How could you use your home more effectively to serve the Lord? Priscilla and her husband Aquila met the apostle Paul when he came to Corinth in approximately 50 C.E. He expelled the Jews. 5. In ancient mediterranean culture, women were not commended for work or accomplishments that fell outside of a traditional feminine rolescaring for home and family. Dont go away rich with wisdom while your Apollos is hungering for it. AQUILA was a natural Jew and a . These three heard the gospel, embraced the gospel, and propagated the gospel all apart from the author of the gospel. What could you do now to avoid those problems? 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). Their partnership was in money-making, marriage and ministry. This is one of the best ways to be on one accord with each. 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. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. Yes, you can be married to someone you dont actually like. Priscilla and Aquila stepped up to the plate. When Paul came to Corinth, he met Priscilla and Aquila and joined them in their tentmaking business (18:3). Jesus said, Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel will save it (Mk 8:35). A lthough Priscilla had a household to manage, she still found time to be a thorough student of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Gods order of authority in marriage never changes. [11] The Greek Orthodox Church and the Antiochian Orthodox Church commemorate them together on February 13. We may have the joyous privilege of nurturing a young Apollos who someday will have a wide and powerful ministry for Jesus Christ. Others become overbearing and belligerent in an attempt to establish their position of authority. Claudius was dead now, so the move seemed safe, and Rome surely needed a gospel witness. KEY VERSE: "Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles." Romans 16:3,4. The point I want to make is this: if you want to have a happy marriage and a successful life, seek intimacy with your spouse. But we do know from Scripture that when they left Rome they went to Corinth. 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. We should also create an atmosphere that the enemy will not be able to tolerate. Priscilla and Acquila traveled alot on missionary work. Here are the Bible passages that talk about Priscilla. 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. How did Aquila and Priscilla die? And what they were able to accomplish as a unit was magnificent. By hanging out with Paul and being friends with him, they were exposing themselves. 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. Her joy: To spread the gospel and nurture the church. Six times. They met in homes. She was the reason the Blessing was so thick around and for them both. You might not be able to preach sermons or run a church service but thats not the only form of ministry. Aquila and Priscilla were martyred with other Christians. Apollos received their words, traveled to Achaia, and flourished in ministry there. Another explanation of why Priscillas name comes first may be that she was the more vigorous and intelligent Christian worker. They became the honored and much-loved friends and ministry partners with the Apostle Paul. They risked their lives for me. However, the contents of this blog post may not be modified, compiled, combined with other content, copied, recorded, synchronized, transmitted, translated, formatted, distributed, publicly displayed, publicly performed, reproduced, given away, used to create derivative works and otherwise used or exploited (including for-profit or commercial gain) without the creators expressed permission. There is no proof any of these ideas are really true. They lovingly and patiently rehearsed the life and ministry of Jesus Christ on earth, His sacrificial and substitutionary death on Calvarys cross for the sins of the world, His victorious resurrection from the tomb and glorious ascension into heaven, the necessity for personal salvation from sin by faith in His finished work, the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and the birth of the Body of Christ, and other great New Testament doctrines. She is often thought to have been the first example of a female preacher or teacher in early church history. Yet, there is never a place in Scripture where one is mentioned and the other isnt. Priscillas story is told in the New Testament. They were so united, they didn't have any problems with who was doing what in their ministry. This indicates Priscilla was a leading figure in the church in Rome. Are you sharing the Word of God with each other? 16:3-5). Aquila had acquired that skill and later taught it to his wife, and she happily assisted him in his business. Evangelical interpretation is that she was simply a companion to her husband, Aquila, but not necessarily a leader or contributor to the ministry of the church in any substantial way. [2] She also is thought by some to be the anonymous author of the Epistle to the Hebrews. He was an eloquent speaker and had a good knowledge of the Old Testament. Bert and Ernie. In every place where the Bible refers to Aquila or Priscilla, it speaks of them together, suggesting that they formed a useful and well respected partnership. 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). She taught the gospel to people and had a church in her home. I love this story because there are so many similarities and parallels with my life with my wife, Marlene. They ended up in Corinth. And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them (Acts 18:11). When Paul left Corinth for Ephesus eighteen months later, Aquila and Priscilla went with him, and remained in Ephesus when Paul moved on ( Acts 18:11;  Acts 18:18-19). Appolonius (Apollos), an Alexandrian Jew, preached in Epheseus. (1958 More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. But now it looks as though God had blessed them materially, and they were using their resources in Ephesus for His glory. In ancient mediterranean culture, women were traditionally uneducated, and therefore their voices were not valued in any teaching capacity in religious or educational settings; in Jewish culture, it was forbidden for women to teach men. Paul was a Jew. Not every husband and wife can work together like this. Share this with each other and discuss how it can be avoided. Paul lived and worked with them, for . She is the only Priscilla named in the New Testament. After arriving in Corinth, they live with Paul for a year and a half. 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). Aquila, a Jewish Christian, and his wife, Priscilla, first met Paul in Corinth, became good friends of his, and shared in his work. Paul is the happy husband of Shauna Lee and the proud papa of 5 beautiful children, Madison, Max, Mikayla, Peyton and Noa. Yet it appears that that never affected their love for one another, their understanding of each other, nor their ability to work together. 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 . Every time it happened, the peace of Rome was disrupted and alot of damage was caused. Their door was open to anyone who wanted to enjoy good Christian fellowship and encouraging, uplifting worship. Blessings to you. Priscilla and Aquila took him aside in a private setting and shared vital insights. Acts 18:24-26. Priscilla instructed the learned Apollos, Lois and Eunice taught Timothy, and Phoebe is named as an overseer and a deacon in the church at Cenchrea. 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. Priscilla is mentioned only six times in the New Testament, and in each instance, she is named in a strikingly countercultural way. Their affinity for each other was instantaneous, and a deep and lasting friendship was born that day. In stark contrast, Priscilla and Aquila are a husband and wife ministry team. [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]. [15] As a result, the experts are divided over when this expulsion took place: some, like Jerome Murphy-O'Connor, argue for the earlier year,[16] while others, like Joseph Fitzmyer, argue for the later year.[17]. Lewis and Clark. I love this Steve Green song about leaving a legacy of faith. What happened to Priscilla and Aquila in the Bible? Their house had an open door. Think of it, eighteen months of intensive Bible study under the greatest Bible teacher in the early church. They invited him to their home. If they didnt have kids, it may have been sad for them, but they still maximized their days for the Lord. See how youre doing with each of them. They were true life partners. Aquila and Priscilla Feast day: Jul 08. Prisca, or Priscilla (an alternative more modern form of Prisca), is an early Roman family name, which suggests that she may have a Roman ancestry. When Priscilla and Aquila were driven out of Rome because of being Jewish, they met Paul. Aquila and Priscilla returned to Rome by 57 CE where they became church leaders again. Her name is a Roman diminutive for Prisca which was her formal name. Theresa Doyle-Nelson Blogs July 8, 2017. God will just throw it back. He knew they were Jews, and that was enough; so all Jews were uprooted from their homes and banished from Rome, the innocent along with the guilty. Apollos was, no doubt, inspired to go to Corinth by what Priscilla and Aquila told him of Paul's ministry there. 24 And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. True oneness can only be found in Christ. Aquila and Priscilla were baptized by Paul and were cited in the scriptures as among the 70 disciples of Christ. Aquila and Priscilla were martyred with other Christians. Aquila and Priscilla were living in Rome at the time of an outbreak of anti-Jewish feeling when the Emperor expelled all Jews from the city. Priscilla and Aquila: Tentmaking Ministers. Priscilla and Aquila found something that was priceless. But that is evidently the kind of relationship Aquila and Priscilla had. Aquila and Priscilla were martyred with other Christians. That is not difficult to do in a pastors home. For wives: Are you threatening your husband by striving to prove your superiority in certain areas? Let's begin by reading the end of Acts 18 and the beginning of Acts 19. How does God want you to behave toward her on those occasions? 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. Priscilla and Aquila heard Apollos speaking in the local synagogue and invited him to their home. And so they could easily spend hours upon hours upon hours together and not get bored or sick of each other. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome. . 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 ). That is not always easy for an extremely talented woman to do, but Priscilla did it. And all things are from God" and his affirmation of Priscilla's instruction of the prominent evangelist Apollos as evidence that Paul was acceding to the law and customs of his day. Find more free articles at www.BulletinInserts.org, a ministry of Christian Communicators Worldwide: www.CCWtoday.org. Priscilla was her affectionate name. Every Jewish boy in New Testament times was taught some kind of trade. 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. Aquila was originally from the Roman province of Pontus on the south shore of the Black Sea, called the Euxine Sea during the Roman period. For by trade they were tent-makers (Acts 18:3). He wrote a history entitled the 'Life of Claudius' in which he stated the following: However, it apparently works out well for some. They hosted St . Told them to leave. Violence was the norm against Christians. How did it make Apollos more effective? Coupled with her husband, she was a celebrated missionary, and a friend and co-worker of Paul. [18][19] Then the couple started out to accompany Paul when he proceeded to Syria, but stopped at Ephesus in the Roman province of Asia, now part of modern Turkey. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. What is the meaning of Priscilla in the Bible? Priscilla and Aquila took him aside in a private setting and shared vital insights. Paul could not do it alone. Priscilla and Aquila had been among the Jews expelled from Rome by the Roman Emperor Claudius in the year 49 as written by Suetonius. Aquila and Priscilla are always mentioned together. Luke clearly indicates Priscilla's "agency and her interdependent relationship with her husband. Priscilla (/prsl/; Greek: , Priskilla or Priscila) and Aquila (/kwl/; Greek: , Akylas) were a first century Christian missionary married couple described in the New Testament. They did ministry together. He had been "instructed in the way of the Lord" which he taught with great "enthusiasm". Priscilla and Aquila appear in four chapters of the Bible; Acts, Romans, Corinthians and Timothy. When Paul leaves for Syria, Aquila and Priscilla go with him. Priscilla and Aquila are regarded as saints in most Christian churches that canonize saints. Yet when Priscilla is mentioned by Paul, he describes her as a co-worker in the Lord (Romans 16:3), placing her alongside Timothy (Romans 16:21), Titus (2 Corinthians 8:23), Philemon (Philemon 1) and Luke (Philemon 24) in Pauls valuing of her work among the churches. 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 . His Latin name, Aquila, means "eagle." Most likely he was a freedman living in Rome because most of the Jews living in Rome at this time were such. The Apostolic Constitutions identify Aquila, along with Nicetas, as the first bishops of Asia Minor (7.46). Prayer journal ideas to uplift your soul and get closer to God, Martha in the Bible Characteristics and lessons . When Paul, a tentmaker himself, came to Corinth, he went to see them, no doubt having heard of their faith in Christ. Such language was traditionally used for the hero of a Greco-Roman story, not of women. Paul lived with Priscilla and Aquila for approximately 18 months. Whenever he entered a new city, he would stroll through the marketplace looking for opportunities to talk about Jesus, looking for indications of Gods direction for future ministry, and, of course, looking for work to sustain him as he ministered. Acts 18:2 Meaning 3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers. The Jews were not happy about this new religion that was gaining ground. Aquila and Priscilla are mentioned one more time in the New Testament, in the last chapter of the last book the Apostle Paul wrote. Aquila, a Jewish Christian, and his wife, Priscilla, first met Paul in Corinth, became good friends of his, and shared in his work. St. Epiphanius (c. 315403) preserved in his writings the popular Christian tradition that . Key Scriptures: Acts 18-19; Romans 16:3-4; 1 Corinthians 16:19; 2 Timothy 4:19 Her Story 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. His two friends were willing to give everything in the service of the Savior, even their lives. 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. When they met Paul, they adopted his lifestyle. According to Acts 18:2f, before Paul meets them in Corinth, they were part of a group of Jews whom the Emperor Claudius ordered expelled from Rome; if this edict of the Emperor can be dated, then we would be able to infer when Paul arrived in Corinth. In Acts 18:2428, Luke reports the couple explaining Jesus' baptism to Apollos, an important Jewish-Christian evangelist in Ephesus. We dont know when this occurred (perhaps during the riot in EphesusActs 19:23-41? Seventh, they learned the Scriptures together. Many dedicated women use coffee cup evangelism, establishing close friendships with their neighbors and sharing Christ with them over the kitchen table. Some Christians conduct evangelistic dinners, where they invite unsaved friends to hear an outstanding personal testimony. 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?). And true, we better not throw in the towel. No matter what the case, Priscilla and Aquila meet Paul in Corinth. [1] Priscilla and Aquila, a Jewish Christian couple who had come to Ephesus with the . He just needed some more information and a slightly different direction. I know you could think of a couple who cannot stand to be around each other. 2023 ChurchLeaders.com, All rights reserved. Paul had no problem with a godly, capable woman being a church leader. This Jewish couple was saved under the Apostle Paul's ministry and served as his spiritual coworkers. In what way did Priscilla and her husband minister to Apollos (vv. And, although tantalizingly limited in detail, those six mentions tell the story of a woman who used her gifts and resources to influence the spread and nurturing of the early church. Nevertheless, theres definitely enough for us to learn some awesome things about her. She was just using her God-given abilities, as a helpmeet to her husband for the glory of God. Priscilla and Aquila were tentmakers as was Paul. What does Aquila mean in the Bible? They chose a wise mentoring approach with Apollos. Priscillas name appears before Aquilas. Maybe there are young men and women in the community who need a big brother or big sister or mother or mentor to help them get through life. Priscilla and Aquila had that kind . 16:3-5). Rather than correcting him in public or openly challenging his teaching, they fostered a relationship with him in the context of loving fellowship. 9. They had to be willing to give to each other more than they tried to take. He could not be omni-present. So she is named first because of her rank. He had learned about Jesus but knew only of the baptism of repentance practised by John, being ignorant of the news of the descent of the Holy . In 1900, Adolf von Harnack suggested that Priscilla wrote the epistle to the Hebrews. They probably helped to establish the church in Ephesus. 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. 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. All other uses require written permission. Priscilla appears on six occasions in a King James Bible (2 Timothy 4:19 shortens her name to "Prisca" ). Greet also the church in their house. Priscilla and Aquila were a married couple from Rome. And they all had a passion and purpose for sharing the gospel. Priscilla was what some would consider a laywoman today. Priscilla and Aquila were tentmakers as was Paul. It had been sixteen years since Paul first met them at Corinth, and now he was in a Roman prison for the second time. Read the only passages that feature Priscilla: The problem was, he was going in a direction that could have become problematic in the future. Their destiny is waiting for you to approach them to offer your God-given wisdom to help them. Possibly at this time they became Christians ( Acts 18:1-3). 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. And for that we also can give thanks to God. Paul went to see them, and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. 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. Does it always mean taking the gospel to a dangerous land and literally dying there? At this time the church in Ephesus used the house of Aquila and Priscilla as a meeting place ( 1 Corinthians 16:19). First of 28 people! They have been called the most famous couple in the Bible since they . 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). The Jews hated Christians and the Romans killed them for sport.  Acts 20:31), during which he wrote the letter known to us as 1 Corinthians. Aquila is traditionally listed among the Seventy Disciples. Although they did quite a bit of traveling, wherever they called home was a place into which they would welcome believers for worship. BulletinInserts.org - A ministry of Christian Communicators Worldwide. And they were quite the traveling pair, always on the road to some missionary trip. This passage shows Priscilla as a leader. If you can imagine the racial protests and riots of 2020, you will have a window into what was going on in Rome. He could be mightily used in the service of Jesus Christ, but his message was deficient. What are you taking from Priscilla for your own life? Aquila and Priscilla may not have been accomplished public speakers, but they were diligent students of the Word, and they loved to share it with others. But because he didnt know about Jesus his sermon fell a short. For husbands: Does it bother you when your wife outshines you? After Paul left them in Ephesus, they heard Apollos speaking in the synagogue, but his knowledge of the truth was deficient. Romans 8:28 became a reality in the lives of Priscilla and Aquila. In fact, we may say that Priscilla is the example of what the married woman may do, for the general service of the Church, in conjunction with home duties, as Phoebe is the type of the unmarried servant of the Church, or deaconess.