Page 22 - January 2025 - Truth & Tidings

nique in this month’s issue featur- their own necks for my life.” Both part-
ing women is Priscilla, because ners in this marriage are called “cowork-
Ushe is the only subject in the ers”; in fact, Priscilla is the only woman
series whose devotion to the Lord is seen explicitly given this appellation in the
through the window of her marriage. Be- Scriptures. And both of them “risked their
ing a wife is not the Lord’s purpose for own necks.” They worked and sacrificed,
all women, but it is a good and normal and did so together. Christian marriages
role for a young woman to desire. God are enhanced by shared spiritual values
has provided marriage as the foundation and shared avenues of service. Not every
and bond of family life, and therefore stage of life makes it easy, but look for
as a fundamental building block for so- opportunities to be jointly involved in
ciety. So strong marriages are blessings serving the Lord. And if it seems like you
to their communities as well as to local have a little more spiritual zeal than your
churches. Admittedly, marriage entails partner at the moment, pray for him, and
personal sacrifice – for both parties. For be intentional about verbally encouraging
some women, this will involve forgoing and supporting him in his contributions
career opportunities, particularly when in the local church.
children are in the picture, though taking
care of one’s family doesn’t look identical Their Ministry of Hospitality
in every home. But one of the ways that Earlier in Romans, Paul wrote, “Share
women enhance the testimony of the Lord with the saints in their needs; pursue
is through committing themselves to one hospitality” (12:13). The believers in Rome
man and his leadership in their life (Titus knew that they had a model to imitate
2:4-5). “A wife of noble character is her among them in Priscilla and Aquila – a
husband’s crown” (Pro 12:4). Priscilla church met in their home (16:5). Earlier
1
and her husband, Aquila, are mentioned they had lived in Ephesus and a church
six times in the New Testament and are met in their house there (1Co 16:19). In
always presented together. Sometimes it
is “Aquila and Priscilla,” sometimes it is fact, the first time we are introduced to
“Priscilla and Aquila,” but they are always them in Scripture, it is in the context of
seen as united partners in devotion to the their hospitality – Paul stayed with them
Lord and His people. in Corinth (Act 18:3). And later in that
same chapter, they open their home to
Their Partnership in the Work Apollos to teach him more of the Scrip-
of the Lord tures (v26). They seemed to share the
In Romans 16:3-4, Paul wrote, “Give conviction that the gospel comes with a
house key. Do you appreciate that your
2
my greetings to Prisca and Aquila, my
coworkers in Christ Jesus, who risked 2 The Gospel Comes With a House Key (Wheaton,
IL: Crossway, 2018) is the title of a lovely and
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the challenging book by Rosaria Butterfield on the
CSB. value of Christian hospitality.

22 TRUTH kTidings January 2025