WOMEN IN THE WORD: PRISCILLA

Our grandkids refer to us as “Gram and Papa.” The order is important. Gram comes first because Gram is number one! If you don’t understand, any of the twelve little cherubs can explain.

In the first century, the husband was number one… the wife was not.

Aquila and Priscilla are named six times in the New Testament. In four of these references, Priscilla (or Prisca) is named first (Acts 18:18, 26; Romans 16:3; 2 Timothy 4:19). There is no explanation given, but obviously Priscilla was a strong personality who earned a place of honor. Obviously, she was special.

Aquila and Priscilla were a happily married Jewish couple who had been expelled from Rome, along with all the other Jews, by edict of the emperor (Acts 18:1-2). On Paul’s second missionary journey, the Apostle met the couple in Corinth.

Paul, Aquila, and Priscilla shared a common vocation. They were tentmakers, so in Corinth, they worked together and even lodged together.

The New Testament is silent concerning their conversion to Christianity. It is likely that they were born again due to Paul’s evangelistic teaching.  

When Paul left Corinth, the two other tentmakers journeyed with him to Ephesus, where Paul left them to carry on his Gospel preaching and teaching. They were highly effective, kindly correcting Apollos’s theology (Acts 18:24-28).

At the end of Paul’s third missionary journey, he wrote a letter to the churches in Rome.

From the salutation it becomes apparent that Aquila and Priscilla had returned to Rome. Paul wrote, “Give my greetings to Prisca and Aquila, my coworkers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life. Not only do I thank them, but so do all the Gentile churches” (Romans 16:3–4).

“Prisca and Aquila,” Paul’s cherished “coworkers,” had “risked their own necks” to protect Paul’s life.

Like Gram, Prisca must have been quite a lady!

“… think on these things” (Philippians 4:8, KJV).