October 22, 2019
Romans 16:1-5
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae.  I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.  Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus.  They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.  Greet also the church that meets at their house.  Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.
New International Version (NIV)
                 “With whom will we travel when we get older?”  I asked Melanie.  She asked, “Why?” with a  puzzled look on her face.  I had just attended the funeral of the wife of a fellow pastor in our city.  Their friend and traveling partner spoke about the sacrament of friendship and how they had traveled together.  I never met the pastor or his wife, but Melanie and I had a good conversation, agreeing we needed friends to finish well.  Studies show that people with a few strong friendships do better physically and cognitively than those who are isolated or only connected by computer through social networking.  So we travel with good friends at least once a year.

                The Apostle Paul finished well, in part, because he had friends.  He writes to and about a long list of them in the final chapter of Romans.  We sometimes speed through these portions of scripture, thinking they are less important.  In so doing we are wrong.  Scot McKnight says this passage demonstrates that Paul didn’t speak about his partners in the church only as friends but also as siblings.  So there is Phoebe, likely a deacon who served in the church at Cenchreae.  I once called her a sister, a servant and a saint as I recommended Debbie Ferrier to serve in leadership in the Baptist General Convention of Texas.  Paul trusted her.  Most scholars think she is the one carrying this letter to the five house churches in Rome.  As such she likely read Paul’s magnificent words in Romans 8 for the first time out loud in a church.

                Then there is Priscilla who with her husband Aquila explained the word of God to Apollos more accurately (Acts 18:26).  Luke tells us a woman and her husband explained the Bible to this promising preacher.  Now they have a church in their house (16:5).  This may make us nervous.  We might be more comfortable with rules like, “Let the women be silent in church meetings . . .” than we are with the New Testament’s descriptions of the role of women in the early church.  Last at the cross, first at the empty tomb, proclaiming the wonders of God at Pentecost, women were gifted by God to lead in the church.  Reference again Peter’s explanation of Pentecost as the fulfillment of Joel:  “I will pour out my Spirit upon all mankind and your sons and daughters will prophesy” (2:17-18).  I don’t remember my pastors preaching that when I was a boy.  I wish they had.  It’s right there in the Bible.

                I think of our friend Beth Moore who used to run into us in places like Switzerland and Israel.  She has taken strong fire from famous male preachers for using the gifts God has given her.  Beth has not usurped the roles of others, but she has used her good God-given gift so very well to proclaim the truth of scripture.  As we grow older, we thank God for our sisters and brothers in the body of Christ.  Not only do we worship and use our spiritual gifts together.  We do life together.  It is a sacrament of friendship and family.  How poor we would be without it.  How very poor.
Pray with me:       
Father, how we thank you for lavishing your love in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.  Thank you for sisters and brothers who have heard your call, answered and served you so well.  Thank you for brothers and sisters in the body of Christ.  Help us to travel this journey together well.  Life is so hard when we are alone.  So let the goodness of your presence bring us closer in relationships with one another in the body of Christ.  For the sake of his beautiful name, we pray.  Amen.
This year our Every Day with Jesus readings will follow The Bible Project Read Scripture Plan.  Copies of this reading plan are available at Tallowood Baptist Church, or download 
the app at readscripture.org.  Read through the Bible with us in 2019!
Joyfully, 
Duane 
About Duane Archives
 Copyright 2019. All Rights Reserved.
Manage your preferences | Opt out using TrueRemove™
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
View this email online.
555 Tallowood Road
Houston, TX | 77024 US
This email was sent to .
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.
Subscribe to our email list.