“Name dropping”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Friday, October 27, 2023
1 Corinthians 16:10-24 (Forward, p. 90) CEV p. 1204
It is quite obvious from today’s passage that the apostle Paul is not a ‘one man show and band.’ He is clearly a team player, and here he mentions and honours the contributions of a number of his fellow workers:
Timothy, the son of a Jewish female convert and Greek and non-
believing husband, he was one of Paul’s closest co-workers and
associates, often accompanying Paul in his travels;
Apollos, a very eloquent and erudite preacher from Alexandra in
Egypt, who, though thoroughly knowledgable about the Scriptures,
had to be helped to a fuller knowledge of Jesus by Priscilla and
Aquila;
Stephanas & his family, Paul’s first converts in Greece, whom he also
baptised, so this made them all the more special to Paul. But from
this passage, it would seem that they were far more than this in
serving God and furthering His ministry; in fact, he identifies them as
leaders in the church;
Fortunatus & Achaicus: nothing more is known of them with any
certainty, which is very interesting, and noteworthy. Here two
otherwise unknown believers are singled out for praise in supporting
Paul in his ministry. This certainly points to the countless unnamed
believers over the centuries who have worked unseen and unsung
behind the scenes to further God’s work;
Aquila & Priscilla & the church that met in their home. As mentioned
above, they were instrumental in assisting and completing the
ministry of Apollos. And, what is perhaps even more significant is
that they shared the same occupation as Paul, tent-making, such that
they worked together at this craft for some time and may have even
have lived together.
All in all, Paul not only acknowledges all these folks and praises them for their contributions, contributions big or small, known or unknown, but also asks people to show them the appropriate appreciation, honour them, obey
them and imitate them. He wants it known that these folks are fully part of his ministry. And, well should this be also said of each of us, that we are all integral parts of God’s ministry in the here and now.
Forward notes: “Let all that you do be done in love” (verse 14).
“Love fills the pages of Scripture. This verse comes toward the end of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. He has given lots of advice to a group of people who have endured various conflicts and disagreements. A few chapters earlier, we hear him talk about the importance of love. Here, as Paul prepares to depart, he encourages them to keep the faith and be courageous and strong.
‘Presiding Bishop Michael Curry [of the American Episcopal Church] is fond of saying, “if it’s not about love, it’s not about God.’ Paul is clear that as believers in God and followers of Jesus, we must act in love at all times. But this is something easier said than done. All too often, we fall short and do not act in love in the way we should.
“Paul leaves the Corinthians with these words of inspiration, an aspirational goal to always keep love at the centre of their actions. We, as modern-day Christians, would do well to keep love in the centre of our actions, even when we encounter a person or situation we find challenging.”
Moving Forward: “Share the love. Support the ministry of Forward Movement through your donations. Visit ForwardMovement.org/Donate.”