Work and Labor
Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia
—work was given to humanity by God before the Fall, when Adam was placed in the garden to till and keep it (Gen. 2:15). After the Fall, labor became burdened by toil and the resistance of the ground (Gen. 3:17–19), yet it remains necessary for one’s own needs, for service to others, and for generosity. Paul states, “if any would not work, neither should he eat” (2 Thess. 3:10), condemning idle refusal rather than weakness, illness, or involuntary unemployment.