Endeavoring Women of the Bible: Priscilla
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Hi Endeavorers! Thanks again so much for following along with these blog posts. I’ve highlighted some different women through the past weeks like Lydia and Deborah, who were power women without a specific husband named. However this week, I am jumping in to look at a wife who does ministry with her husband. From her hospitality, her knowledge to evangelize, to her faith her story provides a beautiful example of ministry. So let’s take a look!
Priscilla
Location: Corinth
Context: Paul seeks out this married couple, and they help lead the church
Passage: Acts 18, Robamns 16, 1 Cor 16:19, 2 Tim 4:19
As Priscilla and Aquila are mentioned throughout the New Testament, I’m going to be jumping around a bit!
First to clarify, Aquila, who you hear next to Priscilla’s name is her husband. Every time they are mentioned, they are generally mentioned together. My bible says it in this way “In an age when the focus is mostly on what happens between husband and wife, Aquila and Priscilla are an example of what can happen through husband and wife”.
We get the story of Paul encountering the couple primarily in Acts chapter 18. We meet him as he is traveling around and stays in Corinth for a period of time. We read their introduction in verses 1-2:
“After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3 and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.”
So here we kind of get their background. Basically at that time Corinth wasn’t a great place and there was a significant amount of immorality (as you can read about in Corinthians!). Priscilla and Aquilla therefore hadn’t been there long. They arrived there because they had to leave Rome due to the Emperor’ Claudius, expelling all Jews from Rome. We then learn quickly that they are tent- makers. A few notes on this. One, some historians don’t think that it would actually be tent making, as that would have been a bit odd of an occupation, so some think it is leather working (Fletcher, 2006). However, we do know that this means that they probably had some sort of significant income. It also indicates that they both were involved in the business as well.
We see that they invite Paul into their home, and that Paul works with them.
In the meantime, Paul testifies and spreads the gospel to the Jews at the synagogues. However, he encounters a lot of push back. God speaks to him in a vision and encourages him to stay strong. Fast forward to verse 18, we meet back up with Priscilla and learn that she and Aquila travel with Paul. Verse 18 says:
18 Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. 19 They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. 21 But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.
So we see kind of a lot here. We see Priscilla and her husband travel with Paul. Paul does ministry with the Jews and we don’t exactly know the work that they do in this time, but we do see that they ask Paul to spend more time with them. His response is “if it is God’s will”. And I kind of see this as a difficult goodbye!
So they are left by themselves, and I was like- man. They probably could have stopped ministry there! Often times with a charismatic leader, they can be the center and rock of a lot of people’s faith. But we see that for Priscilla and Aquilla, their faith is deeper than just an artificial relationship, and they continue to spread the gospel. We see this play out in the next little section of chapter 18 as we are introduced to this new character: Apollos. It says:
Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor[a] and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.
So to understand, at this time Apollos probably only knew what John the Baptist had preached at this point as it says “he knew only the baptism of John”. so Priscilla and Aquila would have helped Apollos complete the story. That the gospel not only focused on repentance, as John had emphasized, but it also included Jesus’s life and resurrection, and the introduction of the Holy Spirit.
From there we don’t see Priscilla in the book of Acts much. We do meet back up with her and her husband in Romans 16 in verses 3-5. They say:
3 Greet Priscilla[c] and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. 4 They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.
5 Greet also the church that meets at their house.
I think these verses are so cool, and speak a lot into Priscilla’s story. It shows that she and her husband are risk takers. As we don’t hear too much from them specifically we can kind of assume that they probably did ministry but more behind the scenes. We see that they were a couple that offered hospitality as it says that the church met in their house.
We see this also in 1 Corinthians as they are mentioned in chapter 16 verse 19:
19 The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla[a] greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house.
We finally see them mentioned again in 2 Timothy chapter 4, verse 19:
19 Greet Priscilla[a] and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus.
So all in all, we see that they have a ministry in their home that extends through a significant period of time.
So. Looking at Priscilla and her husband Aquilla’s story, we can learn a lot of different things.
Ministry as a couple.
Throughout the Bible there are several married couples, but Priscilla and Aquilla stand out as a married couple who are essentially missionaries and who ultimately lead a church. Every time their names are referenced, both Priscilla and Aquilla are mentioned probably meaning that they both played a significant role. Ministry as a couple can be DIFFICULT. But their story shows how both partners in a marriage playing a significant role. It doesn’t say one does more than another. It says they are a team and opened their home for ministry. It also shows us that they had gone through turmoil and difficult circumstances as it says the verse in Romans. Yet they have stayed together and continued ministry. Some people note that Priscilla’s name is actually mentioned first so they think she may have been the more “dominant” leader in ministry. However, I just look at it with the idea that both wives and husbands are important in minsistry. I hope that you can take that as encouragement in a society today where both are so rare.
Seeking God’s Guidance.
Okay, so a little tag team off Paul here, but I think their story highlights listening to the Lord. In Acts so clearly see Paul and Silas seeking the Lord’s guidance in their travels. And we see God respond! Although it is not as clearly written out, I think Priscilla and Aquilla also had to so clearly pursue God and his guidance. As they continued their occupation, started and led the church, and traveled we see that share the news of the Gospel. Again, not written in the Bible but I just have to believe that they together saught God’s guidance. I hope that you can have faith and call on God, knowing that he cares so deeply for you. Might I remind you of Luke 12:7: “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
House Church.
We don’t know too much about church at that time, but I thought it was significant that as often as Paul writes different believers, he notes specifically the church meeting in their home. I don’t know what your view of church is, but I know many people can struggle with this concept of church being a building. Paul reminds and shows us over and over again that church is the people. In this time, churches were essentially groups of people that met in houses! I think this is an excellent reminder in a culture and society where the word “church” has much different connotations.
Faith
Okay so this a little bit of a small one, but through all the women I’ve studied, faith has been a huge guiding principle. Remember, Priscilla hadn’t met Jesus. Although she lived in the era when he was alive she still had to rely on faith and believe. She can give us encouragement that she believed so deeply in the saving message of Christ, and was a core member of the church, even without meeting Jesus. It is clear to see that even in difficult times, mentioned in Romans, she was a woman of faith who stood for what she believed in.
Although her story is not as straightforward, I hope you can be encouraged by Priscilla and maybe you know a little more about her. As I was trying to think of a word for Priscilla, I thought of perseverance. And I know that is kind of seemingly off topic. But I just see her story and see the long game. We don’t just see a conversion or one experience, but we see faithful mission and ministry. We see endurance, community, hospitality, and ultimately teamwork. I hope you can be encouraged by her story and know that our faith is built on this foundation of disciples how have gone before us.
Lord, I pray for the endeavorers this week reading this post or listening. I pray that you will be with them and encourage them in whatever ministry they are in. Or if they have struggled with faith, I pray you connect with them and ignite a fire that may seem to be going out. You know the world is difficult God and sin and temptation surround us. But we praise you because we see the larger picture taking place. We praise you that your Son provides salvation for us. We praise you that you provide comfort for us. Thank you for what you provide and be with us this week as we step forward sharing the amazing news of the gospel.
sources:
Life Application Study Bible - NIV. Zondervan, 1997.
Fletcher, E. (2006). PRISCILLA-PRISCA, teacher, evangelist, friend of St Paul. Her life story. Retrieved July 2, 2019, from http://www.womeninthebible.net/women-bible-old-new-testaments/prisca-priscillachristian-woman/
