Paul would soon have brought the conversation gently and tactfully around to Christ. “Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus.” Romans 16:3 (NLT) I have a list of Biblical heroes, great men and women of God that were used mightily to change history, save nations, and live courageously. They ended up in Corinth. Narratives centered on co-laboring couples like the Priscilla-Aquila team have always excited me because mutuality in ministry is something I envisioned for my marriage from even before I met my husband. They lived, worked, and traveled with the Apostle Paul, who described them as his "fellow workers in Christ Jesus". Priscilla and her husband Aquila met the apostle Paul when he came to Corinth in approximately 50 C.E. One of the oldest of the catacombs at Rome is known as “the burial-place of Priscilla.” The name Prisca has been found in association with an aristocratic family, some members of which were buried in this catacomb. Aquila and Priscilla were a brave and adventurous couple who gained the gratitude of all the Gentile churches for their labours in the Gospel (Romans 16:4). A gospel is an account that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. What are the characteristics of full-time Christians? a) Risked their lives on Paul’s behalf. Aquila and Priscilla were a married couple who led and served not with loud words, eloquent speech or persuasive evangelism, but through their quiet and steadfast examples, their love for the Way, and their love for each other. Aquila and Priscilla: Serving God Together. Home | Youth World | Kids World | Advanced | Bible Exploration | Français | Español | About Us | Contact Us. It appears that Aquila and Priscilla risked their lives on Paul’s behalf. The genius of the Christian message is that it is not what happens to us that matters, but what we do with what happens that is important. 16:4). The home of Aquila and Priscilla remained Paul’s residence while he was in Corinth, but the house of Justus became the center from which the apostle carried on his preaching activity. Mailbox Club lessons © The Mailbox Club International; used by permission with adaptation for the Internet. Online: https://www.bibleodyssey.org:443/en/places/related-articles/priscilla-and-aquila, Lynn H. Cohick Chuck Sligh. 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 when Christianity was still in its infancy). He explained that he too was a tentmaker by trade. Their partnership highlights one model of ministry in the early church (see Rom 16:7; 1Cor 9:5). “Aquila” is a Latin name meaning “eagle.” At some point, he traveled from Pontus, his home in northern Asia Minor (modern Turkey) near the Black Sea, to Rome. 5Do we not have the right to be accompanied by a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? 2 Timothy 4: 19. Professor, Wheaton College. Browse by subject - click on a letter below. He was an eloquent speaker and had a good knowledge of the Old Testament. So, it doesn’t really matter whether we’re called “ Kat and Taylor” or “ Taylor and Kat.” What did Paul affectionately and gratefully write about them in his letters to the churches? These two, yoked together in Christ, stand before us as a living picture of the way our earthly loves can be glorified if the light of heaven is allowed to shine into them. Did you notice that Luke puts Priscilla’s name first, suggesting she took the lead in the teaching ministry? Only twice is the husband, Aquila, mentioned first, from which commentators both ancient and modern infer that the wife was the more gifted personality. 6. 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 Spirit at Pentecost. We will examine the lives of Aquila and Priscilla. ? 10. Their heart went out to this sincere, but lacking in knowledge man. Take a moment now to pray for the leader, or leaders in your church or community. We are not told anything about the circumstances, but Paul alludes to this fact when writing to the Church in Rome. Priscilla and Aquila took him aside in a private setting and shared vital insights. The three would prove to become steadfast friends, traveling companions, and ministry coworkers. Aquila, a Jewish Christian, and his wife, Priscilla, first met Paul in Corinth, became good friends of his, and shared in his work. Ananias and Sapphira lived only for themselves. He could be mightily used in the service of Jesus Christ, but his message was deficient. Every time they are mentioned in Scripture, their names are together. b) Jerusalem. There can be no doubt, however, that Aquila and Priscilla would have been able to inform Paul about conditions in Rome, which would have been of great interest to this missionary strategist. 26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. Priscilla and Aquila, teachers of the gospel. Apollos must have known of Paul and was probably quite keen to listen to what two of his students had to say. b) Won many to Christ. 3) The ministry couple are encouragers—they care for those they know and have known. Copyright © CWR (www.cwr.org.uk). 6. In fact, of the seven times the two names are mentioned together, Priscilla is listed first five of those times (Acts 18:18-19, 26; Rom. It is o… Later, when Claudius's edict was rescinded, they returned to Rome (Rom 16:3-4). In Paul’s letter to the Romans he mentions that Aquila and Priscilla had done what? Her name, appearing sometimes in its shorter form, as Prisca, is often met with in monuments in Rome. In the New Testament, a woman by the name of Priscilla spent time with the Apostle Paul. 5:18, NIV). “Prisca” is a Latin name meaning “venerable”; the diminutive form of her name is “Priscilla.” She may have held a higher social status than her husband Aquila, for her name appears before his four times (Acts 18:18, Acts 18:26; Rom 16:3; 2Tim 4:19), in contrast to the usual custom of leading with the husband’s name. Is it just an ability to preach or teach? All rights reserved. Acts Series. As I studied Priscilla for this post, what struck me above all things was how Priscilla is an example of partnership. They exercised leadership among the fledgling churches and were held in high esteem. After leaving Rome, Aquila and Priscilla settled in Corinth but, like so many other Jews of the Dispersion, they were vulnerable to persecution and often moved from place to place. Apollos received their words, traveled to Achaia, and flourished in ministry there. Consider Aquila and Priscilla’s relationship. 5. 19 Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. And note the words ‘gently and tactfully’—they are important. Have you learned that secret yet? Aquila and Priscilla went to hear him and were deeply impressed by his sincerity, his love for God, his knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures, and his brilliant oratorical ability. 7. 3and, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them, and they worked together—by trade they were tentmakers. “…I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. If it is true that Paul’s association with Aquila and Priscilla began on a business footing, it certainly did not stay on that level for long. 6.    |    Donate, Lynn H. Cohick is Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College. Why were Jews forbidden from meeting in Roman synagogues in 41 C.E. Aquila and Priscilla, like all Jews of whatever station in life, were trained in a craft. Most ancient women were not identified by their occupation; however, Acts 18:3 states that they (Aquila and Priscilla) shared the same trade with Paul. Priscilla and Aquila were tentmakers as was Paul. As a follower of Christ, what did Peter do (Act 9:40)? She studies Jews and Christians in the settings of Hellenism and the Roman Empire, as well as women in the ancient world. What do you think? There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:27-28, NIV). Have you ever pondered what is the basic qualification for leadership in the Church of Jesus Christ? It appears that Paul was welcomed at once, and was invited to share in their labor and in their home. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. Scripture shows them instructing others in the way of God and appears to specially honor Priscilla by naming her first. “for they were tentmakers just as he was”, “The worst thing that can happen to a Christian”, “is to lose a sense of adventure in spiritual things. ©Copyright 2019, Society of Biblical Literature “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thess. Aquila and Priscilla learned how to turn their difficult circumstances to advantage. 3Greet Prisca and Aquila, who work with me in Christ Jesus,4and who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of ... View more, Paul in Corinth1After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.2There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with h ... 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