The Monday Memo from John Stanko

841: Priscilla

This week's installment in my series on women of purpose in the Bible focuses on a woman who was never named apart from her husband, but was always mentioned first and appeared to be an equal to her husband as they taught, traveled, and pastored. Her name was Priscilla, and her husband's name was Aquila. Let's look at what we know about this woman.

THE INTRODUCTION

We first meet her in Luke's Acts 18 account:

After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them (1-3).

After Paul got to know this couple, Luke reported,

Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila (Acts 18:18-19).

Priscilla and Aquila then made a major contribution by equipping a powerful minister named Apollos who needed more depth of understanding about the Way:

He [Apollos] began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately (Acts 18:26).

Luke made it clear that this was not a man who was supported by his wife. No, this was a ministry team and when he thought of them, Luke (as well as Paul) listed them together with Priscilla's name mentioned first. That is quite a statement about her worth and anointing in ministry, but there's more.

THE ENDORSEMENT

Paul wrote his letter to the Romans and had this to say about Priscilla and Aquila: "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" (Romans 16:3-5).

Paul stated that Priscilla was his co-worker who he trusted to pastor, teach, and lead the believers wherever she and her husband were, which included Corinth, Ephesus, and Rome (that also made them missionaries). When Paul wrote to the Corinthians and to Timothy, he mentioned the married team: "The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house" (1 Corinthians 16:19), and "Greet Priscilla and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus" (2 Timothy 4:19).

THE LESSON

Priscilla was a valuable asset to Paul as was her husband. He saw them both as effective ministers and was not including Priscilla as a concession to Aquila. Her ministry was not endorsed simply because she was married to Aquila; her ministry was sanctioned because God had gifted her. If God had gifted her, then no one had the right to diminish her call simply because she was a woman.

The Church has tried to do its work with one arm tied behind its back when it has attempted to limit or ignore women with Holy Spirit gifts. The same can be said for many other walks of life, like business, academics, and politics. The answer is not to launch a feminist movement so that women in general can be promoted or recognized. The answer is to treat women as men are treated: examine their lives for purpose and gifts and then empower them to operate as God intended.

The lesson from Priscilla is not that every woman married to a man in ministry should be his co-worker in that ministry. That should only happen when she is gifted to do so. When she is, she should be recognized, honored, and utilized as such. When she is not, then she should be released to the purpose God has for her, and equipped by the church for success.

If you are a woman, are you shying away from a role God has for you? Are you trying to embrace one He does not have for you? If you are a man, do you recognize women as equals when God has gifted them to do what you do? Are you empowering women where you work or minister without bias or envy? As you ponder these questions and others that this series may have raised in your mind, have a blessed week!

840: Always Doing Good

We continue our study of women of purpose in the Bible this week, and it is one of my favorite examples of purpose in the Bible. It is the story of a woman who was not well connected, did not have money or power, and did not touch hundreds of lives. She simply had a heart for the poor and the ability to sew, and she combined those two things into one of the more remarkable purpose expressions in God's word. Her name was Tabitha or Dorcas, and here is her story:

In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor. About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, "Please come at once!" Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord (Acts 9:36-42).

ANALYSIS

If you are like me, for many years, I made Peter the focus when I read the above passage. For this Memo, let's make Dorcas the focus. If Dorcas was alive today, she would have a sewing machine, a source for material, and a heart to sew for the poor. She was a "nothing" woman - she had no prestige or position - in a "nowhere" village who was helping 'nobody' people. Dorcas had nothing going for her except that she was a woman of purpose, always doing good and helping the poor. Therefore in reality, she had everything going for her.

When she walked through her village, she saw the same people everyone else saw, but she viewed them through the eyes of purpose. She saw poor women who needed clothing. Your purpose sensitizes you to things around you that you think everyone should or can see, but they cannot. You see them because it's part of who God made you to be. If you are thinking, "Why doesn't someone do something about what I see?", you don't understand that they cannot do something because they cannot see what you see. You are the somebody who needs to do something.

Dorcas took it upon herself to help her neighbors and obviously became an important part of the community. Then one day, Dorcas passed away and her neighbors were sad. In her day of trouble, however, when she could not cry out on her own behalf, the evidence of a life yielded to God's purpose cried out for her. Peter, the most significant spiritual leader at the time, broke off what he was doing to come down and view her dead body. He was so moved both by how much everyone missed Dorcas and by the impact she had made while she was alive that he brought her back from the dead to continue her work.

Once that happened, a revival broke out in Dorcas' village and she never even preached a message. She just did good deeds for poor people. What an amazing story.

APPLICATION

Do you see any needs around you that you can meet like Dorcas did? If you do, what are you waiting for? Go meet them! Are you hung up on what you don't have and what you can't do? Then start focusing on what you do have and can do. Have you convinced yourself that you can't make a difference in the world around you, or have you chosen not to make that difference? Either way, your thinking is wrong! The only reason you can't is that you have told yourself you can't and it has become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Please take the lessons from Dorcas' life to heart this week and follow her example. When you do, you have all of heaven's attention, no matter how trivial or insignificant what you are doing seems to be. It's time to stop examining what you don't have and consider what you do have, and that is a purpose that no one else can perform like you. It's time that you answer a difficult and challenging question: When you leave, will people miss you like they missed Dorcas? The only way you will be able to answer yes is to start fulfilling your purpose today, right now, where you are, with what you have. As you do, you will not only have a great week, but also a great life.

839: A Woman Leader

Last week, we looked at three women of faith who were involved in the life of baby Moses. The first was his mother, named Jochebed according to tradition, the second was Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted baby Moses, and the third was Miriam, Moses' older sister. We don't hear anything about the first two women after the story of Moses adoption in Exodus 2:1-10, but we do hear more about Miriam, so let's look at what we know as we continue this series on women of purpose in the Bible.

 A WOMAN OF FAITH

I pointed out last week that Miriam was a bold young girl with faith, for she emerged from the reeds along the river to speak with Pharaoh's daughter, the princess, and offer to find a woman to nurse the baby. That took courage and a bit of the dramatic, for Miriam had to "act" like she didn't know to whom the baby belonged.

Moses was raised in Pharaoh's household for 40 years, then fled into the wilderness for 40 years before he returned to order the then-ruling Pharaoh to "let My people go." Let's assume that Miriam was 10 years older than Moses, which would mean that she was 90 years old when Moses came back to Egypt to fulfill his purpose of delivering and leading Israel (and we see no mention that Miriam was married). We learn in Micah 6:4 that, "I [the Lord] brought you up from the land of Egypt, I redeemed you from the house of bondage; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam." It is commonly said that Moses, or perhaps Moses and Aaron led Israel out of Egypt. Few people include Miriam in a leadership role, but the Lord clearly saw her as one.

When the people of God crossed through the parted Red Sea, they saw Pharaoh's army destroyed by those same waters when they returned to their place. The elderly Miriam is referenced once again, identified as a prophet and a leader:

When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea" (Exodus 15:19-21, emphasis added).

A WOMAN OF POWER

We later learn in Numbers 12 that Miriam was unhappy with Moses' selection of a wife and enlisted Aaron in  criticizing Moses, perhaps feeling threatened or slighted by this foreign in-law. The Lord summoned the three siblings to His presence where He rebuked Miriam and Aaron. During that encounter, Miriam was smitten with leprosy: "So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back" (Numbers 12:15). It seems that the people could not move on during her seven-day ordeal, for her leadership and presence were an irreplaceable part of the people of God in the Wilderness.

Miriam was obviously a powerful woman with a significant leadership position, which she misused at one point to try and usurp Moses' position and authority. Nevertheless, she was faithful for many decades and even in her wayward moment, she became an example to God's people of how not to act, as well as an example of God's grace that restored her: "In cases of defiling skin diseases, be very careful to do exactly as the Levitical priests instruct you. You must follow carefully what I have commanded them. Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam along the way after you came out of Egypt" (Deuteronomy 24:8-9).

God expects women of purpose to function in their assignment, and that assignment may bring them into leadership. When they lead, they are held to the same standard as anyone else and are to use their leadership power to serve others, not to seek more power or authority. Have you, or a woman you know, held back from expressing your purpose because you were ambivalent about your gender? Then I urge you to consider Miriam and accept your purpose, or to encourage a woman who is struggling with that issue. God is not nearly as "hung up" on the gender issue as some of His people are, and He will continue to equip women with gifts and purpose. It is up to those women to accept God's assignment, and it is up to those around them to accept the fact that God will indeed choose and empower women of purpose to do His will and lead His people. Have a blessed week!

838: Three Women and a Baby

Happy New Year! I trust you enjoyed a good holiday season and that you are entering 2018 with hope and faith. I promised to resume our series on women of purpose in the Bible, so let's go back to the book of Exodus and look at not one, but three women, and their role in the life of one little baby who was eventually assigned the name of Moses.

MOTHER AND DAUGHTER

Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him (Exodus 2:1-4).

Moses' mother (the Torah reported that her name was Jochebed) gave birth to her son at a time when Pharaoh had ordered that all male babies be tossed into the Nile River to drown or be eaten by crocodiles. Many mothers complied, but Moses' mother saw that there was something different about her baby - that he was a "fine" or "no ordinary" child. She recognized her baby's purpose and decided to protect him.

When she could not hide him any longer, she finally complied with Pharaoh's decree. She put her child in the Nile, but first, she built and then placed him in a waterproof basket! That was a creative way to comply with the rule, and represented complete trust that God would oversee the purpose she had discovered in her baby's eyes.

Then the baby's sister, who we assume was Miriam, followed the basket as it floated down the river and got stuck in some reeds along the shore. Why would this young girl follow the basket's progress unless she and her mother believed that something good, something miraculous was going to transpire to save their son and brother.

PRINCESS AND SLAVE

Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said. Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” “Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him. When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, “I drew him out of the water" (Exodus 2:5-10).

Pharaoh's daughter had her slave retrieve the baby when they discovered him as the princess was ready to bathe. God had taken the baby right to royalty's bathtub, so to speak, and had the baby cry on cue so that the princess' sympathies were aroused. Moses' sister was not afraid and revealed herself and offered to find a woman to nurse the baby, and the princess agreed.

Pharaoh's daughter, like the baby's mother, defied the king's order and adopted the baby. Why didn't Pharaoh question where this baby came from? Why didn't one of the slaves report the princess' unusual act to the king?  That didn't happen because Moses floated down the river, not on the waters of the Nile, but on his mother's and sister's faith. That faith coincided with the princess' bathing schedule, that faith caused the baby to cry, that faith then caused Pharaoh's household to pay Moses' mother to nurse her own child!

LESSONS

All three of these women had faith and God used them all to carry out His plan to save His people through Moses, their leader and deliverer. While their names were not revealed or preserved, the product of their faith, Moses, is known by countless millions. Perhaps God has empowered you to recognize the purpose of someone else and is asking you to exercise faith that will encourage and nurture that person's destiny? Maybe you will derive your own livelihood from "nursing" the purpose of others, or invest your resources in their care and development? Or are you fearlessly to "follow" the river path of someone else to watch over and speak up for them when they cannot speak for themselves?

These three women changed history because they had faith. I encourage you to have the same kind of faith for those who are closest to you, and watch God fulfill His purpose through them because of you. Have a blessed week!