Unlimited: All the Churches Are Grateful to Them
Dec 25, 2023 311
They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them (Romans 16:4).
At that time, there were no “denominations” among the “churches of the Gentiles.” There is a deep sense in this verse of the essential unity of the church, spread out wherever it may be.
Paul is here referring to an incident which was obviously well-known among the churches, in which, as the Greek of Rom. 16:4 literally says, Priscilla and Aquila had “laid down their own necks” for Paul, as the KJV translates it. There is no record in Scripture of this dramatic event, yet it is forever remembered in the records of heaven. Certainly, Paul never forgot it, nor the debt he owed them.
It is important to be grateful for what others have done so that we might receive, and be encouraged in, the Gospel.
All the churches of the Gentiles were under a debt of gratitude to Priscilla and Aquila for having saved Paul, so that they could be blessed through him. They were also grateful to them because Priscilla and Aquila’s own ministry had been vital in the spreading of the message about Jesus throughout the Gentile churches.
It is important to recognise and show gratitude within the body of Christ for what others have done so that we might receive, and be encouraged in, the Gospel. While those who have brought the saving message of Jesus to you may not have necessarily risked as much as Priscilla and Aquila, sharing the Gospel is never done without sacrifice.
Spiritual Application
The Gospel never comes without sacrifice. Can you think of someone who sacrificed much so that you personally might have the Gospel today? What can you do to thank them, and if they are no longer alive, to thank God for them?
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