Dale Ridge church of Christ

Nature is filled with many wonderful examples of migration.  We can understand that God has designed these creatures with migration as an integral part of their survival.  Instances of species migration occur in every level of fauna – from microorganisms in freshwater lakes that migrate within temperature levels of the water column, to the famous pathways of Pacific salmon and Gray whales (traveling an awesome  12,500 miles annually), to the observation every autumn of the birds heading south.  Recent temporary additions to my own family included a group of monarch caterpillars upon which my darling bride doted as a home school ”science project”.  Once emerged from their cocoon or chrysalis stage (yes Dear, I was listening) as beautiful butterflies, they are tagged for scientific tracking,  and head off at 12mph toward the Sierras in Mexico.  I expect they shan’t call or write to let us know they made the trip safely.

But there is another migration that is not of God’s design.  The so called “migrating Christian”.  I recently heard a wonderful preacher of the Gospel raise this problem during a sermon, as an issue plaguing the Lord’s church the country over.  It seems that in many areas where there are several congregations of the Lord’s people established, individual Christians often are tempted to “migrate” from one assembly of the saints to the next.  When one views the attendance board from one congregation to the next, the numbers reflect a rise and fall every few seasons, while the total body of Christ in the community stay near status quo.

This phenomena can lead to many obvious problems.  Quickly, shepherds of the church begin to focus on “keeping the saved” rather than reaching the lost.  Preachers become overly concerned about any sermon material that might be deemed ”inoffensive” to any, for fear of seeing another family migrate to the next church building.  Members spend more time worried about interpersonal cliques and intrigues, rather than being the personal soul winners described in our New Testaments.

“Now wait a minute” you might say.  “In the Bible we do see Christians that move from church to church.  What about Aquila and Priscilla, for example?”  Great question!  I’m glad you asked.

What can we learn from Aquila and Priscilla?  What do we know about these 1st century Christians?

We first meet this evangelistic husband and wife in Acts 18.  Lately exiled from Rome by Claudius Caesar –  an event also recorned in non inspirec history by Seutonius in his Lives of the Twelve Caesars – they have relocated to Corinth.  It is in that great city that the apostle Paul first meets them.  The three tentmakers (Acts 18:3) live together, work together, and teach the Gospel to the Corinthians for at least eighteen months.

Aquila and Priscilla then accompany the apostle onward to Cenchrea (Acts 18:18) and ultimately Ephesus (Acts 18:19).  Now why did the couple leave Corinth?  Did a brother or sister offend them in that congregation?  Did they tire of the Bible class material?  Was the work not exciting enough?  Perhaps the preaching had gone a little stale?

No, reading onward we understand that they relocated to Ephesus for the purpuse of furthering the ministry of the Gospel, for indeed they help correct a brother that was errant in his doctrine, the preacher Apollos (Acts 18:24-26).

Studying further through the inspired record, we see the same couple working also with the church at Rome (Romans 16:3), again in Corinth (1 Corinthians 16:19), as well as at Ephesus.

Would the apostle Paul describe these workers as “my helpers in Christ Jesus” (Romans 16:3) if they were simply congregation shopping?  Would Aquila and Priscilla have “laid down their own necks” (Romans 16:4) for Paul if there were not serious about the local work of the church?

The answer to these questions is a resounding “No”.  So, what can we take away from their example? 

Yes, it is true that Christians are scripturally authorized to relocate to a different congregation.  Aquila and Priscilla obviously did so while directly operating under apostolic authority.  However, the reasons for that relocation are to be thoroughly examined. 

Today, we may understand that it would be required to join work with a scripturally sound congregation in the event of a family relocation, for instance.  It certainly is required that the Christian relocate should their present congregation become scripturally unsound, and they are unable to correct those in error by searching the scriptures (Acts 17:11 , 1 Peter 4:11).

Let us suppose that a new congregation is being planted by a sound congregation on the other side of a large metropolitan city, to a part of town which is logistically preferable to your home.  The elders suggest that your family would be a terrific encouragement to help establish this work.  Again, obviously a scripturally sound, scripturally authorized, decision.

We also learn from Aquila and Priscilla that we are not authorized to “migrate” for personal reasons.  I prefer that building.  A member at my present congregation has offended me, yet I have not discussed the matter with them (Matthew 18:15-17).  Those new visitors have taken my seat.  I’m bored with the work here, I’d like something new.  This church doesn’t serve me.

Yes, there are wonderful lessons to be gleaned from the lives of those saints of old, Aquila and Priscilla, not the least of which is knowing why and when to “migrate”.

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Filed under: Authors, Gregg Alexander on November 14th, 2008