PRISCILLA: CHURCH PLANTER

When we first meet Priscilla (or "Prisca"), she and her husband Aquila are living as refugees in Corinth following Emperor Claudius' expulsion of all Jews from Rome—so it’s likely sometime after AD 49.

Each time Priscilla and Aquila are mentioned, they are mentioned together—never one without the other—a testament to their tremendous partnership in marriage and ministry. They are both knowledgeable in the Hebrew Scriptures and believe Jesus to be the long-awaited Messiah.

⛪ While living in Corinth, they become hosts of a local group of The Way—something often referred to as a "house church."

Agora of Ancient Corinth, August 2014, © Gerhard Huber, under CC4.0-edu

One day, while going about his ordinary duties—probably selling tents in the agora (marketplace)—Aquila and Priscilla meet a traveling evangelist who had just arrived in town from Athens: the Apostle Paul. They get to talking and realize they have quite a lot in common:

• They are all Jews by birth and part of the Jewish Diaspora: Paul grew up in Tarsus (modern-day southern Turkey), and Priscilla and Aquila were from Pontus (modern-day northern Turkey).
• They are all tentmakers.
• They are all well versed in the Hebrew Scriptures
• They all agree that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah.

Since they share the same faith and trade skills, the couple invites Paul to live with them and work with them for as long as he is in Corinth. He takes them up on their offer and they live and minister in the thriving metropolis for eighteen months.

After that time, Paul decides to complete his second missionary journey and return to his base in Antioch. Priscilla and Aquila accompany Paul westward across the Aegean Sea as far as Ephesus where they set-up shop and continue to share the good news of Jesus.

The couple continues their faithful practice of regularly attending synagogue on the sabbath, because at this point in history, "The Way" was still viewed as a sect of Judaism, not a separate religion.

They show up every week because here, Jews from all over the region gather for the purpose of studying the Law and Prophets; debating the teachings of various Rabbis; and discussing the anticipated (or not) arrival of the Messiah.

MENTORING APOLLOS

It's during one of their synagogue visits in Ephesus where they meet a fellow believer named Apollos. He is a Jew from Alexandria and an eloquent speaker. He speaks passionately and accurately about Jesus, but he knows only of John's baptism—which makes his knowledge incomplete.

Priscilla and her husband take Apollos under their wing and explain to him "the way of God more adequately" (Acts 18:26). Thanks to their mentoring, Apollos goes on to have a tremendous speaking ministry, especially in Corinth.

Eventually, they invite fellow Believers to gather in their home—another house church!

PRISCILLA'S PRIMACY

Priscilla's name is mentioned before Aquila's 75% of the time leading scholars to speculate why the unconventional priority. In this society, the person of higher social standing would be listed first, but it's also possible that the person with the stronger leadership skills would also be listed first. For example:

• Priscilla is mentioned first in the recognition of Apollos' passion for the Lord (Acts 18:18) and first when reaching out to teach Apollos (Acts 18:26).

• Paul mentions Priscilla before Aquila in Romans 16:3-4 where he commends them as "co-laborers" in Christ; acknowledges they have risked their lives for him; and expresses not only his gratitude for them but also the gratitude of "all the churches of the gentiles"

• She is also mentioned first in Paul's second letter to Timothy (2 Tim. 4:19).

AN INTERESTING THEORY ABOUT WHO WROTE HEBREWS

Some theologians speculate that Priscilla is the author of the epistle to the Hebrews. It's a very compelling theory considering nobody knows for sure who wrote it. If you start there...why don't we know? If you'd like to dive down this rabbit hole, I've linked a great article below which will whet your appetite, and then you can go deeper with books if you want. All linked on the site below (CBE International).

You can read more about Priscilla in Acts 18. She is also mentioned in Romans 16:3; 1 Corinthians 16:19; and 2 Timothy 4:19. 

Additional Resources:

• "Priscilla of Italy," Women’s Bible Commentary, 3rd Edition. Edited by Carol A. Newsom, Sharon H. Ringe, and Jacqueline E. Lapsley. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2012), p. 544. (And pages 555, 565, 603)

• "The Book of Hebrews Revisited: Is Priscilla the author? And how does this epistle’s theology relate to gender equality?" by Ruth Hoppin on the CBE International website. (2003)

• "Aquila and Priscilla," The Dictionary of Bible and Religion, William H. Gentz, Gen. Ed. (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1986), p. 62.

Photo Credits:

• Photo by Loren Joseph on Unsplash
• "Ancient Kechries on January 10, 2020" photo by George E. Koronaios, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Disclosure of Material Connection:

Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

WAS THIS EMAIL FORWARDED TO YOU? GREAT!

Click Here to Subscribe