Sunday School Lesson Commentary
Subject: Priscilla and Aquila
Golden Text: 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.
      ---Romans 16:3-4
Scripture Text: Acts 18:1-4, 18-19, 24-26; Romans 16:3-5;
                         1 Corinthians 16:19; 2 Timothy 4:19

Acts 18:1 After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;
Acts 18:2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.
Acts 18:3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.
Acts 18:4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
Acts 18:18 And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.
Acts 18:19 And he came to Ephesus, and left them there:
Acts 18:24 And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.
Acts 18:25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.
Acts 18:26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.
Rom 16:3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:
Rom 16:4 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.
Rom 16:5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house.
1 Cor 16:19 The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.
2 Tim 4:19 Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.

      Priscilla and Aquila were a very energetic husband and wife team that supported Paul and they were active in the administering of the gospel themselves. In fact they have been credited with bringing a man named Apollos who was mighty in the scripture to the knowledge of "a more perfect way in God".

      They went to Ephesuswith Paul and remained there, in Ephesus they became supporters for the cause of Christianity (1 Cor 16:19) and Paul describes them as his "helpers in Christ Jesus". Paul says of them, "they put their own necks in danger on his account", (Rom 16:3-4). Tradition reports that Priscilla and Aquila were beheaded. The Greek church called him bishop and apostle and they honor him every July 12th.

      Priscilla the wife of Aquila shared the travels, labors and dangers of her husband and she is always named with him. She is in most instances named before her husband except in Acts 18:2 and 1 Cor 16:19. Since she is mentioned first in most instances in scripture we can conclude that she was the more active and well known of the two in the Christian community. This married couple faithfully assisted Paul in the gospel and risked their lives in the service of the Lord and Paul.

Note: Going back in Biblical history, you will find that there was another man named Aquila, he became a convert after seeing the professors of Christianity work miracles. However, he refused to quit the practice of magic and judicial astrology which is the practice of believing that the stars influence human events according to their positions in the heavens. He was excommunicated by the Christians and he turned to Judaism and became a proselyte and was circumcised. He attended the school of Rabbi Akiba and attained the highest of honors. He was deemed worthy and able to make a new translation of Hebrew scriptures into Greek to take the place of the Septuagint the oldest version of the Old Testament scriptures into Greek. He finished his work and published it in AD 128.

Bible Verse Index
| Verses 1-4 | Verses 18-19 | Verses 24-26 | Verses 3-5 | Verse 16:19 | Verse 4:19 |

Verse by Verse Exposition

      "After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth", (vs. 1)--"And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them"(vs. 2). Paul had just previously finished his debate on Mars Hill with the men of Athens concerning their being too superstitious and having an altar "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD" to whom they ignorantly worship for fear of not giving worship to all gods. Paul said, I will declare him unto you, meaning Jesus Christ.

      When Paul finished his message some mocked him and others said we will hear you another time. Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth this trip was a part of his second missionary journey. When Paul got to Corinth he met a Jew whose name was Aquila; he and his wife Priscilla had fled from Rome because the emperor Claudius had commanded that all Jews must leave Rome.

      "And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers", (vs. 3). Aquila was a tent-maker and so was Paul. Paul, who was alone was invited to live in their home with them in Corinth. Corinth was a wicked city; it was known for its temple of Venus which provided more than a thousand whores to all who would come to the temple for pleasure.

      "And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks", (vs. 4). In Corinth, there was a synagogue of the Jews in which they met every Sabbath day to worship. Paul took the opportunity and went to the synagogue every Sabbath day to reason with them out of the scriptures concerning

      Jesus Christ, his birth, his person, his office, his persecution, his crucifixion, his death and resurrection. He also told them how they could receive his redemption and forgiveness of sin by repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus. Paul's preaching and witness persuaded those who were Jews by birth and religion, he persuaded the Greeks or Gentiles who were Jewish proselytes to believe in Christ.

      "And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow", (vs. 18). Paul has been in Corinth a little over two years and he had wanted to leave earlier because of the opposition and unbelief among the Jews. "And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles", (Acts 18:6). At this point in his ministry Paul has decided to seek and bring salvation to the Gentiles.

      But the Lord came to Paul in a night vision and told him don't be afraid because I am with thee and I have much people in this city, (Acts 18:9-10) and being obedient Paul stayed another year and a half in Corinth. There are many different theological opinions on whether it was Paul or Aquila who had his head at Cenchrea. The one who had his head shaved discharged himself from the vow of a Nazarite. This may have been Paul discharging himself of this Jewish rite because now he is the apostle to the Gentiles.

      "And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews", (vs. 19). When they reached Ephesus, Paul left Priscilla and Aquila there and went on to Jerusalem (vs. 21) but he did spent one Sabbath in Ephesus. He went to the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews out of the scriptures about Jesus Christ the son of the living God who came and died for them that they might have eternal life.

      "And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus", (vs. 24). Apollos whose name means "destroyer" was born in Alexandria and came to Ephesus in AD 49. He was a learned and eloquent man and well versed in the scriptures and the Jewish religion. Paul said, "Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ", (1 Cor 1:12). Biblical history reports that there was a "party of Appolos" this group of religious folks preferred a polished and eloquent style of preaching from their ministers. Sounds like some churches today that want very eloquent ministers with DD's but they have not the Spirit.

      "And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly", (vs. 26). Aquila and Priscilla were impressed the sincerity and the fervency of his preaching. But they knew by what he preached that he didn't have or know the whole truth of the gospel of Christ. Priscilla and Aquila then come to the forefront again and without hesitation they took this great preacher aside and taught him the more perfect and higher ways of God.

      We see preachers today over TV who are like Apollos, they are well learned and have many degrees and speak eloquently but they need to know the more perfect way of God. The only way they are going to find the more perfect way is for those who know the more perfect way is become bold enough to tell them. When these ministers at the end of their program ask us to write them, then I say writ them and kindly tell them about the more perfect ways of God.

      "Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus", (vs. 3)--"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", (vs. 4). Paul wrote this letter to the Roman church in about AD 57 while he was in Corinth near the end of his third missionary journey. In Romans 16, Paul greets twenty six people by name in a church or churches in a city that he has never visited.

      Those that he mentions are mutual friends of his that he met during his travels that had return to Rome. Priscilla and Aquila had moved back to Rome probably because the band had been lifted on Jews living in Rome. In this letter Paul paid to them a great praise. He claimed them to be his helpers in Christ Jesus and that they laid their life on the line for his soul, he then expressed his gratefulness to all of the Gentile churches. This letter was written for Paul by his stenographer Tertius (vs. 22).

      "The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house", (vs. 19). Paul wrote this letter to the Corinthian church while he was in Ephesus during his third missionary journey. He wrote this letter in response to the reports heard coming from the house of Chloe concerning quarrels in the church at Corinth. At the end of this letter Paul included the greetings from the churches in Asia to the church at Corinth

      The churches of Asia, perhaps those indicated in Revelation 2-3, joined with Paul in sending greetings to their sister church in Corinth (cf. 1 Cor. 1:2). Aquila and Priscilla were tentmakers whom Paul met in Corinth and with whom he lived where given a special thanks because of the great work they did in Ephesus. They had followed Paul to Ephesus and remained there in ministry, making their house available as a meeting place (cf. Rom. 16:3-5). They would, of course, know and be known by many in the Corinthian church.

      "Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus", (vs. 19). Paul is now a prisoner in a Roman dungeon when he wrote this, the last of his epistles, to Timothy in about AD 67. Not long afterward according to tradition Paul was behead for the cause of Christ.

      In his final words Paul tells Timothy of his hardships because no man stood with him and how Demas had forsaken him. But I charge thee before God said Paul to Timothy, "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine", (2 Tim 4:2). At the end of his letter he gives a special greeting to Prisca (the Latin of Priscilla) and Aquila. He tells Timothy to salute them which not only means to greet but to join with in ministry. He also asked Timothy to greet the household of Onesiphorus.

      Onesiphorus was a believer from Ephesus who came to Rome looking for the place where Paul was being held captive. This took place during the second captivity of Paul in AD 64. He found Paul chained to the soldier that held him in custody. He visited Paul frequently in jail and attended to his needs. Paul was thankful for the help of this man and wanted Timothy to give him his thanks.

1. Believers should be dedicated helpers one to the other.
2. Always express your gratitude and thanks to those who have helped you.

NT Commentary by: John Gill
Cyclopedia Bible, Theological
and Ecclesiastical Literature by: Rev. J. McClintock and J. Strong
Ryrie Bible Study Notes
Talk Thru the Bible by: B. Wilkinson and K. Boa
The Bible Knowledge Commentary by: Dallas Theological Seminary
The Holman Bible Dictionary

By: Eld. H. Watson
       hlwj2@aol.com