The Greek ergasia denotes work, labor, trade, or the profit derived from work. It encompasses both the activity of working and the gain it produces. Derived from ergon (work/deed), it appears in contexts of trade, spiritual diligence, and the exploitation of others for financial gain.
Luke uses ergasia in two contrasting senses that reveal the word's moral possibilities. In Acts 16:16-19, the owners of the slave girl exploited her for ergasia (profit) through her fortune-telling — a commerce built on demonic power and human trafficking. Paul cast out the spirit, ending their ergasia. In contrast, Paul's farewell to the Ephesian elders commends his own pattern of manual labor (ergasia) to support himself, modeling selfless work that does not burden others (Acts 20:34-35). The word captures the moral ambiguity of human economic activity: the same work ethic can exploit the vulnerable or serve the community. The Christian vision of ergasia is work done in love, not for exploitation.