Priscilla and Aquila, both individually and together made a difference in their sphere of influence
The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 16:19)
We do not know many details about Aquila and Priscilla’s marriage. The details we learn from Scripture allow us to piece together a picture of a committed couple. Acts 18:1–3 tells us they fled from Rome to a foreign country after the emperor forced all the Jews to leave. Later, they traveled by ship to Ephesus where they helped Paul evangelize. They seem to have eventually returned to Rome and continued building the early church.
Like military families who move from place to place, Aquila and Priscilla moved many times, committed to fulfill God’s purpose for them in each new place. They worked together to serve Christ wherever their journey took them. Their moves most likely were to enhance their service to God than to enhance their tentmaking business. When you see the names of this couple, you read only positive remarks. They saw themselves as a team, and others did as well.
1 Corinthians 16:19 refers to the church in “their” house. This reference does not impress the modern reader, but first-century society, with its male-dominated rights, leadership, and ownership, would have considered this a radical reference.1 Paul and the early church fully accepted this couple and the way they operated as a team. Paul wrote of his gratitude for Aquila and Priscilla—and not only his gratitude, but the gratitude of all the churches.
Priscilla and Aquila, both individually and together made a difference in their sphere of influence. They established marriage roles that worked for them, were pleasing to God, and helpful for others. If you want your own experiences “until death do us part” to be both long and fulfilling, then strive to have mutually understood and agreed-upon roles. As your life journey progresses, changing circumstances may require new roles, but defining expectations and allowing for flexibility will keep you moving forward together.
Respond
How can you and your husband serve others together? How could you use your home in service to God?
Prayer for the Journey
Lord, show my husband and me ways we can serve others in our community. Give us something we can do together as an act of service. Give us hearts that beat in unison in our desire to share you.
1 R. Paul & Gail Stevens, Marriage: Learning from Couples in Scripture (Colorado Springs, CO: WaterBrook Press, 2005), 89.
