Corinth was smack-dab in the middle of some important trade routes, so it had a distinct economic and . Believers who shared faith with them could enter and enjoy Christian fellowship and worship. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. He continued travelling while they settled down and opened their home, not only to Apollos but to other believers. When they came to Ephesus, Priscilla and Aquila stayed there. Priscilla and Aquila didnt just love each other. Youve heard their names, they show up occasionally in your Bible reading, and you might even remember something about this married couple. Research for this post came from: This article originally appeared on Biola.edu. And for that we also can give thanks to God. Why Isnt the Civil Rights Movement Considered a Revival Movement? For several years, Priscilla and Aquila were leaders in the Ephesian church. He could be mightily used in the service of Jesus Christ, but his message was deficient. Paul lived with Priscilla and Aquila for approximately 18 months. 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). In some way, Priscilla and Aquila took a risk, and exposed their lives to great danger for the purpose of protecting Paul. When Priscilla and Aquila met Paul in Corinth, they spent 18 months together. 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. Priscilla and Aquila were tentmakers as was Paul. They were tentmakers by trade (18:3). . among Jews and was used by the Church Fathers Origen in the 3rd century and St. Jerome in the 4th and 5th centuries. 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. The Jews hated Christians and the Romans killed them for sport. When Priscilla and Aquila were driven out of Rome because of being Jewish, they met Paul. 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. Some resisted and blasphemed. Priscilla and Aquila are described in the New Testament as providing a presence that strengthened the early Christian churches. He just needed some more information and a slightly different direction. Priscilla was what some would consider a laywoman today. I am sure Aquila thanked God for her many times and accepted her wise counsel on many occasions. Aquila And Priscilla from Hastings Dictionary of the New Testament. [1Cor. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. They ended up in Corinth. Yet, there is never a place in Scripture where one is mentioned and the other isnt. 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 . Whether you worship alone or with some of your friends, make sure the enemy knows your space is a place of godly worship, peace, and praise. The Roman governor, Claudius had had enough of it. They were from Pontus, a Roman province in northeastern Asia Minor. Paul founded the church in Corinth. Ask the Lord to give you the kind of commitment to one another that is seen in their marriage. Are you looking for opportunities to share Christ wherever you go, as Paul did? And they were quite the traveling pair, always on the road to some missionary trip. 6 Warning Signs of a Toxic Church Culture, 5 Differences Between a Critical Mind and a Critical Spirit. She was one of the most prolific female missionaries of the Scriptures. She taught the gospel to people and had a church in her home. Let's begin by reading the end of Acts 18 and the beginning of Acts 19. Yet it appears that that never affected their love for one another, their understanding of each other, nor their ability to work together. It had been sixteen years since Paul first met them at Corinth, and now he was in a Roman prison for the second time. 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. They knew this because in his sermon Apollos talked about the coming Messiah that the Old Testament prophecies talked about. Aquila and Priscilla were martyred with other Christians. [11] The Greek Orthodox Church and the Antiochian Orthodox Church commemorate them together on February 13. In Romans 16:34, thought to have been written in 56 or 57,[7] Paul sends his greetings to Priscilla and Aquila and proclaims that both of them "risked their necks" to save Paul's life. Aquila and Priscilla returned to Rome by 57 CE where they became church leaders again. So unhappy were they that they had regular uprisings in Rome. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. They chose a wise mentoring approach with Apollos. When they met Paul, they adopted his lifestyle. Paul found in Priscilla and Aquila compatibility in purpose and a true, life-long friendship. Aquila and Priscilla are mentioned one more time in the New Testament, in the last chapter of the last book the Apostle Paul wrote. She is continually paired with her husband, Aquila. put Priscilla's name first, as in Acts 18:18.The fact mentioned is interesting as showing (1) that Aquila and his wife continued to attend the services of the synagogue, and (2) that Apollos appeared there, as St. Paul had done, in the character of a Rabbi who had a message to deliver, and was therefore allowed, or, it . They are mentioned six times throughout scripture. 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. Do those who spend time with you become infected with your love for Christ? When you host worship and praise in your home, the devil will not be able to set up strongholds in your their. What is your ministry? Instead, she saw an opportunity to pour into him. It's said a generation spans roughly 25 years. [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]. Copyright 2015 - 2023. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. 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?). This couple were among the earliest known Christian missionaries in the first century. He basically had two jobs going. Because of the spread of Christianity, Rome became a turbulent place to live. The Apostolic Constitutions identify Aquila, along with Nicetas, as the first bishops of Asia Minor (7.46). 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. Gods order of authority in marriage never changes. Every Jewish boy in New Testament times was taught some kind of trade. 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). Young people have profited greatly by adults who have opened their homes to youth groups. Tradition reports that Aquila and Priscilla were martyred together. And true, we better not throw in the towel. Advocates of female pastorship perceive this as an imperative that was a reflection of cultural and legal restrictions of the day. Priscilla and Aquila took him aside in a private setting and shared vital insights. How sweet and mature and godly of them to not embarrass Apollos in public. She was the reason the Blessing was so thick around and for them both. Apollos received their words, traveled to Achaia, and flourished in ministry there. See how youre doing with each of them. [6] Priscilla and Aquila had been among the Jews expelled from Rome by the Roman Emperor Claudius in the year 49 as written by Suetonius. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. Paul indicates Apollos is an apostle,[12]:pp.230231 an "eloquent speaker" who had a "thorough knowledge of the Scriptures". Learn how your comment data is processed. Eighth, they risked their necks for Paul (Rom 16:3-4). [8][9], Priscilla was a woman of Jewish heritage and one of the earliest known Christian converts who lived in Rome. Yes, you can be married to someone you dont actually like. The church at Ephesus encouraged him to go and wrote a letter of recommendation to the church at Corinth. 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. 2 Timothy 4:19 suggests that the couple returned to Ephesus at a later date, possibly around 62-64 CE. The mention of her name before the name of her husband (also in Acts 18:18; Romans 16:3; 2 Timothy 4:19) is a way of honoring her. What does Aquila mean in the Bible? Some Christians conduct evangelistic dinners, where they invite unsaved friends to hear an outstanding personal testimony. 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. This might be a good thing for husbands and wives to discuss and pray about together. Prayer journal ideas to uplift your soul and get closer to God, Martha in the Bible Characteristics and lessons . Priscilla and Aquila have overcome hardships together. What are you taking from Priscilla for your own life? There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his . . All he knew beyond the Old Testament was the message of John the Baptist, which merely looked forward to the coming Messiah. What about Priscilla (or Prisca) and Aquila? Are you sharing the Word of God with each other? Here are the Bible passages that talk about Priscilla. Priscilla, Aquila, and Timothy ministered together with Paul in Corinth, and Priscilla and Aquila worked alongside Timothy in Ephesus. Furthermore, believers are enjoined to teach and to learn from one another, without reference to gender.[14]. First, their names always appear together. Reading through a book of the Bible together will allow God to speak to our lives. Tradition reports that Aquila and Priscilla were martyred together. 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. 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. Here is an interesting fact you probably didnt know. (1958 More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. "After this he [Paul] left Athens and went to Corinth. What did Paul Paul was generous in his recognition and acknowledgment of his indebtedness to them (Romans 16:34). And what they were able to accomplish as a unit was magnificent. How Aquila and Priscilla must have grown! Several explanations have been suggested, but the most reasonable one seems to be that Priscilla was the more gifted of the two and often took the more prominent role. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome. Maybe you can make clothes like Dorcas. Although the wife may be more intelligent and resourceful than her husband, God still wants her to look to him as her leader. Apollos had a keen mind and a quick understanding. 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.
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