes on similar idea in 1Th 2:19, 20-note) The angel explained to Daniel this same principle of rewards to faithful farmers declaring that... those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. (Da 12:3) TOUGH TALK vs HARD WORK “When all is said and done, there is more said than done.” It ought not to be that way! Luther worked so hard that many days, according to his biographers, he fell into bed. Moody’s bedtime prayer on one occasion, as he rolled his bulk into bed, was, “Lord, I’m tired! Amen.” John Wesley rode sixty to seventy miles many days of his life and preached an average of three sermons a day, whether he was riding or not. Alexander Maclaren would get to his office when the workmen went to work so he could hear their boots outside, and would put on workmen’s boots to remind him why he was in his study. G. Campbell Morgan kept a newspaper clipping for twenty years, entitled “Sheer Hard Work,” and said: What is true of the minister is true of every man who bears the name of Christ. We have not begun to touch the great business of salvation when we have sung, “Rescue the perishing, care for the dying.” We have not entered into the business of evangelizing the city or the world until we have put our own lives into the business, our own immediate physical endeavor, inspired by spiritual devotion. Paul’s ministerial drive is a model for us all. We will never have an authentic, apostolic ministry unless we are willing to work to the point of exhaustion (Hughes, R. K. Colossians and Philemon: The Supremacy of Christ: Crossway Books or Logos). In his first letter to Timothy Paul explained that he was willing to labor (kopiao) and strive to discipline himself for godliness because he knew that "godliness is profitable for all things" holding "promise for the present life and also for the life to come" (1Ti 4:7, 8, 9, 10, 11-see notes 1Ti 4:7; 4:8; 4:9; 10; 11) Later in that same epistle Paul associated (as in this verse on the hardworking farmer) the idea of hard work and reward, writing: Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard (kopiao) at preaching and teaching. (1Ti 5:1) Kopiao was sometimes used to refer to athletic training. It is not surprising that kopiao was also a verb commonly used in descriptions of the down-trodden masses of the Roman world. Kopiao emphasizes the intensity of labor required of Christian farmers who would be about the business of making disciples. Simply put...it's hard work! James reminds us that a farmer needed patience telling his readers Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. (Jas 5:7). As someone has said The harvest is not the end of the meeting but at the end of the age! Amen Those who labor for the Lord are blessed and rewarded here and hereafter.