Since tents were such a prominent part of Hebrew life, Aquilas parents chose to have their son learn this practical means of earning his livelihood. He was pastor of Emmanuel Faith Community Church in Escondido, CA from 1972 to 1993 when the Lord called him home. According to church tradition, Aquila did not dwell long in Rome: the Apostle Paul is said to have made him a bishop in Asia Minor. First, their names always appear together. When they came to Ephesus, Priscilla and Aquila stayed there. Driven away from Thessalonica and Berea through persecution stirred up by the Jews, and from Athens by the rationalistic spirit which reigned in that cultured city, Paul departed to the . In our world there is a need of model couples living beautifully in their marriage. You know what you are really looking for. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. In fact, her name is first in four out of the six biblical references to them. Its not always easy to find but God can provide godly friends who are similar to you in heart and purpose. For husbands: Does it bother you when your wife outshines you? Priscilla's name is mentioned first on four occasions; this may indicate her equal status with her husband, or even possibly that Priscilla was thought of as the more prominent teacher and disciple. Who is that young woman? Because of the spread of Christianity, Rome became a turbulent place to live. Romans 16:3-4 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; From Thematic Bible Violence was the norm against Christians. When Priscilla and Aquila met Paul in Corinth, they spent 18 months together. In ancient mediterranean culture, women were viewed as property of their husbands, of lesser status, needing to live under the protection of their fathers or husbands for their survival and well-being. Ask the Lord to give you the kind of commitment to one another that is seen in their marriage. Some of us will never be powerful preachers, but we can be faithful students of the Word, and our homes can be open to people whose hearts are hungry to hear the Word. Research for this post came from: This article originally appeared on Biola.edu. And true, we better not throw in the towel. His two friends were willing to give everything in the service of the Savior, even their lives. The three would prove to become steadfast friends, traveling companions, and ministry coworkers. . Their home was a meeting place for the Ephesian church. It had been sixteen years since Paul first met them at Corinth, and now he was in a Roman prison for the second time. Apollo is often depicted as playing a golden lyre, but he was also known as the Archer, shooting with a silver bow, and also the god of healing. Even risking their lives for each other. Others become overbearing and belligerent in an attempt to establish their position of authority. 26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took . They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome. These two who lived together, worked together, and suffered exile together, came to know and love Jesus Christ together, and it made their marriage complete. We pick up their story in Acts 18 when Paul meets them as refugees in Corinth. In the early days when Christianity was new and unpopular, many people lost their lives. They went to Corinth right at the time when Paul was there. We have already seen, in our notice of Lydia, how large a part women sometimes had in the origin of Churches formed by the Apostle Paul. What did Paul From the day Aquila and Priscilla met the Savior, they grew in the Word together. Greet also the church in their house. They met in homes. For several years, Priscilla and Aquila were leaders in the Ephesian church. But because he didnt know about Jesus his sermon fell a short. Because thats what I want to be known for. Given the nature of their trade, Priscilla and Aquila could be flexible where and when they earned their income from making tents. Acts 18:1-2 is the first of six mentions: After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. Apollo is a Greek name and in Greek mythology, he was the son of Zeus and Leto, the twin brother of Artemis. From Priscillas life, I am taking lessons for faith, marriage, ministry, and business. In Paul's list of greetings to members of the church at Rome, a list that includes 28 individuals, Priscilla is listed first (Rom. The fact that she is always mentioned with her husband, Aquila, disambiguates her from different women revered as saints in Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Lutheranism, such as (1)Priscilla of the Roman Glabrio family, the wife of Quintus Cornelius Pudens, who according to some traditions hosted St. Peter circa AD 42, and (2)a third-century virgin martyr named Priscilla and also called Prisca. We should also create an atmosphere that the enemy will not be able to tolerate. If you want to share this resource with others, please share the link to the blog post. .--Many of the best MSS. Aquila, a Jewish Christian, and his wife, Priscilla, first met Paul in Corinth, became good friends of his, and shared in his work. When Paul left Corinth for Ephesus, they accompanied him, and he left them there when he embarked for his home church in Antioch (Acts 18:18-22). If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Second, they experienced difficult circumstances together. I love this story because there are so many similarities and parallels with my life with my wife, Marlene. Priscilla was what some would consider a laywoman today. Furthermore, their ministry to Apollos reveals their devotion to Gods word. Priscilla was her affectionate name. It is thought by some to be possible, in light of her apparent prominence, that Priscilla held the office of presbyter. Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus (2 Tim. Around the year A.D. 49, the Emperor Claudius issued an edict exiling all the Jewish people from Rome, the seat of the Roman Empire. Aquila and Priscilla were martyred with other Christians. Priscilla and Aquila were Paul's "helpers in Christ Jesus." In Romans 16:4, Paul says that they even "laid down their own necks" for his sake. Aquila and Priscilla are mentioned one more time in the New Testament, in the last chapter of the last book the Apostle Paul wrote. 1. [3] Hoppin and others suggest that Priscilla was the author, but that her name was omitted either to suppress its female authorship, or to protect the letter itself from suppression.[3][4]. Why? The careful description of Aquila as a Jew, a man of Pontus (Acts 18:2), rather implies that Priscilla his wife was not a Jewess; because her name is usually put first (4 out of 6 times), it is thought that she was of higher social standing than her husband. Aquila and Priscilla were martyred with other Christians. Claudius was dead now, so the move seemed safe, and Rome surely needed a gospel witness. Actually, Prisca was her real name. She seems to have been 'the better man of the two'; and Aquila drops comparatively into the background. The wonderful thing is that as women, God has equipped us with what we need to do what He has called and commissioned us to get done. This is one of the best ways to be on one accord with each. They remained in Ephesus to help Paul when he returned to the city for a three-year stay ( Acts 19:1; cf. And we can fall on Him at anytime when we feel like we are insufficient to the task. Aquila and Priscilla returned to Rome by 57 CE where they became church leaders again. It is no wonder their husbands feel threatened. Romans 8:28 became a reality in the lives of Priscilla and Aquila. Not all translations will use this name. Adam and Eve. Its a good thing to be mindful of the kind of spiritual energy we allow to influence the atmosphere of our home. Now that Vacation Bible School is Over . She is certainly not Aquilas property as was customary in Greco-Roman society but rather his partner in ministry and marriage".[5]. They had to be able to accept suggestions as readily as they offered them. But it may be more difficult at your house, especially if you have never done it. Priscilla and her husband Aquila were Jews who had been living in Rome. When Paul met the couple in Corinth, they were already believers; and they welcomed Paul the tent-maker and evangelist into their business and home, and he enjoyed their hospitality for 18 months (Acts 18). Neither did Apollos. "There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. We may have the joyous privilege of nurturing a young Apollos who someday will have a wide and powerful ministry for Jesus Christ. By his side was his faithful wife, Priscilla. The qualities of Priscilla in the Bible are not so easy to identify because although she is mentioned in multiple verses, not many details are revealed about her. In ancient mediterranean culture, women generally did not have access to roles of power or influence, yet Paul says that Priscilla, with Aquila, risked their lives (literally necks) on Pauls behalf (Romans 16:3-4). Here is an interesting fact you probably didnt know. "After this he [Paul] left Athens and went to Corinth. Teaching a Sunday school class and sharing the preparation with each other might be a comfortable way to begin. Share this with each other and discuss how it can be avoided. There was one short statement in the greeting in the Book of Romans that we cannot afford to pass over lightly, however: Who for my life risked their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. We do not know what Paul was referring to, nor when it happened, but somewhere, somehow, Aquila and Priscilla together endangered their own lives to save Pauls. If you are a Bible study teacher, you are free to allow this content to influence the lessons you teach or the sermons you present. 26b-28)? Priscilla and Aquila were instrumental by partnering with Paul to found the churches in Corinth and Ephesus, then by providing correction to ensure accurate teaching that carried into other areas, and finally by providing encouragement and support to Timothy as he led the Ephesian church that met inside their home ( 1 Corinthians 16:19 ). going anywhere the Lord says to go, whenever He says to go. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. Yet Priscilla and her husband took the charismatic preacher and evangelist Apollos under their wings, explaining to him the way of God more accurately, empowering him to preach the Word of God with truth and clarity (Acts 18:24-26). Most references to husbands and wives in the Bible place the man first. Here are some answers to some popular questions about Priscilla. Paul went to see them, and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. Priscilla in the Bible stands out as one of powerful women of faith. Think of it, eighteen months of intensive Bible study under the greatest Bible teacher in the early church. Since 1Corinthians discusses a crisis deriving from a conflict between the followers of Apollos and the followers of Cephas (possibly the apostle Peter), it can be inferred that Apollos accompanied Priscilla and Aquila when they returned to Corinth. I suppose the emperor didnt want them to disrupt and destroy the place any longer so he expelled them. Along with her husband, Priscilla worked alongside the Apostle Paul with whom they became very close friends. This passage shows Priscilla as a leader. How Aquila and Priscilla must have grown! . 6. Pauls greeting to them just before his execution is the final reference to them in the New Testament ( 2 Timothy 4:19; cf 1 Timothy 1:3). They became close friends with Paul, helping him to bear the burden of ministry. using your resources for the advance of Gods kingdom. He preached about John the Baptist and the need for repentance in preparation for the coming of Jesus the Messiah. It's said a generation spans roughly 25 years. 9 Both were makers of tents and had their own business. Aquila and Priscilla were martyred with other Christians. Its impossible to know if they were already believers when they were forced out of Rome, of if they became Christians through their relationship with Paul. Who is that person who could use your knowledge and advice and nurturing to set them on the path that God has ordained for them to take? Priscilla didnt criticize him. (1958 More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. You need at least one friend like this. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house (1 Cor. What happened to Priscilla and Aquila in the Bible? Advocates of female pastorship perceive this as an imperative that was a reflection of cultural and legal restrictions of the day. Tenth, they may have had children. Aquila and Pricilla were a Jewish couple that converted to Christianity and aided Paul in spreading the gospel. 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. In what way did Priscilla and her husband minister to Apollos (vv. They are mentioned six times in four different books of the New Testament, always named as a couple and never individually. There is so much she can teach us. For by trade they were tent-makers (Acts 18:3). supporting those who proclaim the gospel and plant churches. The Jews hated Christians and the Romans killed them for sport. A church met in their house in Ephesus (1st Cor 16:19, Pauls greeting from Ephesus), and a church also met in their home in Rome once they came back (Rom 16:5). This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue (Acts 18:24-26). An extensive research on husband-wife saints listed only 10 since the time of Christ. His death at the hands of the emperor Nero was imminent, and he was writing the last paragraph of his long and fruitful life. Priscilla and Aquila flesh this idea out and call us to similar discipleship. Priscilla is commonly identified with her husband, Aquila. They knew this because in his sermon Apollos talked about the coming Messiah that the Old Testament prophecies talked about. Paul had no problem with a godly, capable woman being a church leader. Copyright 2015 - 2023. Priscilla and Aquila encountered a man named Apollos, who was courageously speaking about Jesus in the synagogue, but he did not yet fully know and understand Jesus. Priscilla was also called Prisca. Aquila, also called Akilas, (flourished 2nd century ad), scholar who in about ad 140 completed a literal translation into Greek of the Old Testament; it replaced the Septuagint (q.v.) This Jewish couple was saved under the Apostle Paul's ministry and served as his spiritual coworkers. On the other hand, Catherine and Richard Kroeger have written: The fact is that women did indeed teach men, that women served as leaders, and that in doing so they enjoyed Gods blessing and won the praise of other believers. In addition, the Greek Orthodox Church recognizes Aquila separately as an apostle on July 14. Acts 18:1 Meaning 2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them. Acts16v31. They were even willing to invest the time necessary to take one young man under their spiritual care and pour into his life the things of Christ. They made and sold tents together. Apollos had a keen mind and a quick understanding. We dont know when this occurred (perhaps during the riot in EphesusActs 19:23-41? But we do know from Scripture that when they left Rome they went to Corinth. When shes not on campus, shes living one of her life-long dreams: sitting in her cozy living room, reading through colorful stacks of books for her doctorate in Divinity and Religious Studies (coffee, anyone?). Find more free articles at www.BulletinInserts.org, a ministry of Christian Communicators Worldwide: www.CCWtoday.org. First of 28 people! They never met or listened to Jesus in person. Thats what they did for money before they had to leave Rome. 24 And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos: Paul left for Syria with Priscilla and Aquila. Jesus had been crucified, was raised from the dead, went back to heaven and left a mandate for His disciples to turn the world upside down with His message of love and hope. How did it make Apollos more effective? Apollo was thought to have given the science of medicine to mankind, but Apollo was also the . Priscilla was a businesswoman who, with her husband Aquila, likely owned leatherwork or tent-making shops in several urban centers of the ancient worldRome, Corinth and Ephesus. Aquila and Priscilla are mentioned one more time in the New Testament, in the last chapter of the last book the Apostle Paul wrote. According to Jewish law, those who teach and preach should not get paid. When they were just getting started in business in Corinth their home was probably not big enough to hold all the Christians, so the house of Titus Justus was used. The Great Fire on July 19 AD, which destroyed 10 of the 14 districts in Rome, was blamed on Christians. But our story begins about a year earlier, when in 49 C.E., according to Suetonius, Emperor Claudius expelled from Rome all Jews who followed . Enjoy these fun facts about her. Apollos learned that the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus had already been fulfilled and that now we have salvation full and free in Jesus. You can tell that their partnership was built on intimacy that was deep as it was wide. The people begged Paul to stay, and Paul said no, but "I will return, if the Lord wills." Paul left and sailed to Caesarea, and Aquila and Priscilla stayed there to teach. It was just a brief and simple greeting, using the shorter form of Priscillas name that we have seen in several other passages. How could you use your home more effectively to serve the Lord? During their time in Ephesus, one day, Priscilla and Aquila went to the synagogue. Thats where they met Paul. Bruce Winter writes, Paul had no more loyal friends than Priscilla and Aquila, to whom, as he put it some years later, not only I but also all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks (Rom 16:4) (Winter 298). Opponents of female pastorship cite his reference to Adam and Eve to be indicating that the issue is a matter of universal gender propriety. And they themselves became missionaries. Who is Apollos in your life? Although he (likely) starts the first Christian church in the city he stays for only a . He came to them, and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and they were working; for by trade they were tent-makers (Acts 18:1-3). And what they were able to accomplish as a unit was magnificent. Priscilla and Aquila had been ejected from Rome by an edict of the Emperor Claudius, expelling all Jews from Rome (the idea that anti-Jewish feeling has only begun in the Christian era is nonsense; the Book of Esther describes a nation-wide pogrom centuries before the birth of Christ, and Claudius' expulsion of Jews from Rome in 49-50AD happened As you live your life, ask yourself this question: if the Bible were to be rewritten with your story in it, what would you like to be known for? They cite 1 Corinthians 11:1112, where Paul writes "Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. How can you improve this area of your life? Some husbands feel threatened because their wives are more knowledgeable or capable than they are, and in order to avoid embarrassment and save face they sometimes become spiritual dropouts. This is exactly what many Christian marriages lack. Because their hearts were beating the same, they worked together effortlessly. Read the only passages that feature Priscilla: Lewis and Clark. 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. Acts 18: 1-3. 1. Priscilla and Aquila took him aside in a private setting and shared vital insights. Nevertheless, theres definitely enough for us to learn some awesome things about her. After arriving in Corinth, they live with Paul for a year and a half. In some cases the wives are to blame. They liked each other a lot. They were tentmakers by trade (18:3). What is your ministry? Some Bible scholars believe they were martyred in Rome due to Christians being blamed for a fire which occurred when they returned and resettled there. The evidence of other ancient sources points to two possible periods during the reign of Claudius: either during his first regnal year (AD 41; so Dio Cassius, Roman History 60.6.6), or during his ninth regnal year (49; so Orosius, Historia 7.6.15f). How can you avoid these pitfalls? 1:12). I love this Steve Green song about leaving a legacy of faith. When Paul leaves for Syria, Aquila and Priscilla go with him. In the town of Corinth there lived a husband and wife named Aquila and Priscilla. Tips on Being an Emotionally Intelligent Pastor (From a Christian Psychologist), 6 Key Questions to Ask of Your Sermon Before You Preach it. So he withdrew from the synagogue and began teaching in the house of Titus Justus next door. When Paul left Ephesus for Greece, they evidently believed God was directing them back to Rome. And, as you might remember from BBST103 or your favorite hermeneutics courses, we are worlds apart from the biblical textfrom the culture and experiences of the authors and original audiences. So Paul made tents for a living and did missionary work as well. Seventh, they learned the Scriptures together. Related Topics: Christian Home, Issues in Church Leadership/Ministry, Leadership, Marriage, Richard L. Strauss authored nine books, and served as pastor of churches in Fort Worth, TX, Huntsville, AL. But is there anything to learn from them for our lives? The move was providential, for while Paul was gone a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. Apollos is first mentioned as a Christian preacher who had come to Ephesus (probably in AD 52 or 53), where he is described as "being fervent in spirit: he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John ". They grew to love Gods Word. In particular they helped Apollos, a newly converted Jewish teacher who had come to Ephesus from Egypt ( Acts 18:24-26). Paul came to work with them in their shop, and even lived with them in their home during his stay in Corinth. Gods order of authority in marriage never changes. Bert and Ernie. Why the switch? Dont go away rich with wisdom while your Apollos is hungering for it. Although Paul left them in Ephesus and went on his way at some point, he always sent greetings to them in his letters to the congregations that met in various homes. [20] The Lutheran Church commemorates them on the same day along with Apollos. 3. Priscilla and Aquila heard Apollos speaking in the local synagogue and invited him to their home.