Aquila and his wife Priscilla were early Christian disciples. Together, they helped establish Christianity in the Roman Empire, and traveled with the Apostle Paul on several missionary journeys. The name Aquila was in use among Jews during the time of Jesus, for there are several references to an Aquila of Pontus ( Acts 18:2 ), an Aquila of Corinth (Acts 18:2), Romans 16:21, and a later figure named Aquila (Revelation 2:14).
Priscilla and Aquila were tentmakers, as was Paul. Priscilla and Aquila had been among the Jews expelled from Rome by the Roman Emperor Claudius in the year 49 as written by Suetonius. They ended up in Corinth. Paul lived with Priscilla and Aquila for approximately 18 months.
From the moment Aquila and Priscilla first entered the scene in Acts 18, divine influence has been part of their story. But what really happened in that fateful day in Corinth when their paths first crossed? What happened next to lead them to work together on Paul’s second missionary journey without him?
Aquila And Priscilla In The Bible
Aquila and Priscilla are a married couple in the New Testament. They are known for their work with Paul, who is also a main figure in the Bible.
Paul was born in Tarsus around 3 BC, but he grew up in Jerusalem. He was a Pharisee and studied under Gamaliel, who taught him to love God and obey his laws.
Paul became an apostle of Jesus Christ after being called by Jesus on the road to Damascus after he had been blinded by a bright light while traveling on that road. After this experience, he devoted his life to spreading Christianity.
Aquila was also an apostle of Jesus Christ, though he did not meet Jesus during his lifetime. He was born in Italy around 63 AD and his wife, Priscilla was born around 70 AD in Rome. Aquila was a tentmaker by trade (Acts 18:3). He likely made tents for travelling salesmen who would set up temporary shops in different cities across Europe and Asia Minor (modern Turkey).
Priscilla and Aquila met Paul while he was on his way to Corinth, where he had heard there were some Christians living there (Acts 18:1).
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Who Is Aquila In The Bible
The story of Aquila and Priscilla is a story about two Christians. It’s a story about their faith, their struggles, and how they overcame them together.
Aquila was a Roman centurion who served Nero for many years, but he left after Nero started persecuting Christians. He relocated to Rome and converted to Christianity, but he didn’t want to go by his old name. He wanted to be known as Priscilla because she was one of his servants who believed in Christ.
Paul had converted Priscilla during his first visit to Rome, and she had since accepted Christ. She was married at the time, but she and Aquila were not allowed to marry because they were both Christians (1 Corinthians 7:10).
When Nero heard that Aquila had left him because he believed in Christ, he ordered him killed (Acts 18:12). After this happened, Priscilla went into hiding so that no one would know she was married to an ex-Roman soldier who was now a Christian (Romans 16:1). She stayed with her friends until Paul could come back from Corinth (Romans 16:6-7).
Introduction
To understand the rise of Christianity, we must look at how it spread beyond its birthplace in Jerusalem. The growth of the church depended on a number of factors, but by far the most significant was the influence and dedication of two individuals: Aquila and Priscilla. This couple is mentioned only briefly in Acts 18:1–3, but their role was pivotal. So who exactly were Aquila and Priscilla? What about them is so significant that the author mentions them by name three times in this brief passage? Their story will shed light on how Christianity grew beyond its biblical beginnings.
Priscilla and Aquila worked together.
Priscilla and Aquila worked together on ministry. They were tentmakers who traveled with Paul in his missionary journeys (Acts 18:3). At the same time, they also did ministry to Paul and other people who came to them seeking help (Romans 16:5). They worked together in their home, which was a church headquarters for Paul’s evangelism in Corinth (1 Corinthians 16:19).
When we read about Priscilla and Aquila, we see two people working together for God. This is how God wants today’s churches to be—with everyone sharing in the work of serving Christ together as one body of believers.
Priscilla and Aquila helped Paul with his ministry.
Priscilla and Aquila helped Paul with his ministry. They were tentmakers and Jews. They were Christians who, along with Paul, were banished from Rome by a ruling of Claudius. They met Paul in Corinth, where he had gone to preach the gospel after leaving Ephesus. The couple moved to Ephesus with him, where they lived and worked for many years before returning to Rome together as refugees during Nero’s persecution of Christians (AD 64).
Priscilla and Aquila were tentmakers.
Tents were a common form of housing in ancient Rome, and the campgrounds outside cities that housed soldiers would also have had tents. It’s possible that Priscilla and Aquila were tentmakers by trade, but it’s more likely that they worked as tentmakers by occupation or vocation. This can be inferred from Acts 18:3–4:
“And because he was of the same trade, he abode with them and wrought; for by their occupation they were tentmakers.”
Tentmaking must have been a lucrative business since it allowed Aquila and Priscilla to give so much money to poor Christians in Jerusalem (Acts 18:18).
Priscilla and Aquila were Jews, but they also worshipped Christ.
It’s not uncommon to hear the words “Jewish” and “Christian” used interchangeably, but they are not actually the same thing. Jewish people were followers of Jesus, but they were not Christians.
Christians were followers of Jesus who believed that he was the son of God and that he had risen from the dead after dying on a cross. To become a Christian, you had to have faith in what Jesus did for us on earth and also have faith in him being raised up by God (John 20:24–29).
There is no doubt that Priscilla and Aquila were Jewish people because Acts 18:2 tells us so: “And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus [in northern Asia Minor], who recently came from Italy with his wife Priscilla…”
They had converted from Judaism to Christianity; no one knows when exactly this happened—it could have been before Paul arrived in Rome or later on during their stay there together with Paul while they worked at tent-making (Acts 18:18). We do know that they continued worshipping Christ throughout their lives because later on Paul writes about them saying things like this:The grace of our Lord was more than abundant with faith and love which are found among us through our Lord Yeshua Messiah toward you all.”
A Claudius decree resulted in the expulsion of Priscilla and Aquila from Rome.
According to the book of Acts, Claudius’ decree had Priscilla and Aquila expelled from Rome because they were tent makers. Claudius was Roman emperor from 41 to 54 AD and the fourth emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. He ruled during the time in which Paul was preaching in Greece (Acts 18:1).
Priscilla and Aquila met Paul in Corinth, then moved to Ephesus with him.
In the book of Acts, we learn that Paul met Priscilla and Aquila in Corinth. They became Christians after hearing Paul’s message, and they immediately began to share their faith with others. The apostle Paul was so impressed by them that he invited them to move with him to Ephesus.
We know from the Bible that Priscilla had a great impact on Paul’s life as well as his ministry. When she heard about her husband being imprisoned for preaching Christ in Rome, she wrote him a beautiful letter filled with encouragement (1 Cor 16:19). She also played an integral role in teaching Apollos what it meant to be a Christian (Acts 18:26).
Paul referred to the Aquila and Priscilla as fellow workers in Christ.
In Romans 16:3, Paul referred to the Aquila and Priscilla as fellow workers in Christ. In this verse, he was grateful for their work and thankful for their help. They were also his friends, they provided hospitality to him while he was in prison, and they loved him dearly.
Paul’s reference made it clear that the two were committed Christians who were willing to do whatever needed to be done in order for God’s kingdom to grow within Rome!
Aquila, along with his wife Priscilla, hosted church services in their home in Ephesus, until it was made illegal by a Roman edict.
- Aquila and Priscilla hosted church services in their home in Ephesus until it was made illegal by a Roman edict.
- They were faithful to the Lord and to the church.
What Can We Learn From Priscilla And Aquila
Learn from this courageous couple as they faithfully follow Jesus, build significant relationships, grow in influence, and make disciples of others.
As a couple, Aquila and Priscilla are a great example of how to live in difficult situations. They were faithful followers of Christ.
- As a man, it was very brave of Aquila to leave Rome at that time because he was likely one of the few Jews living there. He joined Paul in Corinth, where he became an influential leader in their household church (1 Cor 16:19).
- Priscilla had influence on others as well (1 Corinthians 16:19). She shared the gospel with Apollos and helped him understand more about Jesus (Acts 18:24–26). In addition, she taught other women believers how to pray (1 Tim 2:11–15), which led them to greater faithfulness as well.
Characteristics of Aquila And Priscilla
Aquila and Priscilla were a Jewish husband-and-wife team, originally from Pontus in Asia Minor. They were living in Rome when the Emperor Claudius issued an edict expelling all the Jews from there, probably because of clashes in the Jewish community concerning the subject of Christianity. 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. It is obvious from what the Scripture says about them that they turned their frequent journeys to good advantage in spreading and sharing the good news of the Gospel.
For thought and contemplation:
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. Aquila and Priscilla learned how to turn their difficult circumstances to advantage. Have you learned that secret yet?
“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thess. 5:18, NIV)
Tent-makers
Acts 18:3
Aquila and Priscilla, like all Jews of whatever station in life, were trained in a craft. In their case it was tent-making—the same trade as that of the apostle Paul. When Paul arrived in Corinth, he “became acquainted” with Aquila and Priscilla, “for they were tentmakers just as he was” (The Living Bible). We cannot be certain of Aquila’s and Priscilla’s spiritual condition at the time when the apostle joined them. Some think they were already Christians prior to Paul’s arrival, while others believe they were converted under his dynamic ministry in Corinth. 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.
For thought and contemplation:
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. Paul would soon have brought the conversation gently and tactfully around to Christ. And note the words ‘gently and tactfully’—they are important. For “to win some”, as D.L. Moody once put it, “we must be winsome.”
“A man that hath friends must show himself friendly; and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24, AV)
Adventurers
Acts 18:18 & Romans 16:3-4
It appears that Aquila and Priscilla risked their lives on Paul’s behalf. We are not told anything about the circumstances, but Paul alludes to this fact when writing to the Church in Rome. 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). It is quite clear that when Paul left Corinth, after spending a considerable time there, Priscilla and Aquila accompanied him as far as Ephesus, where they remained when he returned to Antioch. It seems that eventually—possibly after the death of the Emperor Claudius—they returned to Rome, since Paul sends his greetings to them there (Romans 16:3).
For thought and contemplation:
“The worst thing that can happen to a Christian”, says Edward Eddy, “is to lose a sense of adventure in spiritual things. To those who walk closely with Christ, every stumbling-block becomes a stepping-stone, every adversity an adventure. Without the recognition of this, one sinks down into despair.” How do you interpret what is happening around you at the moment? As an adversity—or an adventure?
“…I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. 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. 3:13-14, NIV).
Aquila came from Pontus, a remote Roman province. Priscilla’s origins seem different. Her name, appearing sometimes in its shorter form, as Prisca, is often met with in monuments in Rome.
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. From these facts it has been inferred that Priscilla was a member of this family, and that has been taken as the reason why, of the six places where she and her husband are mentioned in the New Testament, four have the wife’s name first. (W. F. Adeney)
Teachers
Acts 18:24-26
During their stay in Ephesus, Aquila and Priscilla met up with another Jew from the Dispersion, known as Apollos. He was an eloquent speaker and had a good knowledge of the Old Testament.
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.
Aquila and Priscilla heard him speaking boldly in the synagogue at Ephesus, but detected a lack of the Spirit’s power and presence in his life. After taking him aside, Priscilla (as Chrysostom says) “was able to instruct him”—or, as Luke puts it, “they expounded to him the way of God more accurately” (v. 26, RSV).
For thought and contemplation:
Did you notice that Luke puts Priscilla’s name first, suggesting she took the lead in the teaching ministry? Does this mean she was not fulfilling her Scriptural role? What do you think?
“…all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 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)
Church leaders
Romans 16:5
It is obvious that during their stay at Ephesus, Priscilla became the hostess of the new church there, as when Paul wrote from Ephesus back to Corinth, he sent the “hearty” greetings of Aquila and Priscilla and “the church in their house” (1 Cor. 16:19). In the letter to the Romans, we find a similar reference to “the church in their house”, which suggest that after returning to Rome, they again gave hospitality to meetings of the believers. Aquila and Priscilla flit in and out of the pages of the New Testament with the spotlight never focused clearly upon them. We would love to know more about this intriguing couple, but for some reason, the Holy Spirit is content to give us just a few glimpses into their spiritual actions and adventures.
For thought and contemplation:
Have you ever pondered what is the basic qualification for leadership in the Church of Jesus Christ? Is it just an ability to preach or teach? No. The basic qualification for leadership is a willingness to serve. Take a moment now to pray for the leader, or leaders in your church or community.
“The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matt. 23:11-12, NIV)
The lesson to be learned from Aquila and Priscilla
Such a couple as Aquila and Priscilla—mentioned only six times in the New Testament, but always with warm appreciation—were obviously valued colleagues in the infant Church. Only twice is the husband, Aquila, mentioned first, from which commentators both ancient and modern infer that the wife was the more gifted personality. 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.
The main lesson that we learn from the lives of Aquila and Priscilla, however, is the fact that, under God, they were able to turn their adversity into an adventure.
Conclusion
We see in the book of Acts how Priscilla and Aquila work alongside Apostle Paul to do God’s work. This was possible because they were strong believers who desired to be used by God wherever He sent them. Their commitment to the Gospel allowed God to use them in a powerful way to spread His Word. In addition, we see that although Priscilla is mentioned before her husband Aquila, this does not mean she had more of a role than he did. We know from scripture that both were important figures in spreading the Gospel of Christ throughout the early church.