20180610 heroes together
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Priscilla and Aquila were a married couple who worked as tentmakers. They risked their lives for Paul and helped many churches. After being expelled from Rome, they met Paul in Corinth and worked together with him. They traveled with Paul to Ephesus and helped instruct Apollos more accurately about Christianity after hearing him preach. Paul sends his greetings to them in his letters, showing they provided long-term support for the early Christian faith.
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20180610 heroes together
- 3. Rom 16:3-5 NASB Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who for my life risked their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles; also greet the church that is in their house.
- 4. Act 18:1-3 After these things he left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome.
- 5. Act 18:1-3 He came to them, and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and they were working, for by trade they were tent- makers.
- 6. Act 18:18-19 NASB Paul, having remained many days longer, took leave of the brethren and put out to sea for Syria, and with him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchrea he had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow. They came to Ephesus, and he left them there. Now he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.
- 7. Act 18:24-26 Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus,
- 8. Act 18:24-26 …being acquainted only with the baptism of John; and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
- 9. 2 Tim 4:19 Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila and those living in the household of Onesiphorus.
Editor's Notes
- Quotes
- In his greetings to the church in Rome Paul makes special mention of the couple Prisca or Priscilla, the affectionate diminutive form, and Aquilla. He refers to this couple as fellow workers in Christ Jesus. The term greet here in the Greek has the idea of giving them a big bear hug. He remembers these two very fondly because they risked their lives for him, what this refers to we do not know, but Paul reminds the Gentiles that if it wasn’t for them saving his life many of them would not have received the Gospel. They are also those that have a church in their house. Off the bat here we are intrigued by the reference to this couple and realize they must be people worth knowing. But only when we get to know their story better do we realize how wonderful a couple they were, that in the face of great difficulty served God so well.
- The first time we here of this couple is when Paul goes to Corinth and meets them. P and A were already Christians when Paul met them. Aquila was of Jewish decent but we know not of Prisca although it was very possible that she was a Roman Gentile. At some point they became Christians, where and how we know not but Christianity according to the 4th Century writer Ambriosaster who said the Roman believers” had embraced the faith of Christ, although they saw no sign of mighty works nor any of the apostles.” (https://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/bjrl/claudius_bruce.pdf). It s commonly believed that Romans that were present on the day of Pentecost took Christianity back to Rome. They fled to Corinth after Emperor Claudius gave an edict that expelled all Jews from Rome. This happened about 49 AD and was a result of Jewish upheavel in Rome. According to Suetonius, the Roman historian 120 AD, that “because the Jews of Rome were indulging in constant riots at the instigation of Chrestus he expelled them from the city.” Because of the Jews’ looking for the re-establishing of their kingdom, messianic preachers would every now and then cause them to riot. From the vantage point of the Romans there was no distinction between Jew and Christian, they were all part of the Jews and were causing problems.
- Paul/s relationship with them began because they worked together. On some occasion at church or through Linked In they realized they had a shared profession . It may be that because P & A had a successful business that Paul started working with them. In Corinth Paul did tent making as a way to support himself. While Paul did believe in material compensation for spiritual work “If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?” (1 Cor. 9:11 ESV), because Jesus commanded it, “the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:14). He also received financial support from other churches especially the Philippians (Phil 4:15-18). He, for the sake of the advance of the gospel in Corinth and because he wanted to be a good example of diligence, 1 Cor 9:12 “Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.” So while the were at their day job a beautiful relationship began.
- This relationship grew to the point that when Paul left Corinth after 18 months and went to set up base in Ephesus he took them with him. They set up a home in Ephesus and probably also business. They again used their home for church gatherings, 1Co 16:19 The churches here in the province of Asia send greetings in the Lord, as do Aquila and Priscilla and all the others who gather in their home for church meetings. Here they carried on spreading the gospel through their hospitality.
- Here they met a very eloquent up and coming preacher Apollos. He was a hip and happening young guy that quickly made a name for himself. He had good understanding and revelation with charisma.
- But he had gaps in his knowledge. He was accurate with what he knew but there were important things he didn’t know. So one Sunday after church P and A invited him to lunch and spent some time with him. This was not one of this roasting a preacher for lunch moments. They didn’t beat him up and say what a stupid sermon that was, they gently “explained to him the way of God more accurately.” Act 18:27 Apollos had been thinking about going to Achaia, and the brothers and sisters in Ephesus encouraged him to go. They wrote to the believers in Achaia, asking them to welcome him. When he arrived there, he proved to be of great benefit to those who, by God's grace, had believed. Act 18:28 He refuted the Jews with powerful arguments in public debate. Using the Scriptures, he explained to them that Jesus was the Messiah. After the death of Claudius in AD 54 the Jewish Expulsion Decree is reversed P and A moved back to Rome as we saw in Rom 16.
- The church had been meeting in the home of Aquila and Priscilla for nearly 10 years when a catastrophe struck. The Great Fire of July 19, AD 64, for which Nero blamed the Christians, completely destroyed or seriously damaged 10 of the 14 districts of Rome, including the homes on the Aventine Hill. Aquila and Priscilla may have been homeless in Rome (again), along with tens of thousands of other Romans. Aquila and Priscilla, perhaps being homeless and fearing the persecution that followed the fire, presumably escaped to Ephesus. When Paul wrote his son in the faith, Timothy, who was in Ephesus in AD 67, he instructed him to “greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus (2 Tim. 4:19). It may be instructive to note that Paul does not mention a church meeting in their house. This couple may have lost everything, and maybe in the Great Fire of Rome - their home, their business. They may have escaped with their lives, the shirt on their back, and any money they could carry. It could also be an indication that the church in Ephesus was well established and meeting in other places, thus there was no need for them to open their home. Application: In everything they lived for Jesus. Their live certainly had many challenges. They were caught on the wrong end of historical events. How hard it must have been for them after having lost home and business and have to flee as refugees to Corinth very tough and immoral city but one that had work opportunities. Shades were needed for the construction work going on in Corinth at this time, sails for ships were in need of mending as ships crossed the Isthmus of Corinth, and tents were in need of mending during the Isthmian Games. But here we see how God works in such difficult situations. He obviously did not make Claudius kick them out of Rome but God is quick to “work all things together for good.” P & A didn’t get pulled under by events outside of their control. It would have been easy to think that life is against you but they stayed focused on God being for them. This happened not once but twice to them, they didn’t just stay the course when young but also when older. Our lives can be take very unexpected turns but God is always for us and can work in every situation. Are you thrown around by history or living His story. They used every opportunity for Jesus. They didn’t have a church and work divide, for them their faith went everywhere they went. Whether at home they served Jesus by being hospitable and by hosting churches in their homes. They were also ministers at work that in and through their business spread the gospel. They knew that there is no part of life that does not belong to Jesus and that there is no part of life that cannot give Him glory. Is Jesus with you everyday? Together they lived for Jesus. While in the NT many Gospel ministers are individuals, some that were married, but only seen as individuals, here we see a husband and wife power couple. They are never mentioned separately. Their togetherness made them powerful in living the Gospel. They were together in business and in Church. How blessed are we as a church to have couples like this that serve Christ together. That open their homes for the Church, and that serve God in every part of their life. I think of people that have come alongside me and gently explained to me ” the way of God more accurately.” People that don’t come down on you for what you do not know but just kindly show you more. Do you serve the Lord together with someone else?