“Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who for my life risked their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles” (Romans 16:3-4, NASB).
“We know love by this, that Christ laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16, NASB).
These scriptures are not poetic abstractions; they are hard-hitting challenges that pierce our modern hearts. When Paul commended Prisca and Aquila for risking their lives, he wasn’t speaking hypothetically. They had embraced real danger for his sake and for the sake of Christ. Similarly, when John exhorts us to lay down our lives for the brethren, it’s not a suggestion. It’s a call to action rooted in Christ’s ultimate sacrifice for us.
These passages leave us with profound questions: How precious are the members of my local church to me? Would I risk my life for them? Would I “take the bullet” for a brother or sister in Christ? These are no light questions, but the Spirit of God doesn’t intend for us to avoid the hard truths of love.
A Love That Risks
The essence of Christian love is action, not sentimentality. Love that mirrors Christ’s is willing to risk, to sacrifice, and to endure. Prisca and Aquila are stunning examples. Paul, a man often surrounded by hostility, had people who valued his life above their own safety. Imagine their steadfast courage! Their actions embodied Christlike love, a love so compelling that it transforms fear into resolve and selfishness into sacrifice.
John’s words take us even deeper. “We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” isn’t theoretical theology—it’s life-giving truth. The example of Jesus, who bore the cross for sinners, becomes our model. If He could suffer for us, how can we withhold our love and care for others?
The Cost of Connection
This kind of love raises an important tension in our digital age. Technology has gifted us convenience but also created barriers to true connection. Can you genuinely love someone you’ve never met or interacted with only through a screen? The scriptures remind us of the irreplaceable value of embodied community. There’s something sacred about face-to-face fellowship, shared meals, and bearing one another’s burdens in person.
In Acts 2:42-47, we see the early church gathering daily, breaking bread, and meeting each other’s needs. Their love was vibrant and lived out. Today, while technology serves as a helpful tool, it can’t replace the commitment of physically walking alongside other believers. Without such ties, the idea of risking one’s life for another seems far removed.
How Precious Are the Saints?
It all circles back to this: Do we see our fellow saints as precious as Christ does? He purchased the church with His blood (Acts 20:28). Each believer is a treasure of immeasurable worth in His eyes. If we fail to see one another in this light, we miss the heart of the gospel.
Take time to consider the people in your local church. Are they worth the ultimate sacrifice to you? Would you risk your neck for them, as Prisca and Aquila did for Paul? These questions are meant to refine us. They call us not to guilt but to growth—a growth in love that mirrors the heart of Jesus.
May we, by the power of the Holy Spirit, grow in our capacity to love, to risk, and to serve. May we truly see each other as Christ does: precious, beloved, and worth every cost. Amen.
Ken Beaton
Graduated from Northpoint Bible College in Haverhill, MA with a B.A. in Biblical Studies/Pastoral Ministry. He and his wife reside in Penfield, NY. Ken is an elder serving in Evangelical Church of Fairport for the past twenty years.
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