The Bible is filled with stories of men serving God. Though there are strong female characters in the Bible, they often seem to play a supporting role in the life of a husband, brother, or son. Either due to the prevailing culture or other factors, we don’t see many biblical records of women who lead their families or communities. One exception to this pattern is found in the life of Aquila, who partnered equally with his wife Priscilla to support the early Christian church.
What Does the Bible Tell Us about Aquila?
New Testament details of Aquila’s life are sparse. We read that he was originally from the Roman province of Pontus on the Black Sea’s south shore (Acts 18:2). We know that Aquila’s name means “eagle.” He was most likely a free Jewish citizen of Rome—the common status of Jews in the first-century Roman empire. His wife Priscilla’s name is common in Roman aristocratic circles, which suggests she came from a high social class. The couple probably met in Rome and, after they married, lived as Christian disciples.
There are several ways that Aquila and Priscilla may have become Christians. Aquila could have heard Peter preach on the day of Pentecost when Jews from Pontus were visiting Jerusalem (Acts 2:9). Priscilla might have become a Christian after making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem with a group of proselytes (converts to Judaism) at Pentecost, converting to Christianity after hearing Paul’s sermon (Acts 2:10-11a). Another possibility is that Aquila became a Christian after hearing Peter preach on his missionary trip through Pontus in A.D. 40-42 (I Peter 1:1).
Aquila and Priscilla fled their home in Rome and moved to Corinth, Greece, in 50 A.D., when Emperor Claudius ordered that all ethnic Jews leave Rome (Acts 18:2). Historians debate why Claudius ordered all the Jews to leave. Roman historian Suetonius notes in Lives of the Caesars. Claudius. Nero that Jews “constantly made disturbances,” so multiple crises may have led to this moment.
In Corinth, the couple housed and supported the apostle Paul financially as he spread the Gospel. They worked with Paul in a successful tentmaking business, which financed Paul’s missionary work. The three bonded spiritually also, growing each other’s faith and the church (Acts 18:3-4). When they joined forces with Paul, they became “a cord of three strands [which] is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12).
When Does Aquila Meet Paul in the Bible?
Easton’s Bible Dictionary cites Paul meeting Aquila in Acts 18:2-3. Aquila is introduced as a tentmaker who worked with his wife; Easton argues that they wove Cilician hair cloth to make tents.
Other references to Aquila and Priscilla as a couple appear in:
- Acts 18:26, when the couple meet a man named Apollos.
- Romans 16:3, when Paul sends a message to Priscilla and Aquila who “risked their lives for me.”
- 1 Corinthians 16:19, when Paul sends a warm greeting to the Corinthians from the church in Aquila and Priscilla’s house.
- 2 Timothy 4:19, when Paul includes a greeting to Priscilla and Aquila.
Based on these references, we have a broad idea of where the couple lived during their ministry. They spent 18 months with Paul in Corinth. Then, they accompanied Paul on his journey to Ephesus. The couple remained in Ephesus when Paul moved on to Syria to further spread the gospel (Acts 18:2; Acts 18:26). Later, the New Testament mentions Aquila and Priscilla being in Rome (Romans 16:3) and in Ephesus again (1 Corinthians 16:19 and 2 Timothy 4:19), continually working as a pair of apostles for Christ.
In all but the 1 Corinthians reference to the couple, Priscilla’s name is written before her husband’s name. Gordon Franz suggests that her name was written first because Priscilla had a more active spiritual role. When she is named first, she is called Prisca, the proper name for Priscilla. Given that her name has aristocratic roots, she likely brought more money into the marriage, which means she may have been the chief tent-making business partner.
Who Did Aquila Disciple?
When Aquila and Priscilla were in Ephesus with Paul, they met a man named Apollos in the synagogue and recognized his talents. Apollos was a speaker from Alexandria, Egypt, with a charismatic personality. He is described in the book of Acts as “a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures,” and “instructed in the way of the Lord.” However, Aquila and Priscilla realized that Apollos needed more Christian instruction. Apollos was, like many in Ephesus, waiting for the Messiah’s arrival after being baptized by John the Baptist (Acts 18:24-26; Acts 19:4). Like John, he was “making straight the way of the Lord” (John 1:23). However, he apparently hadn’t received the way of the Lord, the full gospel message that Jesus provided after John’s ministry ended.
Aquila and Priscilla instructed Apollos in the ways of the Messiah and the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1-4)—generally, in “the way of God more adequately” (Acts 18:26). Apollos readily accepted this foundation of faith as he learned about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection and the gift of the Holy Spirit. God used Apollos’ powerful preaching to grow the church. Paul claimed, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow (1 Corinthians 3:6).
The spiritual leaders Aquila and Priscilla did not condemn Apollos’ spiritual shortcomings when they met him. Instead, they provided him with sound, Christian doctrine and the baptism of the Holy Spirit so he could more powerfully share his gifts with God’s people. The tentmakers won over Apollos’ soul with God’s love and their own gifts of compassion and wisdom.
How Did Aquila and Priscilla Support Paul’s Ministry?
Aquila and Priscilla opened their home to apostles like Paul, who lived with them in Corinth and Ephesus. I imagine the home filled with hospitality and shared faith experiences during their time together. Aquila and Priscilla likely deepened their understanding of the kingdom of God through Paul’s teaching and example.
Their pocketbook was also open to Paul’s ministry. Their family business employed Paul in tentmaking, and profits from the successful business financed Paul’s journeys. Paul was already trained in tentmaking and contributed his skills and craft to Aquila and Priscilla’s business. Perhaps Paul’s father taught him the trade of weaving tent cloth from goat’s hair, given that Paul was from Tarsus in Cilicia. Cilician hair cloth was used to make theater awnings covering national buildings: the Roman Forum, the Sacred Way, and Nero’s amphitheaters. As Pliny the Elder details in Natural History, the cloth was also used to make house awnings and ship sails.
These business dealings also gave them opportunities for evangelism. After working their tentmaking trade in Corinth for a year and a half, the three traveled to Ephesus at the beginning of Paul’s third missionary journey. Paul spread the good word in Ephesus for about three years (Acts 20:31). In Ephesus as well as Corinth, Paul resided in the home church of Aquila and Priscilla, working as a tentmaker with them to not burden local churches financially or socially (Acts 20:33-34; 1 Corinthians 16:19).
What Can We Learn from Aquila Today?
Aquila and Priscilla are always mentioned as a couple: their marriage was a true domestic, professional, and spiritual partnership. They had a secure bond that allowed them to support Paul and mentor Apollos. This couple exemplifies to all Christians how a married couple can work together and serve others with love. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 underscores the need for a strong marriage relationship: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” There was support, companionship, and, most likely, love in the married life of Aquila and Priscilla.
The pair were evenly yoked: both Christians, though from different backgrounds (2 Corinthians 6:14). This allowed them to share a spiritual intimacy in their most important work—using their God-given gifts to build up the new Christian church. The love and generosity of Aquila and Priscilla were evident when they opened their home to other apostles and meetings of the early Christian church. Second, they worked together making tents cloth as their livelihood, clearly indicating an ability to get along as business partners. This form of intimacy reveals their compatibility and intelligence. Third, Aquila and Priscilla exhibited intellectual intimacy when they gave Christian instruction to Apollos. Both partners in the married couple knew Scripture well and were eager to share it with others.
In an ultimate act of true love, Aquila and Priscilla put their life on the line for Christ’s sake by practicing and spreading Christianity in defiance of the Roman government. Paul alludes to a life-threatening event in Romans 16:3-5. Paul also wrote of beasts in Ephesus who could have carried out a “sentence of death in ourselves” (1 Corinthians 1:9). In 2 Corinthians 1:8, Paul writes the new church was “burdened beyond measure.” Aquila and Priscilla lived out the decree from Jesus that “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Aquila and Priscilla’s friends were their brothers and sisters in Christ, and they served these brothers and sisters well.
In Paul’s letter to the Romans in AD 58, he greets Priscilla and Aquila as “my fellow workers in Christ Jesus” (Romans 16:3-5). Aquila and Priscilla were back home, preparing the church in Rome for Paul’s visit. They had a long-term commitment to building the church.
These Bible passages may only give sketchy details of their lives, but what is told reveals a strong marriage bond. Their equality in their marriage relationship and spiritual life is evident: Their names are always paired, and their mission duties in the early church were shared. Aquila respected Priscilla as his wife, business partner, and soulmate. Their life together was an act of worship to their God.
Photo Credit:©GettyImages/Vitalij Sova
This article is part of our People of Christianity catalog that features the stories, meaning, and significance of well-known people from the Bible and history. Here are some of the most popular articles for knowing important figures in Christianity:
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