A Marriage That Moved The Gospel

Lord, here we are, another Sunday, another opportunity to gather together, to not neglect meeting together, but to draw near all the more as we see the day approaching. And to stir one another up to love and good works. Lord, that's my hope.

Even in these thoughts that I've got right now, Lord, I hope He'll stir up the brethren, stir up marriages even more specifically to love and good works. Lord, have You not saved us and given us works that we should walk in? And Lord, it's been mentioned a hundred times, we're constantly asking You to give us discernment to discern what those works are. Lord, we want to get to the end and look back and see all the works that You prepared that we would walk in beforehand.

Lord, as much as we could, we, by Your grace, did walk in those works. We did those deeds that brought Your name glory. Those deeds that brought souls into the kingdom.

Lord, that we could look and have spiritual children. What a blessed reality that is. And so Lord, I pray You'd use this meager portion right now to encourage these precious saints.

Lord, be with the brethren in Austin. Lord, those in Laredo and Corpus and all around. Lord, we just pray You'd strengthen the churches in Texas, Father, that Your Word would speed ahead and be honored today.

In Christ's name, Amen. Well, when you think about the New Testament, what is the worst example of a marriage, of an actual couple that is referenced in the New Testament? The worst. What comes to your mind? Yeah, Ananias and Sapphira? They're mentioned by name, right? One decision in their lives serves as a sobering warning about dishonesty, but more than that, about prioritizing fear of man over the fear of God.

They're a staunch warning to the reality that if you choose appearances over integrity in your life, there are severe consequences, right? And the severe consequences they faced was divine judgment from the Lord. Okay, what's the best example of marriage, of an actual couple that's mentioned in the New Testament that comes to your mind? It might not be the best, but it's one. And if you make a list of all the actual couples mentioned in the New Testament, you're going to find it's a very short list.

There's maybe eight actual couples mentioned. And then it doesn't even mention some of their names. I mean, what was Peter's wife's name? So what would you say if you were going to find an example of a marriage in the New Testament that you thought, that is the best? That is a good example.

There's something there I can glean from. Who would you say? What comes to your mind? Priscilla and Aquila or Aquila and Priscilla, right? Yes, that's what I want to talk about this morning. So go to Acts 18.

And I'm not here today to tell you why four out of the six times it mentions the woman's name first, all right? I'm not here to speculate on that. So don't sit here the whole time frustrated that I'm not dealing with that. I just thought it was a waste of time.

And maybe you already logged out because of that statement. But the comments about Aquila and Priscilla give us one of the few marriages that there's any data on in the New Testament. And Acts 18 is one of those places.

Why consider them? Paul considers them. Why consider them? Paul does. Paul mentions them.

And they might be what you call a minor character, but there's something we can glean. And it's not just Paul who considers them. Obviously, the one who wrote Acts, Luke.

They make comments multiple times on this dear couple. And they're commenting on this couple to churches. So you guys are a church.

And as they heard the little details that mentioned the exploits of this couple, people were sitting in church having these statements read to them. And those people had thoughts, right? They heard these names of this couple. They heard statements about this couple.

And they made reflections about this couple. No doubt, that's what you do when you read your Bible. And so we've got a little biographical sketch on this couple because there's data available to make some statements without just speculating about them.

And so my title, or at least one of the ways you could title this is Aquila and Priscilla, a marriage that moved the Gospel. And Peter highlights on Sarah as an example of submission and fearless faith, illustrating a quality that women should imitate. And so I trust there's aspects in this couple's lives that you and I could imitate.

We can learn from their marriage. If it's important to Paul to bring them up to the churches, and no doubt those churches were reflecting on that. And if Peter himself refers to actual conduct of a wife in the Old Testament to bring that in as an example, I hope you'll bear with me that it's sufficient.

It's okay for me to do that with this couple here today to you all. The mentions of Aquila and Priscilla span roughly 16 years. So from 49 AD to 65.

So you get about 16 years, depending on how you date things, to look at this couple's marriage. In one way, that's not a lot of time, right? 16 years. But another way, that's a lot of time for gleaning something from a couple in the New Testament.

So let's go to Acts 18. Let's start in verse one. Acts 18, one.

After this, if you look at chapter 17, you can find more of the context. Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife, Priscilla.

Why did they relocate? Because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. Right, so they were forced out. And Paul went to see them.

And then he says this, and because he was of the same trade, he doesn't even mention, because we were so like-minded in the things of God. No, that's not what's mentioned there. Because we were the same trade, he stayed with them.

And he worked, for they were tent makers by trade. And it says he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks. So Paul stayed with this couple right here.

And we see this couple had to relocate. Now go down a little further. We're not gonna read all of Acts 18.

Go down to verse 18. After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria. And look who comes with Paul.

And with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Synchreia, he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow. And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there.

That's Aquila and Priscilla. But he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. So Paul keeps going into the synagogues reasoning with the Jews.

But here, he left them there. And then we go to the end of Acts 18. Look at verse 24.

What happens to this couple who Paul has left there? Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, being fervent in spirit.

These are all really good qualities, right? Romans 12 talks about fervency. He was fervent in spirit. He spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.

He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they went and heard him preach. They heard this man, mighty in the Scriptures, speak.

They heard him. They took him aside and explained to him the way of God. Now notice verse earlier said he taught accurately the Word of God.

And now it says, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. You know what? His sermon, he was getting in the inner circle on the archery thing, right? But he wasn't getting a bullseye. And they had the ability to distinguish that he wasn't getting a bullseye there and they met with him.

Explained the Word of God to him more accurately. Verse 27, and when he wished to cross to Ikea, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. Now look what happens where he goes.

This is Apollos. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed. For he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that Christ was Jesus.

Now Apollos' fruit there, just take note, something that was in the midst of that was this couple meeting with him. And then you don't have to turn to these places, but three other mentions because we'll primarily look at Acts 18. But Romans 16, greet Prisca and Aquila.

It seems she went by Priscilla, Prisca. My fellow workers in Christ Jesus. Now listen to this statement.

Who risked their necks for my life. So together as a couple, they risked their necks for Paul's life. And then he says this, to whom not only I give thanks, but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well.

These people are well known. And then at the end of Paul's life, or no, before that, 1 Corinthians 16 as well, the churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord.

And then at the end of Paul's life is the last reference, 2 Timothy 4, greet Prisca and Aquila in the household of Onesiphorus. So Paul states it at the end of his life. So do you want to learn something about a couple who risked their necks for Paul's life? How many other couples risked their necks for the life of the Apostle Paul? I want us all to be people who risk our necks for one another, right? Ultimately, a people who risk our necks for the Lord Jesus Christ, for His gospel.

And so one thought I've had as I've been thinking about this couple, their marriage, in many ways, I would try to argue that they were a normal couple. I realize in one sense we're all ordinary and normal. But I think you know what I mean.

There's nothing here that to me indicates that Aquila was an apostle like Paul. There's nothing that seems to indicate he was going around laboring and preaching and prophesying. Him and his wife worked together.

They clearly counseled together. So in many ways, that's a lot of what many of you all do in our church who are never in this pulpit. You're engaged in similar ministry as they are, working a job, providing financially, and then being involved in various counseling and hospitality and even hosting various, maybe even meetings at your own home.

And I think we often create this false distinction. And so I'm making this statement in case you're here today and you struggle with this false distinction. We can believe those in full-time ministry are extraordinary, while those at home are not.

If you struggle with this mindset, I hope looking at this couple will kind of dash that in your mind and give you maybe a greater bar, so to speak, a degree of, honey, we could operate more in this way, like this couple, where it fits, where it's right. James Burrell, he said, the supreme need of our time is not more preachers, but more consecrated laymen, more men and women ready to exemplify their religion and the common duties of life. All right, and I'd say this couple fits that description.

Martin Lloyd-Jones, he said, the fatal tendency is to divide Christians into two groups, religious and the laity, exceptional Christians and the ordinary Christians. The one who makes a vocation of the Christian life and the man who is engaged in secular affairs. That tendency is not only utterly and completely unscriptural, it is ultimately destructive of true piety and is in many ways a negation of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And he might be overstating this. You might argue, Lloyd-Jones, but he says there's no such distinction in the Bible. So you could also entitle these thoughts I'm about to share with you this way.

You could say ordinary couple, extraordinary ministry and lessons from Aquila and Priscilla as they advanced the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so I basically have seven observations that I'm going to share with you. And if you are single, don't tune out and think this has no application, right? It obviously has application for you in different ways in who to look for in a spouse, right? If you were to actually get married one day.

And I'd say, don't tune this out if you're married to an unbeliever, right? There are examples that you can read about of the Lord and a couple rather than envying what God has done in their life. It could give you hope. The Lord's able to radically transform my wife and we could become like this.

I mean, there's a couple in another church that I'm very close with that the husband was living in adultery and he renounced his faith. He left his wife and then he got converted and the Lord brought them back together. And you know what? They right now to this day are a very effective couple in their church involved in counseling people and in similar ministries as we've read about here with Aquila and Priscilla, right? So it didn't look like that was possible, but God brought that about.

So let that be an encouragement to you. Look, we don't know when this couple was converted, right? It doesn't mention. It's kind of implied they were already saved when they met Paul.

Paul will comment about Lydia's conversion and other conversions in Acts or Luke will, but we don't read that about this couple. So that seems to be the implication. So maybe just first a list of what we don't know, but we might want to know.

Just throw some of these things out there. Like I mentioned, we don't know their conversion, when they got saved. We do know in Acts 2, Jews from Rome were at Pentecost, meaning the gospel may have very well reached Rome before Paul and possibly led to their conversion.

We don't know if Priscilla was from a noble or wealthy Roman family. Some suggest that. I can't prove that to you.

We don't know their age. We don't know their family situation. Did they have children? I don't know.

Were they unable to conceive if they didn't have children? Were their children grown up? Did they have children who had died? How long did they stay in Ephesus after Paul left them there? These are questions we don't know. Where were they at when Paul was martyred? Obviously, they were not in Rome. They were gone from there at that point.

And then, yeah, as I already mentioned, why in four out of six mentions of them does the wife's name appear first? I don't know. I don't think we know that. Maybe some of the older elders would have an answer to that.

There's different speculations and commentaries. So first, first, first point, something about a marriage that moved the gospel because that's what I want to be true of your marriage and my marriage. That's what I want to be true of all of us as individual Christians.

First point is this. They moved the gospel through teamwork as a couple. If you read throughout all these references we just read, who is always mentioned together? Priscilla and Aquila or Aquila and Priscilla.

They're always mentioned together. Is that the same when, you know, Peter mentions his mother-in-law implying Peter was married. Is that the same with Peter? No, that's not the same with Peter.

Peter is not mentioned always together. And I'm not saying Peter was wrong by that, right? There's some of these things here. I'm not saying this has to be a reality, but there is an example of what we witnessed in their lives where it shows this is something that could be true of a believing couple.

In Genesis 2.8, there's a Hebrew phrase that means I will give the man a helper fit for him or a suitable helper. And the phrase doesn't literally include the phrase with him, but that's what it suggests. Corresponding to him, I will give him Eve and she will be corresponding to him, opposite to him or alongside of him.

And so it implies God giving Adam Eve, she's going to be alongside him. That's the Hebrew word. It carries this weight of physical proximity and relational intimacy.

It denotes this partnership. She's going to live with him. Another passage that speaks of this reality that this isn't just something that should be true for Aquila and Priscilla.

1 Corinthians 9. This can be taken in different ways where it says that we have the right to take along a believing wife, right? You can read that and you can think, well, that means Paul's saying we have the right to get married. Most biblical scholars don't take that view that it deals with you have the right to get married. They take it to mean the apostles had a right to be accompanied by their wife during ministry travels.

That's how many people take that to be. And Peter being the example. So most don't think Paul's addressing the topic of single individuals getting married, but this right to have their wife come with them.

So if that's the case, and you see that in Aquila and Priscilla, they're traveling, they're fellow workers with Paul, they're together. Weeks ago, I mentioned the text in Ecclesiastes 4. Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil, right? Well, I mean, it's one thing just as an elder to sit down and be in a counseling meeting just with me and someone else. But when I have some of the other elders there, we're saying some marriage counsel, I have my wife there, how much more effective to have this plurality of wisdom and perspective all packed together right there? It's so beneficial.

And so that's first observation. If you're married, do you engage in joint ministry endeavors with your spouse? I mean, do people say that? Like it's, you know, it's James and Bethany. It's this couple together.

They're involved. They're like-minded. They're engaged in that way.

So that's something to consider that we witness in them. The second thing, they were a marriage that moved the gospel forward because they suffered hardships together and they held loosely to this world and they embraced God's trying providences. Right? We read Aquila and Priscilla first met Paul in Corinth, not Rome.

And the meeting was there. They met there as a direct result to a decree that happened where they had to leave Rome. They had to leave Rome.

Meaning ministry requires you to loosely hold on to personal comfort. No, we have a home there. They had to leave that home.

Personal security. It was safer here. Well, now it isn't actually safer for them.

They had to go. God might have you or I move geographically for the cause of Christ and the gospel. In a way, Aquila and Priscilla had a restart, right? Having a restart is not always a negative thing.

God can bring that about in your life and in my life where we've got to serve all over again and learn certain things all over again. And so we see in this couple, they were willing to move and rebuild their lives multiple times for the sake of ministry, right? Rome, Ephesus, and Corinth. They're willing to be active in these 16 years.

In 16 years, they go to these three different places for the sake of the gospel of Christ, right? To illustrate, you imagine a soldier stationed overseas and that's what we are. If we're Christians, we're in the Lord's army, right? We're soldiers who the Lord has enlisted. He knows at any moment, he could receive new orders to relocate, right? That's how they were operating right there for our heavenly master.

And so ask yourself, are you willing to follow the Lord, even if it means leaving behind your comfort zone, right? Leaving behind your comfort zone and going to Burkina Faso? Can't find Prince. Where's Prince at? Is he not sitting in here? A third thought on a marriage that moved the gospel. Their marriage moved the gospel through being committed to the Bible and biblical wisdom.

All right, we saw that they cared enough to sharpen Apollos, offering corrective rebuke, like Psalm 141 says, like pouring oil on one's head to refine his understanding. You could say in other words, they were committed to making disciples and helping others grow. Is that true of my marriage? Is my marriage, or just if you're not married, am I committed in this church and seeking to help others grow if the Lord reveals something to me that I'm able to help them in, like we see this couple do with Apollos.

And even to do it with people who are already very, very eloquent. Apollos is already eloquent, but he still had areas to grow, right? Even the most eloquent preachers have areas to grow in. And this couple seems to not have hesitated to take him aside and explain the Word of God more accurately to him.

And so we can glean from this multiple things. Number one, I gleaned from this, this couple had discernment, right? They were sitting in a meeting and they heard something that was said and they recognized he had incomplete accuracy in this area where he only knew the baptism of John. Right, they picked up on that.

That would imply they were studied. They had a greater understanding than him. They could discern his spirit, right? We read that in 1 John, discerning spirits.

We read in Hebrews 5.14, through constant practice to distinguish good from evil, our discernment grows. And so along with this, secondly, they were concerned about accuracy. They realized one man needed more accuracy.

And you might be thinking that about me right now. That's fine. I do need more accuracy.

The third thing I'd say about them, their approach was right. They took him aside, right? They took him aside. Where do we find that reality? This isn't, I'm not saying he sinned, but Matthew 18, it has that principle there, right? If your brother sins against you, you go to him between you and him alone.

And so they demonstrated that. And you know what? Just to imagine here, this couple no doubt talked together after hearing Apollos. They heard the sermon and they get in the car and they're talking about Apollos.

And, you know, they might be saying, well, honey, this issue of only knowing John's baptism, I mean, this isn't a minor thing, right? We got to talk to him about it, right? And maybe the husband said to his wife, well, I was thinking, honey, we should just send him a scroll through the mail. And the wife says, no, no, we got to meet in person. What are you thinking, Aquila? I mean, who knows what discussion they had.

But you have that, right? You're in it together. Is your spouse concerned enough to talk over and discern the accuracy of the Word of God in that car where they can relate to what you're discerning from the Scriptures and even have a concern to not just talk about it, but do something about it like this couple does here? What was the result? I already showed you when we read the passage. They, in a way, saved Apollos for the cause of Christ by wisely leading him into fuller knowledge.

And maybe that's an overstatement to say they saved Apollos for the cause of Christ. But brethren, what a providence of God. We're kicked out of Rome, and then we get with Paul, and Paul's bringing us around, and Paul leaves us here, and we hear this man preaching, and we have this knowledge from being with Paul, I think would be implied, and now we're imparting that to Apollos.

And then Apollos leaves, and God marvelously helps him. I mean, what a good pit stop for both of them. I mean, that's the providences of God.

You see, and you know, if you're here today, you say, I'm not a preacher. I don't get the sense Aquila was a preacher either. And I don't get the sense Priscilla was getting in the pulpit either.

She was not getting in the pulpit. Look, you might not be able to preach in the synagogue, but you could instruct Apollos privately. You might not ever preach, but you could help shape a preacher.

You think of that? You have that ability. God could give you the discernment and the knowledge and some input to help shape a preacher, right? Kind of back to that comment, Jeff really appreciated when he first became an elder, people mentioning certain things in the survey. A lot of that was all from non-elders, and then that's relayed to Jeff, and that helped shape Jeff, those different inputs that were given, right? That you all helping Apollos more accurately, you know, share, right? God works in that way.

This behind the scenes activity that Aquila and Priscilla have, do not underestimate, that is absolutely vital aspect of a healthy church. Paul says in 1 Corinthians, I have planted, and who watered? I have planted, Apollos watered. And God gave the increase.

Don't read that and forget who watered Apollos. This couple met with him while he was in the same city and they watered him. One of the commentators on this, he says here, William Arnott, he says here we discover the reason why the Lord and his providence, when this pair were expelled from Rome, guided their steps to Corinth, where they learned the gospel in a fuller way, basically from Paul.

Then he induced them to go with Paul to Ephesus, and then they remained in the city after their instructor left, the same divine care that brought Philip, the Ethiopian prince, together in the desert, brought the tent makers and Apollos together in the city of Ephesus. He was a deep vessel, and they possessed the Word of God, with which the vessel must be filled. As soon as they met, they imparted and he received, which was lacking to make him an able minister of Jesus Christ.

This meeting which took place on earth was arranged in heaven. It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. He who directs them hath done all things well.

You see that? The Lord, brethren, is directing that. Many of you all have moved here even for the church or been relocated. You're a part of this church.

You know what you should expect when you come into a new body of believers. There's people here who will discern things in you and in your life that you don't recognize. And you want to have the greatest humility to be able to receive that and benefit from that because that's part of God's providence in bringing all of us together.

And so I'd ask you on this point here about what we see this couple's concern, do you care enough to help others grow? Are you willing to invest in people behind the scenes? Secondly, do you realize God's providence of people He brings in front of you? And then I'd also say this, how many other people heard Apollos preach in that synagogue? How many other people went and met with Apollos? It doesn't mention anyone. So if this one couple did not act, I know I'm speculating, but you see what I'm saying? If they didn't act, I mean, look, Phineas, he was the first to get the sphere and do something. So that's something we should consider.

Again, I've said this over the years, God in love for a person might give you discernment on a matter for them. But if you don't take that word, so to speak, that discernment and convey it to them, they don't benefit. Right, they don't benefit.

So a fourth thing I think we can glean about this marriage that moved the gospel is that they integrated work and ministry very well. And that's fine that their whole life was lived in such a way. They combined their labor with ministry, no doubt supporting others financially while supporting themselves and being involved in sharing the gospel.

I mean, this testifies to the value of hard work. And we obviously see that in the Apostle Paul's life at this season of his life. If you ever doubt that labor and ministry can go hand in hand, I hope you realize with this couple, that's not true.

Don't believe that ministry and work can't go hand in hand. They absolutely can. You can work a regular job while being deeply involved in God's work.

Do you believe that? Tent making. What does it mean to be a tent maker? Not like this ultimately matters, but it's interesting. Commentators prefer leather worker or saddler since ancient tents were often made of leather.

Another possibility is a cloth worker. Some suggest Paul may have woven coarse fabric from the thick goat's hair of his native Sicilia. This material was used for tents, curtains, rugs, and clothing.

While the exact nature of his trade is uncertain, it's clear Paul worked with his hands. Just like the Lord Jesus, but with carpentry for Christ. Why did Paul stay with them? I kind of mentioned that earlier.

It says because he was of the same craft. Isn't that interesting? He stayed with this couple because they had the same craft. What's that imply? You know how helpful it is when you run into someone else who does the same work as you.

You can learn from them. You can team up together. You can start a company together for the sake of the gospel.

Who knows what all they talked about. Did they write a book on proper tent making 101 or tent making for dummies? I don't know, but I imagine they'd hone their craft together. All right, he who is skilled with his hands will stand before kings.

Right, one of my brother-in-laws works at a massive Pratt & Whitney, right? They make stuff for the military for jets. And he got this email to the company about this guy who's becoming the new CEO. And he thought, I know that guy.

This is the guy who goes to the Denton Conference every year. He who is skilled with his hands is now the CEO of this massive company. I mean, God puts people in those positions.

A fifth thought about a marriage that moves the gospel. It's a marriage, I would say, where they love the church and they are hospitable. They are committed to the church.

They're committed to hospitality. They demonstrate this love by opening their home and their hearts to those who are around them, right? We saw that they hosted the church, it says, in their home. People say, is this your private dwelling? You know what, as Christians, do I have a private dwelling? In one way, I know what people mean.

In another way, no, there's no such thing as a private dwelling, right? You go look at my yard, there's no grass left. I don't have a private dwelling. If I did, I'd have grass.

Maybe I wouldn't, because I have kids. This couple could open the guest book and see Paul's name in it. Isn't that something? If they had a guest book.

I love when preachers come and stay with me. Last year, I was so thankful that providentially, Tim got really sick right after the Fellowship Conference and then Stuart Alleyot was able to be with me all day. So that's a good time to get sick again this year, okay? No, the Lord knew I needed Stuart's help more than you do.

No, I was not thankful anyone gets sick. But you get my point. It's a blessing to have people with you.

Hospitality, when's the last time you've had someone in your home? And if you haven't had someone in your home recently, why not? What reason do you got? Your personality, the place is too small, the food's not gonna be right. I mean, all those, you guys know it. There's a bunch of, we could make a list of 20 lame reasons to not have anyone over.

You make your own list in your mind, tear them down. Wherever they met, it seems in Ephesus and in Rome, according to 1 Corinthians 16, Romans 16, their home became a church. They became a meeting place for the brethren.

They didn't wait, as you could say, for a formal building, or maybe they never met in a formal building. They didn't wait for an official title. It doesn't mention the church at such and such.

They made their household a ministry base. And that is one of the most underutilized ministry bases is a home. Missionary D.E. Host, I remember reading his biography and this quote, it always stood out.

He made this statement. He said, it will not avail much to preach to the Chinese of access of God through the blood of Christ if they find there's no access to the missionary himself and his home. I'll tell you that is spot on.

If you're over there preaching about there's free access to God and the people feel no free access to your home, why would they believe there's free access to God if His ambassadors have no free access to their home? I think that's an absolutely right conclusion that Host came to. So brethren, are you showing hospitality as a couple? Is your home a private home? Or is it an outreach center? You know, the family over in Nepal, they've got on their home even the name of the church. They've got people coming into the home all the time.

A sixth observation about a marriage that moved the Gospel. Their marriage moved the Gospel through being willing to suffer whatever it cost for the Gospel. They had sacrificially been willing to give whatever it took.

And we saw that in Romans 16. Paul spoke about them as a couple who for my life laid down their necks. Who was risked their necks for my sake.

That language, it's very bold. Literally, it means that they laid back their necks for the acts of the executioner. And that's the image.

It's probably not to be taken literally. Maybe more just like Paul speaks about in 1 Corinthians about we faced beasts at Ephesus. I think the wild beasts are men and a mob that gathered in the amphitheater at Ephesus and clamored for Paul's blood.

Likely that's what that means here. Paul was not allowed by his friends to go to that gathering, to that mob. It's quite possible that Aquila and Priscilla were caught in that fierce storm of rage and they were seized maybe as well, or when they did seize Gaius.

But this couple was willing to risk their necks for someone else. Are you risking your neck for someone? There's a lot of ways we can risk our necks for brothers and sisters in Christ. There's a lot of ways we can be far more sacrificial.

Again, if I'm going to risk my life for someone, am I doing the smaller things first? Because if I don't do the smaller manifestations of love, who's kidding me? There's no way I'm going to give my body in that situation. Who was it? Eric Little. Remember Eric Little? Why did he die? There's many reasons he died, but what happened? He was in that prison camp.

He didn't know he had a tumor at the time. His wife and children were back home. And Eric Little, they were going to release him from that camp.

And he chose to let a pregnant woman go instead of him. He stayed in that camp. He couldn't have his tumor operated.

And he died over there. A young missionary. From what I understand, the tumor, they could have operated on it.

They could have saved his life. That lady could look back and say, Eric Little, he risked his neck for my life. That's the sacrificial love that we want to imitate in our lives.

Well, a seventh, the last thing about a marriage that moved the Gospel forward is that their marriage was steadfast. And their work for the Lord was steadfast. They endured.

Through the thick and thin, they didn't abandon. I realize we only have 16 years. That's still a lot of time with everything you had going on back then.

Paul said, 2 Timothy 4, greet Prisca and Aquila and the family of Onesiphorus. That's his last letter. He greets this couple right there at the end.

And this isn't just, oh, Paul mentioned a lot of names like in Romans 16. No, no, no. How many names did he really mention in the positive light in 2 Timothy? It's not a big list.

It's not a big list. 2 Timothy 4, Paul laments Demas had deserted him. Paul mentions in 2 Timothy 4, verse 16, everyone abandoned him at his first defense.

See, this isn't Romans 16. It's a different letter. It's a different situation.

And yet, he mentions their name. I think by including Prisca and Aquila and Onesiphorus, who he includes because he searched for Paul, he cared for Paul, he didn't abandon Paul, I think what that implies is that he's highlighting Aquila and Priscilla were faithful to Paul. Among the widespread abandonment that Paul was facing near the end, this couple had not abandoned him.

Brother Bob wrote a statement on this. He says, they were dearest friends to Paul. Peter he lapsed, but not Priscilla and Aquila.

Barnabas was disagreeable, but not Priscilla and Aquila. Mark had to be disciplined, but not Priscilla and Aquila. Demas deserted, but not Priscilla and Aquila.

Aeodia had to be reproved, but not Priscilla and Aquila. They stood true. They were outstanding workers.

They hosted Paul. They helped Paul make some money. They risked their lives for Paul.

They helped start and host two churches in Ephesus and Rome. You see, if that's your epitaph, if that's what's said of you in the end, in one way, that's a very ordinary life. Working a job, being involved in the local church.

Being involved in counseling. But brethren, in another way, that's extraordinary. That's the grace of God at work in their lives.

And I see the grace of God at work in your lives too, right? I was thinking about people I could say this about. You know what? There's qualities of this couple that I see in you, brethren, and I'm grateful for that. And so brethren, in summary, a marriage that moved the Gospel based on observing this couple's marriage is a couple who's walking side by side.

I mean, they've got unity together. They endure trials together. They gently rebuke and correct people who are in error.

They're involved in the Lord's pruning of the vine. They support those who proclaim the Gospel. They took Paul in.

They throw open their home for others to come in. For wide open doors. They commit their time and energy to the local church.

They wanted to have a deeper understanding of the Word. I think that's implied. They engaged in meaningful conversations.

They were willing to go wherever and whenever the Lord called. And they were prepared to lay down their life for fellow believers, right? Those are good qualities. These are not just of a married couple, brethren.

These are good qualities of the Christian. Right? These are things that the Spirit of God works in the heart of the believer. He's working these things in you and me to will and to work for His good pleasure.

It's not to say every aspect of this couple's marriage should be or will be in your own marriage, but most of these I think are general biblical truths that we should all have as followers of the Lamb. You know that verse in Revelation? It's always stood out. He calls His people, He says, they are those who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.

They were known and loved by all. All the churches and the Gentiles spoke of this couple. May that be so of us.

And brethren, just a few other thoughts. Ministry doesn't always have to be dramatic. It's often just showing up.

You being here today, you being at a prayer meeting, you praying at a prayer meeting, you showing up, being an encouragement to the body, brethren, that is so meaningful. You being stable and consistent wherever God puts you. That is huge, brethren.

It's not a minor thing. I mean, if you think about it, when we get to eternity, so much of God's work is done through quiet, long-term commitment from brothers and sisters, right? It's just quiet, long-term commitment. We never would have known about this couple's meeting with Apollos if Luke didn't write about it.

We never would have known about it. And we just see Apollos go on his way and see God using him and not know a piece in the puzzle that the Lord brought about. They were out there actively serving others.

You know another thing I thought about their marriage? Did they ever need marriage counseling? I mean, we don't know. But I tell you this, in 16 years, when you're so focused on spreading the Gospel, you're so focused on serving others, you're so focused on being together and laboring unto the Lord, you know what? When your eyes are out there and not on yourself, often those are the very couples that don't need marriage counseling, right? They've got stability because they're full of death to self and all to Christ. Another thought to consider, don't underestimate a woman's ability to be involved in deeper discussions and articulate in great ways the Word of God.

I realize we could have a fear of... we don't want to allow women to exercise an authority over men, but brethren, at the same time, we don't want to minimize the reality. We don't know exactly what Priscilla said in that conversation. We don't know what her input was.

But sisters, you can be mighty in the Word of God. You will not might. You need to be careful.

Words matter. You will not stand in this pulpit and preach. But you know what? You can sit across someone at a table and you can offer incredible insight from the Word of God and it could change someone's life.

Again, we don't know if it's 50-50, 80-20, what their marriage dynamic was like. They were together as a team sharing the Word right there with Apollos. You think about Timothy.

Isn't it amazing? Timothy was indebted for his knowledge in the things of God to who? His mother and his grandmother. Right? So you've got women here who are a major part in imparting the truth to Timothy and to Apollos who are men who went on to be mightily used of God. See what I'm saying? So sisters, don't set a low bar.

I mentioned it before, my mother-in-law, when she was converted as a single sister, she bought Lloyd-Jones Romans Commentary. All the Romans Commentaries and read the entire set as a new Christian. Right? You'd think that's ridiculous.

I'm never going to preach. I don't need to do that. Brethren, we are called to know the Word of God.

We are called to know our Christ. Another thought here in closing. It is interesting, just that question, did they have kids? Again, I don't know.

I can't state dogmatically. I can't say one way or another. You kind of almost expect if they did, it would have been mentioned.

But is that even a right expectation? If they did, it would have been mentioned. I don't know, Philip had daughters. Why do his daughters get mentioned? Because they prophesied? Nothing's mentioned about kids in Acts 6. I don't know, maybe they had kids and them not.

Here are two possibilities. Them not being mentioned shows their lives did not center around their children. Right? Their life was not all about their kids.

That's something someone commented. I think that could be right. Or it could be this, they couldn't have kids.

That was part of God's providence in their life. It could have been infertility. It could have been they had children and the children died young.

We don't know. But brethren, here an application is whether you've got kids or you don't have kids, that wasn't the defining factor in these seven realities being true in their life. Right? They were all out for Christ as they could be wherever the Lord put them.

So I think Aquila and Priscilla prove in some way that ordinary believers through faithfulness, hospitality, quiet consistency, can be some of the most effective kingdom workers. So brethren, I want that to be you all, and it is. Many of you all came to my mind as I'm studying this and thinking about various ways you guys are having an impact on others in this church.

Right? As has been mentioned, this church is not all about, well, take every little concern to the elders. Praise God, He raises up and He hones different couples who might, the husband might never be in leadership, but God gives you the discernment, gives you the love, the hospitality to have people in your home to pour into them the Word of Truth. So, married couples, singles, are you all committed to advance God's kingdom no matter what? To risk your neck? I mean, imagine if all Christians were banned from the U.S. and we had to go relocate or something.

In one way, that'd be so exciting. I mean, it's not going to happen, but imagine how exciting that would be. Terrifying, but exciting.

If all of us Christians have to just spread out all over the world, that'd be crazy. I mean, all these Jews leaving Rome and here this couple ends up across the path of Paul. The Lord is good.

That's what I have for you all today. Well, I'm going to pray. After I pray, stay seated because we do have some baptism or one baptism today, our brother Isaiah.

And so we're going to have him come up and share his testimony after I pray. And then we're going to head outside for the baptism. So let's go ahead and pray.

Lord, the world, it glories in people like Bonnie and Clyde and people who were known as a couple for robbery and being thieves. Lord, I pray You give us Bonnie and Clydes in the spiritual realm who robbed souls from the kingdom of darkness, like Amy Carmichael did over there in India and bring those souls into the blessed light in the glorious gospel of Your Son. Lord, I pray You'd strengthen the marriages in our church.

Lord, I pray You'd be with my dear brothers and sisters. I pray You'd be specifically with the men to help the men to lead. Lord, to be diligent leaders in the home.

Lord, to be consistent, Father. Yes, to be hard workers in the workplace. Lord, would You use different ones to win souls in the workplace? And Lord, I thank You for our sisters.

Lord, what a blessing, Lord, to have sisters in Christ. And Lord, would You continue to hone and to sharpen different women's discernment, Lord, that they could offer thoughts and insights and gleanings. Lord, even in those table conversations, Lord, or even as Leah and Ruby teach women in more of a group setting, Father, would You use them to spread Your Word abroad? And Lord, I'm thankful.

Lord, there are different marriages where, Lord, there's a difference in a woman and the man, and we don't know what it's like for Priscilla and Aquila as far as the difference in ability to discern or to teach and all of that. Lord, Your design is perfect. And Lord, I do pray for all those who are single.

As is being prayed during the week of prayer and fasting, Lord, would You bring the single people to marry the right person that they could be another Aquila and Priscilla or Priscilla and Aquila, however we word it, Father. They'd be another couple out there who's moving the gospel forward, risking their necks, being consistent for that 16-year span, opening their homes to the brethren. Hosting the church in their home.

Lord, all those glorious realities, Lord, would You bring that about in a greater way? And Father, I do pray, we have different ones here whose their spouse is lost. Lord, this could be a frustrating message to hear because it's just not like that. Lord, I pray, Lord, the more applicable text for those in that situation is 1 Peter 3. Lord, I pray, would You help them through pure and respectful conduct to win their spouse without even a word when they look and they see a consistent walk with You? Lord, would You save lost spouses? Lord, You know the names.

There are lost spouses we've been pleading, we've been asking for You to save. Lord, even during the week of prayer and fasting. And Father, that week is over and they're still not saved.

And so Lord, here we are again to ask You to save them, to bring them into Your kingdom. Please, Lord, would You work that out? Work it out speedily. Not in a year, not in two years, Lord, would You save this year? Oh, Lord, help us.

And Lord, even as we hear Isaiah share about Your work in his life, Lord, I pray You'd free him up and help him and glorify Your name as we can rejoice in the great things that You have done. Pray this in Christ's name, amen.