Aquila worked alongside Paul, helped instruct Apollos, and opened his home to believers. He and his wife Priscilla also risked their lives for Paul. Scripture gives these acts of service only brief notice, yet they helped sustain work that reached many people.
From Rome to Corinth and Work With Paul
Luke introduces Aquila when Paul arrives in Corinth after leaving Athens. Aquila was a Jew from Pontus, a region along the southern coast of the Black Sea, and he had been living in Rome with Priscilla. They came to Corinth because an imperial order had forced them to leave:
a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome)
The Roman writer Suetonius also mentions Claudius’s expulsion of Jews. He connects it with disturbances involving someone he calls Chrestus. Some understand this as a confused reference to disputes about Christ within Rome’s Jewish community; others take Chrestus to be a different person. His brief statement does not settle the identification. Acts tells us why Aquila and Priscilla left Rome. It does not say whether they were involved in those disturbances or describe the circumstances of their departure.
We are also not told when Aquila and Priscilla became believers. They may have known Christ before meeting Paul, or they may have come to faith through his ministry. Luke’s immediate explanation for Paul’s lodging with them is their shared occupation:
So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers
The Greek word translated tentmakers is skēnopoioi, meaning makers of tents. Their craft may have involved leatherwork, since tents could be made from skins as well as cloth, but Luke does not identify their materials. Their shared trade allowed Paul to earn a living while staying with them.
Paul also reasoned in the synagogue each Sabbath, seeking to persuade Jews and Greeks (Acts 18:4). Earning a living and proclaiming the gospel were both part of his life in Corinth. In 1 Corinthians 9, he defended the right of gospel preachers to receive support and explained why he had chosen not to insist on that right among the Corinthians. He also reminded the Thessalonians of his labor night and day so that he would not burden them while preaching (1 Thessalonians 2:9). Working with his hands was a deliberate part of how he served in those settings. The study on The Life of the Apostle Paul follows that ministry more fully.
Their trade enabled Aquila and Priscilla to receive Paul and work alongside him. Aquila did not need to abandon his occupation before he could help advance the gospel. Paul needed somewhere to stay and an opportunity to earn a living, and the couple could provide both. Being forced from Rome had disrupted their lives, but in Corinth they were able to help another servant of Christ.
I understand God’s providence as His care and direction through the circumstances of life, including circumstances people did not choose. That does not make an expulsion good in itself, or mean we know how Aquila felt about leaving Rome. We can see what followed: the displaced couple met Paul and worked with him. When an unwanted move or a change at work upsets our plans, we can still ask whom we are able to help where we now find ourselves.
If my employer cannot trust me to finish the work I agreed to do, religious conversation will not excuse my negligence. A Christian should keep his promises, refuse dishonest gain, and treat coworkers fairly. An income and useful skills can support a family and provide for others. That is worthwhile service whether the work takes place in a shop, classroom, hospital, office, or home.
Aquila and Priscilla Served Together
Aquila served closely alongside Priscilla, who is also called Prisca. The New Testament consistently names them together. After their time in Corinth, they traveled with Paul as far as Ephesus and remained there when he continued his journey (Acts 18:18-19).
Sometimes Priscilla’s name appears first and sometimes Aquila’s does. Scripture does not explain the changes in order, and name order alone cannot establish who held an office in the church. Paul called both of them his “fellow workers in Christ Jesus” (Romans 16:3). He honored Priscilla’s work along with her husband’s. We should not describe her as though she merely happened to be present while Aquila served.
This partnership gives married Christians an example to learn from. It does not require every husband and wife to share a profession or carry out every ministry task together. A husband should love his wife sacrificially, and both should honor Christ in how they treat one another. They can consider together whom their home, resources, and time might help. Different abilities need not become a contest over whose contribution receives more notice.
We should be careful about turning a faithful couple’s example into a demand Scripture never makes. An unmarried believer is fully able to serve Christ, and a Christian with an unbelieving or uncooperative spouse may not have the opportunities Aquila and Priscilla shared. The responsibility is to be faithful with the opportunities actually available, without pretending that everyone’s household circumstances are the same.
Teaching Apollos and Opening Their Home
While Aquila and Priscilla were in Ephesus, Apollos arrived from Alexandria. Luke describes him as eloquent and mighty in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, taught accurately, and spoke with fervor, yet he knew only the baptism of John (Acts 18:24-25). John had called people to repentance and pointed them toward the coming Messiah. Apollos still needed fuller instruction beyond that preparatory ministry.
Luke does not list the exact points Aquila and Priscilla explained to him. We should therefore avoid saying that Apollos had never heard of Jesus or knew nothing true about Him, since Luke has already commended the accuracy of his teaching. His knowledge was nevertheless incomplete. Luke describes the couple’s response when they heard him speaking boldly in the synagogue:
they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately
Aquila and Priscilla gave Apollos the instruction he needed. His ability as a speaker did not make the gap in his knowledge unimportant, but they addressed it without public humiliation. He later went to Achaia with a letter encouraging the disciples to receive him. There he greatly helped those who had believed through grace and vigorously demonstrated from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ (Acts 18:27-28). Their instruction in Ephesus helped prepare him to serve believers elsewhere.
The Bible reserves the offices and authoritative teaching leadership of a gathered local church for biblically qualified men. Aquila and Priscilla’s joint instruction of Apollos does not appoint her as an elder or cancel those qualifications. It does show a woman using her knowledge to help someone understand God’s way more accurately. Hospitality, personal instruction, prayer, and practical care are real contributions to the church. The study on Priscilla considers her service in greater detail.
Someone who explains Scripture well may still need correction. I can teach clearly and be mistaken about part of a passage, and another believer’s help may spare my hearers from being misled. Knowing the answer also gives me no permission to be arrogant toward the person I am correcting. Aquila and Priscilla addressed what Apollos needed to understand so he could help others. They did not use his incomplete knowledge to discredit everything he knew.
Their approach gives us an example of personal instruction, though it does not require every error to be addressed privately. Some public wrongdoing requires public correction. Here, taking Apollos aside gave them an opportunity to explain the way of God more accurately. We should take similar opportunities seriously. Reading a passage with a younger believer and patiently answering his questions can equip him long after the conversation has ended.
Alongside this personal instruction, Aquila and Priscilla provided a place for believers to gather. Writing to Rome, Paul included this greeting:
Likewise greet the church that is in their house
Earlier, writing from Asia, Paul had sent the Corinthians a similar greeting from the couple in 1 Corinthians 16:19: “with the church that is in their house.” He was staying in Ephesus at that time (1 Corinthians 16:8). Taken together, the greetings indicate that their home served a congregation in Ephesus and later in Rome. Receiving a church into their household was a repeated part of their service.
Those believers needed somewhere to pray, hear Scripture taught, share the Lord’s Supper, and care for one another. A household could provide that meeting place, but hosting a congregation required space, preparation, and a willingness to let others’ needs affect the use of the home. Where believers faced hostility, identifying a home with the church could also bring danger. Paul does not itemize the couple’s household expenses, but their hospitality involved more than sending friendly greetings.
Romans 12:13 directs believers to practice hospitality, and 1 Peter 4:9 tells us to do so without grumbling. If I offer a meal and then resent everyone who accepts, I need to examine the spirit in which I offered it. The purpose is to welcome and help people. An elaborate meal or an impressive home is unnecessary; a simple invitation may give a lonely believer an opportunity for fellowship he has been missing.
Not everyone can host a congregation. Some can welcome one person, share a meal, or offer a temporary place to sleep. Others can provide transportation or keep in regular contact with someone unable to get out. These acts of care help believers remain connected. The study on The Body of Christ explains how a congregation depends on its members’ contributions, including service that attracts little public attention.
Courage and Faithfulness Across the Years
The couple’s care for Paul went beyond lodging and shared work. In Romans 16, he described their service this way:
risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles
Paul does not identify the occasion. Some readers connect it with danger in Ephesus, but he names no riot, arrest, or rescue here. We know that Aquila and Priscilla risked their lives for him, and the Gentile churches also had reason to thank them. By standing with Paul, they helped preserve a ministry through which many others received the gospel.
We should not admire their courage without considering what helping a person in danger may cost. Providing shelter for a persecuted believer might expose the host to the same hostility. Defending someone being mistreated can damage relationships with people who want the mistreatment concealed. Refusing a dishonest arrangement may cost income. We should use wisdom and seek lawful protection where possible, but protecting our comfort cannot become the reason we abandon someone who needs help.
Paul’s letters show how much his ministry received from other believers. They housed him, traveled with him, supported his work, and stood beside him under pressure. Aquila and Priscilla were among those fellow workers. The study on Epaphroditus considers another believer whose costly service brought practical help to Paul and strengthened the church.
Paul’s later greetings show that Aquila and Priscilla continued serving across the years. After their early work in Corinth and Ephesus, the greeting in Romans indicates they were back in Rome. Paul remembered them again near the end of 2 Timothy:
Greet Prisca and Aquila
We cannot reconstruct every journey or date from these passages, but Paul continued to remember this couple among his fellow believers. Their names occur across his years of ministry, associated with shared work, instruction, and a home open to the church.
We may begin a Bible study or welcome people into our home with considerable enthusiasm. Continuing to serve means making room for the work when it has become familiar. Meals still need preparing, questions need answers, and people’s needs may interrupt our plans. I need to consider whether I will keep serving through expense and inconvenience. I cannot assume my initial eagerness will carry me through every difficulty.
Paul writes in Hebrews 6:10 that God does not forget the work and labor of love believers have shown toward His name in ministering to the saints. We may fail to thank someone who has helped us repeatedly, and we ought to correct that ingratitude. The person serving can still be assured that God has seen his work. Appreciation is welcome, but the Lord’s knowledge gives us reason to continue when people overlook our service.
Service Without a Platform
Preaching and teaching deserve serious attention, and churches should honor qualified men who carry out those responsibilities faithfully. Aquila’s life also shows how much a congregation receives from believers who never become its principal teachers. Someone has to welcome people, care for children, visit the sick, support the work, and help those struggling to understand Scripture. When these needs are neglected, excellent preaching alone does not supply the care those members need.
Some Christians dismiss their usefulness because they spend much of their time at an ordinary job or caring for a household. Aquila worked at a trade, and that work helped Paul. He and Priscilla knew enough of Scripture to help Apollos, and they had a home they were willing to share. We can consider the skills, knowledge, resources, and opportunities God has given us and use them to help people. We need not wait for a public role before beginning.
At the same time, being busy around Christian activity does not establish that a person belongs to Christ. Paul’s description of this couple as fellow workers in Christ Jesus directs us to the source of their service. Hours volunteered and meals provided cannot forgive sin or give anyone new life. Even a faithful worker like Aquila needed the Savior’s grace.
Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, who became fully man without ceasing to be fully God. He lived without sin and obeyed the Father completely. In His earthly ministry He taught truth, welcomed people in need, and served them. His sinless perfection made Him the perfect sacrifice for our sins, and He voluntarily gave Himself to be slain. Wicked people inflicted real torture and punishment on His innocent body. His shed blood and death completed His saving sacrifice before His burial and bodily resurrection on the third day.
The Father did not punish, curse, abandon, strike, bruise, or pour wrath on Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were united in providing salvation. Christ died for the sins of the whole world, and God’s offer of forgiveness is genuine for every person. A person can resist His grace, but everyone who repents and believes in Christ is forgiven and born again. The Holy Spirit indwells every genuinely born-again believer and permanently seals him as God’s own, securing him in Christ.
Having received that grace, we serve without trying to earn our place with God or keep it through constant activity. New life should produce obedience, generosity, and a willingness to help others. Being born again does not make us sinless or give us permission for lawlessness. If I use Christian work to cultivate my reputation while refusing correction or neglecting people, I need to repent. Christ’s grace teaches me to care about the people I am supposed to be serving.
My Final Thoughts
Aquila and Priscilla helped the church through shared work, sound instruction, hospitality, and costly loyalty to Paul. Their names appear only briefly, but those passages show us people who benefited from their service. I want to take the opportunities in my own life just as seriously. We can work honestly, make time to explain Scripture, welcome a believer who needs fellowship, and stand beside someone when helping becomes inconvenient or costly. We serve because we belong to Christ, trusting the Lord who remembers every labor of love done in His name.