PRISCILLA AND AQUILA

(King James Bible, rightly divided)

Key passages

Acts 18:2 to 3, Acts 18:18 to 19, Acts 18:24 to 26, Romans 16:3 to 5, 1 Corinthians 16:19, 2 Timothy 4:19.

Introduction

Priscilla and Aquila appear in Scripture as a married pair whose home, work, and courage were placed in the service of Pauline truth. They are first met in Acts when imperial pressure forced them out of Rome. From that point forward God used their tentmaking trade, their hospitality, and their steady loyalty to Paul to strengthen assemblies in Corinth, Ephesus, and Rome. Their story shows how ordinary work and a willing home become powerful tools for the furtherance of the gospel of the grace of God.

Their beginnings with Paul in Corinth

Acts 18:2 to 3 introduces Aquila, a Jew born in Pontus, and Priscilla his wife, who had recently come from Italy because Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome. Paul came unto them and, finding they shared the same craft, he lodged with them, for by their occupation they were tentmakers. This is not a legend. It is a concrete record of two believers whose livelihood became a base for ministry. Their shop provided income, stability, and daily contacts, and their table provided fellowship and rest for a traveling apostle who preached Christ.

Fellow helpers who traveled with the ministry

After an extended season in Corinth, Paul sailed for Syria and he brought Priscilla and Aquila with him to Ephesus. See Acts 18:18 to 19. They remained useful wherever the work needed them. Later greetings in Romans 16:3 to 5 place them back in Rome for a time, while 2 Timothy 4:19 shows them again at Ephesus near the end of Paul’s life. Scripture traces a pattern of availability. They moved as the ministry required, not for novelty, but to strengthen saints and to anchor assemblies in sound doctrine.

A home opened for the saints

Paul writes, Greet the church that is in their house. See Romans 16:5, and compare 1 Corinthians 16:19. In our wording we speak of the Body of Christ gathering in their home. Their hospitality was not sentimental. It was ordered, generous, and purposeful. A living room became a classroom. A table became a platform for prayer and exhortation. Their household created a place where the word could run and be glorified without financial burden upon the saints.

Courage that guarded Paul and blessed the Gentile assemblies

Paul calls them my helpers in Christ Jesus and adds that they have for my life laid down their own necks. He then says that not only he gives thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. See Romans 16:3 to 4. This is strong language. At some point risk found them and they chose loyalty to Paul and to his gospel. The fruit of that courage reached far beyond one city, since Paul ties their bravery to the benefit of Gentile assemblies at large. They did not seek danger, yet when danger came they stood fast so that Pauline truth would not be silenced.

Teachers who strengthened a sincere preacher

Acts 18:24 to 26 records Apollos, an eloquent man mighty in the Scriptures, who knew only the baptism of John. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him unto them and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. Notice their manner. They did not create a public spectacle or a rivalry. They took him unto them. They taught with clarity, privacy, and charity so that a gifted man could be aligned with fuller Pauline understanding. Their goal was edification, not strife, and the result was a stronger witness to truth.

What Scripture says and what it does not say

Scripture presents Priscilla and Aquila as a married team who labored together in service, hospitality, instruction, and logistical help. Scripture does not call them pastors or elders, and it does not place Priscilla in public teaching authority over men. Paul’s order for the Body of Christ remains clear. Women are not to usurp authority over the man, yet they abound in approved service and in the teaching of younger women. See 1 Timothy 2:11 to 12 and Titus 2:3 to 5. Elders are men who must be apt to teach and to rule well. See 1 Timothy 3:1 to 7 and Titus 1:5 to 9. Their example fits this order perfectly. They did much good without seeking titles, and they advanced the ministry without disturbing the pattern God gave through Paul.

How their example instructs us today

Use your work and your home for the gospel. A trade can fund ministry, and an ordinary house can host an assembly, a study, or a prayer meeting. See Romans 12:13. Stand with Pauline truth even when it costs you comfort. They laid down their necks for Paul because the message he preached saves today. See Romans 16:25. Teach with charity and wisdom. When someone is sincere yet incomplete, take them unto you, open the Scriptures, and expound the way more perfectly. See 2 Timothy 2:24 to 25. Keep the gospel central. Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day, and we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. See 1 Corinthians 15:3 to 4 and Ephesians 1:7. Every act of hospitality, every journey taken to help the saints, and every quiet correction should serve that message.

A concise profile

Priscilla and Aquila were a married pair of fellow helpers who used their trade and their table to advance Pauline truth. They traveled with Paul, hosted an assembly in their house, risked themselves for his life, and patiently instructed a gifted preacher. They are models of steadfast, order honoring, grace driven service that lets sound doctrine take root and spread. Their names remind us that the Body of Christ is built up not only by public preaching, but also by homes that are opened, hands that are ready, and hearts that are loyal to the gospel and to the fellowship of the mystery.