Acts 20:35

“In all things I gave you an example, that so labouring you ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, which he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive'.”

And now he wants them to take what he has done as an example that they too might labour without charge, helping the weak and remembering what the Lord Jesus Himself had taught, ‘it is more blessed to give than to receive'. Thus they are to be givers, not receivers. For those who give are the ones who will truly be blessed, for they enjoy both the thrill of giving and benefiting others, and the certainty that the Lord will reward them (Matthew 10:42).

This may have been Paul's interpretation of sayings such as, ‘freely you have received, freely give' (Matthew 10:8). ‘Give to him who asks of you' (Matthew 5:42; Luke 6:30). ‘Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you measure out, in that way it will be measured to you again' (Luke 6:38). ‘But rather give charitably of such things as you have; and, behold, all things are clean to you (Luke 11:41). ‘Sell what you possess, and give charitable gifts. Provide yourselves with wallets which do not grow old, a treasure in the heaven that does not fail, where no thief approaches, nor moth spoils' (Luke 12:33). The thought is certainly the same. But there is really no reason why Paul might not have known of such an actual saying. We do in fact lack considerable amounts of what Jesus taught, and it has His ring to it.

On these words of Jesus about being more blessed to give than to receive, which epitomised his whole message, he ended his message. He had given them much to think about as to how to conduct their own ministries.