Category: Christian brethren

Do Good Unto the Saints

Friday, August 5, 2011

“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10 KJV).

In light of Israel’s coming kingdom of prosperity, Christ commanded His Jewish disciples, “Sell that ye have, and give alms” (Luke 12:31-34). In the early Acts period, this “little flock” sold their possessions and had “all things common” (Acts 2:44-47; Acts 4:32–5:2). Eventually, this pool of wealth ran dry, for the Bible speaks of “the poor saints which are at Jerusalem” (Romans 15:26).

Still, God took care of His people in Jerusalem. God’s Word motivated the Gentiles that were saved under Paul’s ministry to donate goods and money to the poor Jewish saints in Jerusalem. When Paul would travel to Jerusalem, he would take those contributions to the little flock (Romans 15:25-28; 1 Corinthians 16:1-3).

The Apostle James wrote to his Jewish readers who would experience the famine of the seven-year Tribulation (2:15,16): “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?”

Notice how the Apostle John agrees with James: “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him” (1 John 3:17)? Does it make sense for a Christian to refuse to help fellow Christians in their time of need? Of course not.

Grace teaches us to do good unto all, but to do good chiefly unto our fellow Christians. When we refuse to help struggling Christian brethren, we are, in effect, refusing to help Christ Himself! When we see Christians who are in need, God’s love working in us motivates us to help them in any way that we can.

In Romans 12:13, we read of Christian service. One act of Christian service is “distributing to the necessity of the saints….”

Aquila and Priscilla

Sunday, July 10, 2011

“Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles” (Romans 16:3,4 KJV).

In Acts 18:1-3, during his second apostolic journey, the Apostle Paul came to Corinth for the first time. It was here that he met Aquila and Priscilla, a Jewish husband and his Jewess wife who recently emigrated from Rome. Like Paul, they were tentmakers by craft, so the Apostle lodged with them. During that time spent with Paul, Aquila and Priscilla came to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour.

From subsequent verses, we learn that Aquila and Priscilla became a husband-wife ministry team, laboring alongside Paul in the Gospel (Acts 18:18). Finally, Paul left them at Ephesus. There in Ephesus, Aquila and Priscilla met Apollos, a Jew who was not using the Bible correctly. The Bible says they explained God’s way “more perfectly” to Apollos (Acts 18:24-26).

When writing to the Corinthians, in the A.D. mid-50s, Paul penned, “Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house” (1 Corinthians 16:19). Aquila and Priscilla’s house served as the meeting place for a local Christian assembly! Suddenly, the Bible is silent about them for many years.

By the time Paul writes his final epistle, 2 Timothy, circa A.D. 66-68, Aquila and Priscilla have been saved for approximately ten years. Thankfully, they are some of the few Christians who have not abandoned Paul. Just before dying, Paul writes, “Salute Prisca and Aquila…” (2 Timothy 4:19).

In today’s Scripture, Aquila and Priscilla are noted for risking their lives for the Apostle Paul. Precisely what they did is unknown, but let us always be willing to risk our lives in order to preserve the lives of our Christian brethren. After all, if Christ laid down His life for us, surely we can lay down our lives for others, especially for those in Christ.

Aquila and Priscilla, two saints of mighty deeds!

Seek Another’s Wealth

Thursday, June 9, 2011

“Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth” (1 Corinthians 10:24 KJV).

Today’s Scripture sits in the context of whether or not it was acceptable for Christians to eat foods that had been offered to pagan idols (this is not a problem for us today). Paul instructed the Corinthians that although God did not forbid them from eating foods offered to pagan idols, they should not eat those foods in the presence of weak believers who did not think it was appropriate to eat those foods (1 Corinthians 10:25-33). The Apostle Paul also dealt with this issue in Romans 14.

The Bible says (1 Corinthians 10:23): “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.” In this the Dispensation of Grace, we are not bound to observe the Mosaic Law. Paul does not instruct us, “Thou shalt…” and “Thou shalt not….” However, “all things are not expedient [profitable, beneficial].” Why? “All things edify not.” Galatians 5:1 says we have liberty in Christ, but let us remember that our actions may tear down someone (and not “edify,” or build them up). See also Galatians 5:13.

In Romans 12:10, the Bible says: “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;” That word “preferring” means to put the Christian brethren before yourself! Before you take action, consider how it may affect others. Will it destroy the Christian fellowship? Or, will it encourage and strengthen your Christian brethren? The “What can I get out of it” attitude brought on by our sinful flesh is overruled by the Bible instructing us to say, “What can others get out of it?”

Most importantly, we recall that the Lord of glory, Jesus Christ, left heaven, “took upon himself the form of a servant” and “humbled himself” (Philippians 2:5-11). Christ Jesus thoroughly demonstrated that He loved us and He endured Calvary’s pain and shame because He was seeking our wealth… our forgiveness and our salvation!