Priscilla and Aquila
A husband and wife whose home became a church in three cities — tentmakers who mentored one of the most gifted preachers of the early church and risked their lives for Paul.
Refugees Who Became Co-Workers
Aquila was a Jew from Pontus; Priscilla was his wife. When the Emperor Claudius expelled Jews from Rome around AD 49, Priscilla and Aquila came to Corinth. Paul arrived there shortly after and found them. They were tentmakers, as he was, and he lived and worked with them while establishing the Corinthian church (Acts 18:1–3). Their household became the base of operations for Paul’s eighteen months in Corinth.
When Paul sailed for Syria, Priscilla and Aquila traveled with him as far as Ephesus, where they stayed. They are mentioned together six times in the New Testament — four times Priscilla is named first, an unusual feature that has led most scholars to conclude she was the more prominent figure in their partnership. Paul consistently called them “my helpers in Christ Jesus” (Romans 16:3).
Teaching Apollos
While in Ephesus, they heard a gifted preacher named Apollos teaching in the synagogue. Luke describes him as “an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures” who spoke and taught accurately about Jesus, but “knowing only the baptism of John” — his understanding was incomplete (Acts 18:24–25). Rather than correcting him publicly, Priscilla and Aquila “took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly” (Acts 18:26). Their approach was private, respectful, and effective. Apollos went on to become one of the most influential preachers of the early church.
A Church in Their Home
Paul greeted “the church that is in their house” in both Rome and Ephesus (Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:19). Wherever Priscilla and Aquila went, a congregation gathered in their home. Their house was not just a residence but a sacred space for worship, teaching, and fellowship. This was the pattern of early Christianity: small household churches rather than dedicated buildings.
Paul also noted that they had “for my life laid down their own necks” — at some point they risked their lives for him, though the specific incident is not recorded. He declared that not only he but “all the churches of the Gentiles” gave thanks for them.
Romans 16:3–4
“Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.”
What Priscilla and Aquila Teach
This couple demonstrates what couple ministry looks like at its best: a shared calling, a home consecrated to the gospel, and a willingness to give whatever the work required — resources, hospitality, risk, and careful mentorship. They corrected a gifted man gently and privately rather than embarrassing him publicly, and the result was a more effective preacher rather than a wounded one.
Their story is a reminder that the work of the gospel in the early church was carried largely by ordinary people with ordinary occupations who made their homes and livelihoods available. The tentmakers who traveled with Paul and opened their house week after week did as much for the church as anyone whose name fills more pages.
Key Scriptures
- Acts 18:1–3 — Paul meets Priscilla and Aquila in Corinth
- Acts 18:24–26 — They privately teach Apollos “more perfectly”
- Romans 16:3–5 — Paul’s greeting; all Gentile churches give thanks for them
- 1 Corinthians 16:19 — The church in their house greets the Corinthians