音频：
哥林多前书16：19-24: 19亚西亚的众教会问你们安。亚居拉和百基拉并在他们家里的教会，因主多多地问你们安。20众弟兄都问你们安。你们要亲嘴问安，彼此务要圣洁。21我保罗亲笔问安。22若有人不爱主，这人可诅可咒。主必要来！23愿主耶稣基督的恩常与你们众人同在！我在基督耶稣里的爱与你们众人同在。阿们！
今天读这些话的时候，让我印象深刻的是新约时代的教会是彼此联结在一起的。不同教会的会众，他们彼此了解，一同祷告，有时互相分享各自同工的服事。教会之间不是互相孤立的，只关注自己的需要。有时候我发现在一个社区有两个甚至多个教会，但他们之间很少交流，也很少互相帮助。最糟糕的是，他们似乎还彼此竞争，甚至因为对方的成功而感到嫉妒。我们不是一个个彼此没有联系的孤岛！我们是教会，是基督的身体，为了共同的使命一起同工，这个使命就是广传福音。
保罗在结束这封书信的时候提到了一些小的细节。他勉励他们亲嘴问安，彼此务要圣洁。这体现的是一种紧密联系的团契关系，每次聚会，我简直都迫不及待想和上帝的子民在一起敬拜，包括握手和拥抱。
另一个细节是，保罗亲笔写了最后问安的话，而不是让写字比他更好的书记员来代笔。在《加拉太书》里，保罗在书写最后问安的话时写的字非常大。对我而言，这不过是另一个理由让我们相信这是由一个真实的使徒写给真实教会的一封真实的书信。作为使徒保罗也是有局限的，这体现在他的写字方面。 祷告：主耶稣，请帮助我们作为你的子民彼此同工，将你的福音传到地级。我们如此祈求是奉你的名。阿们。
1 Corinthians 16: 19 The churches in the province of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, together with the church that meets in their house. 20 All the brothers greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. 21 This greeting is written by me, Paul, with my own hand. 22 If anyone does not love the Lord—let him be under a curse! Marana tha! The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 24 My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen. (EHV)
What strikes me today as I read these words is that the Church in the New Testament era was connected. Individual congregations knew about each other, prayed for each other, shared called workers from time to time. They were not islands to themselves, looking out only for their own needs. Sometimes I see two or more congregations in a single community who rarely even talk to one another or find ways to help one another. At worst, they seem to be in competition with each other and jealous of one another’s success. We are not islands to ourselves! We are the Church, the body of Christ, working together for one common cause, the cause of proclaiming the gospel.
Three small items as Paul closes out this letter. He encouraged them to greet one another with a holy kiss. In epidemic times like this, that wouldn’t qualify as social distancing! Personally, I can’t wait to get back to worshipping with all of God’s people, including handshakes and hugs.
Second, Paul uses the words “marana tha.” Some colleges are named, “Maranatha,” after these words. This is an Aramaic expression that must have been common even in the Greek speaking congregations that mean, “Our Lord, come!”
Finally, Paul wrote the closing greeting in his own hand, not dictated through someone who had a better penmanship than he did. In Galatians he was embarrassed about the “large letters” he wrote in his own hand. To me it is just one more reason to believe that these were real letters to real congregations written by a real apostle who had limitations that extended even to his handwriting.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to work together as your people to proclaim your gospel to the ends of the earth. We ask this in your name. Amen.