Aquila and Pricilla

I. Introduction: Aquila and Pricilla emphasize the importance of families working together in the Lord’s church.

[!NOTE] Primary Scripture Reading: Acts 18:24-28

A. Aquila, a Jew born in Pontus, a region in Northern Asia near the Black Sea

B. Pricilla, his wife, was probably not a Jew.

C. Whether she had previously converted to Judaism would be purely speculation; however, in the New Testament, she and her husband are Christians. Some have suggested that she may have been a person of wealth since she is mentioned before her husband in several instances; a practice not common at that time.

D. They may have been taught by Paul when he arrived in Corinth or by Christians scattered throughout the Roman Empire under the persecution of which Paul was a part.

E. Aquila and Pricilla were tentmakers by trade

II. Expelled from Rome

A. Initially, Aquila and Pricilla lived in Rome

B. Rome was the capital of the world empire at that time. We do not know how long they lived there.

C. They left Rome when the emperor Claudius expelled all Jews

D. Ascending the throne

E. Before Claudius, Gaius (also known as Caligula) was a hated, and probably insane, emperor who persecuted the Jews. When Caligula was assassinated, Claudius was made emperor.

F. Policies of Claudius

G. Claudius reversed the policy of persecuting the Jews and allowed them to worship according to their laws and customs. Since the population of Jews in the city of Rome was considerable, he did not allow them to assemble publicly within the city.

H. Banishment of the Jews

I. In about 50 A.D., Claudius expelled the Jews from the city of Rome. Suetonius says that the expulsion was caused by a series of disturbances “due to the action of Chrestus”; and in all probability this Chrestus must be interpreted as “the leader of the Chrestians” (Ramsay, p. 254) It seems that a major motivation for Claudius was to curb the large numbers of the Jews who were moving into the city. Aquila and Pricilla left Rome for the populous city of Corinth.

III. Aquila and Pricilla in Corinth, Acts 18:1-4

A. Aquila and Pricilla help Paul

B. Aquila and Pricilla were tentmakers by trade The couple allowed Paul to work with them so he could provide for his needs until Timothy and Silas came with financial support from Macedonia. The couple also allowed Paul to stay with them. This help was critical for Paul as he began to work in Corinth—where he worked for over a year and a half. When Paul left Corinth for Ephesus, Aquila and Pricilla uprooted their business to go with him.

IV. Aquila and Pricilla in Ephesus

A. When Paul left for Jerusalem, Aquila and Pricilla remained in Ephesus.

B. Taught Apollos, Acts 18:24-28

C. While in the synagogue, Aquila and Pricilla heard Apollos teaching about the Lord but was in error on a critical matter. Aquila and Pricilla took Apollos aside privately and explained the truth to him which he then preached boldly in Corinth.

D. Risked their lives for Paul

E. While in Ephesus, and incident arose in which Aquila and Pricilla risked their lives to save Paul.

F. Romans 16:3-5 – Paul mentions their selfless sacrifice that benefited him and the Gentile churches.

G. We do not know the exact incident but Paul’s life was in peril.

H. 1 Corinthians 15:31-32

I. Paul wrote that his life was ever in peril. He specifically mentions fighting, in the manner of men, wild beasts in Ephesus.

J. 2 Timothy 4:17

K. Paul told Timothy that he had been delivered from the mouth of the lion. Though a Roman citizen was not often cast to the wild animals, there were exceptions to this rule.

L. Some argue that Paul’s conflict was figurative of a struggle with his enemies; however, with the references to Aquila and Pricilla’s sacrifice and Paul writing to the Corinthians that he was in deaths often, it seems that he is speaking literally.

M. The church met in their house

N. Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:19 This would entail great sacrifice to host the services of the church but they had a love for the Lord that led them to open their house for the Lord’s work

V. The church needs couples like Aquila and Pricilla

A. Working together

B. Some couples may work separately or one spouse may be active in the Lord’s work while another is not involved. Their strength came through working together. The husband and wife bring different strengths to the Lord’s work and together can fulfill critical needs in the church. It is important that the husband respect the contribution of the wife and the wife appreciate what her husband can do.

C. Sacrificial

D. Sacrifices

E. Aquila and Pricilla allowed Paul to stay with them and work with them when he came to Corinth. The couple uprooted their home and business in order to further the work of the Lord in Ephesus. They also opened their home for the assemblies of the church. They risked their lives to save Paul. Since Aquila and Pricilla had first opened their hearts, opening their home and making sacrifices for the Lord’s work came naturally.

F. Some are too concerned with success in this life to get deeply involved with the lives of their brethren and the work of the church.

G. 1 John 3:16-18 – Closed hearts will not serve others Philippians 2:3-5 – we must consider the interests of others These Christians live respectable lives but have allowed the daily concerns of life and building a future on earth to pull them away from complete dedication to God’s work.

H. Sacrifices are difficult and we must often put aside what we want to do in order to do what must be done.

I. Someone said, “True freedom is not the ability to do what we want, but the opportunity to do what we should.” Duty is not always fun, convenient, nor pleasant. Sometimes, as with Aquila and Pricilla, a Christian couple may have to put their lives at risk to accomplish the purposes of God. However, our attitude must reflect our Lord who, in facing the painful death on the cross, subjected His will to the Father’s will. Aquila and Pricilla exemplify the need for Christians who are not elders, deacons, or preachers to be active in the work of the church.

VI. Conclusion: Though the church can benefit by having faithful preachers like Paul and Peter, its greatest strength will be families like Aquila and Pricilla’s who have homes and careers but realize that their true home is heaven and their higher work is in the Lord’s vineyard.

VII. References:

VIII. Ramsay, W. M., Sir. St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research System, Inc., 1995, c1896.