Bible Reading:
Romans 16:1-6
1I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:
2That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.
3Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:
4Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.
5Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.
6Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us.
Devotional:
At first glance this section may have seemed an unlikely source for devotional meditation. But it calls to mind two subjects that are appropriate for us to consider: that all members of the family of God have a vital function; and that the family of God has reached a new significance since Calvary.
In our zeal to preserve God's order for society we sometimes underestimate the place He has given to women in His family, the church. They do not, as the conservative Christian holds, have official teaching positions. They are not elders, either teaching or ruling elders. But we see here in Scripture that God did use them to assist the apostles, not only in the kitchen and sewing-room but in the handling of God's Word and in dealing with people. They were an integral part of the body of Christ, using their many gifts where they are appropriate. And so it is today.
Here the readers in Rome (and this surely included men!) were instructed to assist Phoebe in any business in which she might have a need of their help! Priscilla and Aquila are said to have been helpers who 'laid down their own necks' for Paul's life (16:4). Women figure largely among those who are greeted. There is no discrimination on the basis of sex in the family of God.
In Old Testament times, except for a few strangers who were welcomed, the 'faithful' were of one blood. They were a family as children of their Covenant God and a family as children of Abraham as well. There was a bond of fellowship that bound them doubly.
Today, and we see this in our reading in Romans, even though the bond is not biological, even though the 'faithful' are drawn from Jew and Gentile, black and white, rich and poor, there is a bond which is even stronger still than that in the Old Testament. The biological family is just as important in God's eyes as it was in any time of history, but with the emergence of the cross-family fellowship of the body of Christ we see a new phenomenon such as the Old Testament writers do not give us. And Christians can never be content until all their natural families are embraced in the spiritual or supernatural family.
This chapter becomes more precious as we see in it the functions of each member of the family and as we see also the place of the family of God in society. O God, we thank You that all of Your Word is profitable to us.
We are happy to have obtained permission to post as our current daily devotional Heirs Together of Life: Daily Bible Reading for Husbands and Wives, published by The Banner of Truth Trust. Don't be misled by the subtitle. As the book's "Preface" indicates (see below), although Heirs Together of Life is "especially prepared for couples,"the authors declare, "Since the basis for this guide is God's Word, we believe it would have value for any reader."
Charles and Norma Ellis are husband and wife and the authors not only of Heirs Together of Life (which was first published in 1980 and continues in print today), but also of Wells of Salvation (first published in 1985, and likewise still in print today). The latter contains a series of short studies covering the entire book of Isaiah, while the former contains a series of almost 200 short studies covering the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Both books by the Ellises can be ordered from the publisher, The Banner of Truth Trust. We trust that these daily Bible readings, posted daily on our site, will be helpful to you in your Christian walk before God. Whether married or not, all of us are members of families and members of the family of God.
Charles Ellis was educated at Wheaton College and Westminster Theological Seminary. Upon graduation from Westminster (where he earned not only a Th.B. but also a Th.M.), he was ordained to the ministry in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and pastored a number of OPC churches, including Immanuel OPC in West Collingswood, New Jersey; First OPC in Cincinnati, Ohio; Covenant OPC in East Orange, New Jersey; Knox OPC in Silver Spring, Maryland; and Lakeview OPC in Rockport, Maine. Less biographical information is available about his wife, but it is known that they served as parents of seven children. After retiring from the ministry, Charles Ellis went to be with the Lord in 2003, but he and his wife left us with a beautiful legacy in the two books they have given to the world, and we are proud to share the daily Bible readings from Heirs Together of Life here with you.
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