Aquila and Priscilla

Turn with me please to Acts chapter 18. Acts chapter 18. We've been hearing about an unequal yoke and I would like to speak to you about a married couple in the Lord and learn some lessons from their life together.

Acts chapter 18 and verse number one. Acts 18 and verse number one. We're going to read several verses here and then I'll ask you to keep your Bible handy because later on we're going to read some more verses in the same chapter and then a couple other passages as well.

Acts chapter 18 and verse number one. This is the second missionary journey of the Apostle Paul and he is coming from Athens to Corinth, as verse number one indicates. After these things, Paul departed from Athens and came to Corinth and found a certain Jew named Aquila, born of Pontus, lately come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome and came unto them.

And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them and wrought for by their occupation they were tent makers. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.

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.

And he departed thence and entered into a certain man's house named Justice, one that worshiped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue. And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house. And many of the Corinthians hearing believed and were baptized.

Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace. For I am with thee and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee. For I have much people in this city.

We're going to leave the reading right there for the moment and examine these particular verses. And then, as I mentioned before, we'll look at some further passages regarding this couple. I know obviously that this passage, as Luke would narrate in the book of the Acts, he is following the movements of the apostle Paul in his spreading of the gospel.

But in this passage, we are introduced to a couple that is going to become fellow laborers of Paul's in the preaching of the gospel and dear friends of his. And they are mentioned in approximately four passages in the New Testament here in the book of the Acts are mentioned in this chapter on three occasions and in Romans chapter 16, a verse that we'll read later on. And as well as in First Corinthians, chapter six, 16, sorry, Paul makes mention of them.

And lastly, when he writes to Timothy in his second letter, Paul again makes mention of this couple. And so I'd like to, with the limited information we have about them, try to examine their lives and learn some lessons that would be applicable to perhaps couples, but also to those that are single as well and things that we can be encouraged by and learn. First, we don't know how that they were converted to the Lord Jesus or that is how they were saved.

There are suggestions that when Paul meets them here, that they are already saved, you would perhaps find others that would suggest that on this first encounter with Paul, that he would bring them to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus. That being said, notice what we do know about Aquila. He was Jewish.

His wife, Priscilla, we don't know that she was Jewish. She has a, I think it is a Latin name that means venerable. And she is not indicated as being Jewish in this verse.

But Aquila definitely was Jewish. But it says that he was born in Pontus, which was a region what is in modern day Turkey. And that is where he was born.

So we're not sure where he came into contact with the gospel. Pontus was bordered by Bithynia, which is mentioned in the New Testament as a place that Paul took the gospel, I believe on his first missionary journey. So there is potential that the gospel may have spilled over the border there.

Another possibility is that in Acts chapter two and the day of Pentecost, when Peter is preaching, you would recall that there were a great number of Jews that had come to the city of Jerusalem, Jews and proselytes, because of the day of Pentecost, because of the Passover prior as well. And amongst those regions, there is mentioned Pontus. So it is potentially that Aquila was in Jerusalem during that particular feast and heard the gospel there through the preaching of Peter.

Also is mentioned Rome in that second chapter of the book of the Acts. And so it is possible that is where he heard the gospel. We're not certain.

But what we are certain of is that this couple came to trust the Lord Jesus. And when we are introduced to them in this particular chapter, they have just traveled from Rome, from Italy, from Rome, and they have come to Corinth. Just reading that verse sets my mind wondering about the circumstances, about their decision to come to Corinth and a great number of things.

First of all, we know that they came because of persecution, that anti-Semitism was reigning as Claudius would expel the Jews, command them to leave Rome. And that is why they left. We don't know if they had to leave their possessions or if they were able to sell their possessions or whatever they had and to leave with some resources.

But the fact of the matter is that they left their home in Rome and came to Corinth. I didn't look up the actual mileage or the length of the duration of their travels, but eventually they come to Corinth. And so I'd just like to over this section as we begin to examine it, I would like to put over this section regarding their lives, their learning and their laboring.

Their learning and their laboring because they're going to come into contact with the Apostle Paul, the great evangelist and he who has seen God work mightily in the establishing of a number of assemblies. And Paul is coming to Corinth as well. And this couple, as they would come into contact with Paul, they would learn a great number of lessons.

And so I'd just like to quickly examine their learning and then their laboring. So with that said, the first thing that I would suggest this couple would be able to learn would be something of God's plan. And specifically by that, I mean God's timing.

Notice in verse number two, that when Paul comes to Corinth, it says that he found a certain Jew named Aquila, whose name means eagle, born in Ponsus, lately come. The word lately really means recently. So Priscilla and Aquila had recently arrived in Corinth as well.

And here comes the Apostle Paul. And I don't believe it to be coincidence that God was directing and God was moving his servants. And so they would come to understand and to learn a little bit of the timing of God's timing in God's plan in bringing things together.

Lesson number one. But then I would notice also in verse number two that they would quite possibly learn something of God's providence, of God intervening, of God overruling, of God again linking this perhaps with his plan of God working in their lives. You can imagine this couple as they would leave Rome, being expelled, forced to leave.

The government is obligating them to to uproot themselves and to leave everything that they had established there. We don't know how much time they were in Rome and what things they may have acquired, possessions, or if they had a home, if they had a business, they were tent makers. And they would be suddenly required to abandon all of that and to move.

But the question is where were they going to move to? If you were to get out one of your maps you would realize that Rome in Italy is quite a distance from Corinth in Greece and a distance from where at least Aquila was from in Turkey. And you can see this young couple, I don't know if they're young but I'll probably end up calling them young at different times throughout this message, but you can see this couple perhaps praying about it. If they were converted already, praying about looking, searching for God's guidance.

Perhaps they were questioning God and asking God why that this had happened, that they were going to have to leave and they were going to have to abandon their home and friends and move. And they're praying and they're searching for the will of God. And they're perhaps getting out a map and looking at well where can we go where there's not persecution against Jews.

And I don't know how their finger landed on Corinth or the circumstances which is probably more likely that God used to direct them to Corinth. Because you see Corinth was a very wicked city. You would read various commentators that would make the remark that when there was a man or a woman in Corinth that was very immoral or in the surrounding areas that the people would say that he's a Corinthian or she's a Corinthian which was a way of saying a very immoral person.

If this was a young couple it certainly wouldn't be the ideal place to begin a family and to have children and to raise children in a completely immoral society. And yet we see that as they would move it probably wasn't a direct shot from Rome to Corinth that they took but maybe a number of stops along the way. But they would make their way to Corinth and certainly as they would trace their path perhaps as they looked backward over that time they would be able to see the providence of God and in guiding their movements as they would pray and seek his will and eventually they would come to Corinth and then the Apostle Paul would come and as they would meet they would begin to see the unfolding of God's plan and how God had planned it and worked it out all along.

Again when they come to Corinth they would learn something of God's provision. As we've been mentioning they likely left all their belongings behind or I don't know how quickly they had to leave Rome but if so they perhaps had left belongings behind and what were they going to do for work? How were they going to maintain themselves or provide for their needs? And of course we learned that they were tent makers and they were able to establish a business but I would suggest you through God's provision, God providing for them. And so here comes the Apostle Paul and he joins himself to them.

There's another lesson there. Their hospitality. It says that Paul abode or dwelled with them.

He began to live with them and their generosity as they would provide the Apostle Paul with a job in their business making tents and working together. And you can only imagine and what we're trying to see here also their spiritual growth right? Tremendous opportunity to work with the Apostle Paul and you can only imagine those conversations as they were working in the shop perhaps sewing and making those tents and the doctrine and the teaching that the Apostle Paul was pouring into this couple and that you can just see them listening as he would be expounding the great things of the scriptures to them. And in the evening over the evening meals and into the evening hours listening to the teaching of the Apostle Paul.

Tremendous opportunity. Tremendous time of learning for them. Not only learning directly from God himself but learning from the Apostle Paul as he would teach them.

And he would begin to preach the gospel and Saturdays he would go into the synagogue and he would be preaching to the Jews trying to convince them that Jesus in fact was the Christ the Messiah that had been promised and the one that they were waiting for. But then notice in verse number eight well verses six and seven as well just a comment there. As Paul is preaching in the synagogues to the Jews trying to convince them that the Lord Jesus that Jesus is the Christ there is resistance.

They would learn of the gospel activity. They would see a door closed and then they would see God open another one right next door in verse number seven. And then they would see the power of God in salvation.

What a tremendous privilege. What a tremendous learning experience for this couple. I keep wanting to say young couple.

I don't know their age and perhaps the reason we don't know their age is because they're a perfect example for younger and older couples alike and for single people that are looking for a partner in life a husband or wife. But they would see the power of God in salvation. Tremendous.

It says in verse number eight and Crispus the chief ruler of the synagogue. Imagine that the chief ruler of the synagogue believed on the Lord with all his house and many many of the Corinthians. And here they are they're learning and laboring with the apostle Paul helping in the gospel and now they have the tremendous privilege of seeing God's power in salvation as God would come in and move in a mighty way and save a multitude of souls.

Tremendous learning experience for them as they would watch the hand of God in salvation. And then in verse number nine and ten over these verses I put they would learn of God's protection. This was directed obviously to the apostle Paul then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision.

Be not afraid but speak and hold not thy peace for I am with thee and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee for I have much people in this city. God's protection. God caring for the apostle Paul and them as well as they would work and labor in this city against resistance as you would continue to read.

So tremendous the number of lessons that they would have learned. Paul was there it says in verse number 11 he continued there a year and six months later in verse 28 or excuse me 18 where we're going to read in just a moment it says and Paul after this Terry there yet a good while. So for at least a year and a half and then whatever a great while is there they were learning.

Learning God. Learning from the apostle Paul. Learning the scriptures and we're going to see in just a moment that that was key as they would learn the scriptures from the apostle Paul as they would watch him and listen to it.

He was testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. He would use the Old Testament scriptures and he would point to scripture after scripture to try to show the Jews that Jesus was in fact the Christ the Messiah and you can see them attentively listening to the explanation to the exposition of the scriptures and learning the scriptures but there was a time of learning and also laboring with the apostle Paul and the preaching of the gospel. Learning and laboring and as necessary for us as well.

I don't think they ever stopped learning and never stopped laboring but a time of learning God. Learning these particular lessons of how God works and who God is and a time of laboring. Let's come over to chapter 18 now a little further down and we'll read from verse number 18.

They're still in Corinth but Paul is about to leave and go to Ephesus and he is going to take with him now Priscilla and Aquila and you'll notice that occasionally Priscilla is mentioned first and occasionally Aquila and there may be some reasons for that. There have been suggestions but we'll just leave those. Verse number 18 and Paul after this tarried there yet a good while.

That is in Corinth and then took his leave of the brethren and sailed thence into Syria and with him Priscilla and Aquila having shorn his head in centuria for he had a vow and he came to Ephesus and left them there. That is Priscilla and Aquila but he himself entered into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews when they desired to him to tarry longer with them he consented not but bade them farewell saying I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem but I will return again unto you if God will and he sailed from Ephesus and when he had landed at Caesarea and gone up and saluted the church he went down to Antioch. Okay so that ends his second missionary journey.

He was had gone out from the church the assembly that was in Antioch and this is the second time. Verse 23 is the commencement of his third missionary journey and after that or after he had spent some time there he departed and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order strengthening all the disciples and a certain Jew named Apollos born at Alexandria an eloquent man and mighty in the scriptures came to Ephesus. 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 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 and when he was disposed to pass into Achaia the brethren wrote exhorting the disciples to receive him who when he was come helped them much which had bit sorry which had believed through grace for he mightily convinced the Jews and that publicly showing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.

There's a lot there so let's just take a moment to look at those verses as well. So after some time a year and six months and then verse 18 after that this tarry there a good while Paul decides it's time to move on. He wants to make it to Jerusalem and so he invites Aquila and Priscilla to accompany him.

I don't know if they knew exactly what they were getting into but they had spent time learning and laboring with the Apostle Paul and now they are ready to once again abandon anything that they had established there in Corinth regarding their personal belongings and their home and they're ready to accompany the Apostle Paul to Ephesus. They get to Ephesus and I don't know if it was a surprise to them or not but the Apostle Paul informs them that he's going to carry on and they're going to stay there. I'm sure they were quite willing to do so but it does say that in verse 20 when they desired him to tarry longer time with them he consented not.

They didn't feel quite ready for the task at hand to to stay behind while the Apostle Paul carried on that perhaps they depended greatly upon him no doubt they they looked up to him and respected him greatly but now the Apostle Paul is going to move on and they're going to stay in Ephesus and continue laboring in the gospel. The Apostle Paul leaves. Notice that he's gone for a substantial amount of time.

It's difficult perhaps to calculate but he left from Ephesus went to Caesarea then he went to Antioch and that says after verse 23 he had spent some time there he went back and visited the other churches of Galatia and eventually he made his way back to Ephesus. But there they are this couple again I was about to call them a young couple but there they are and they've labored and they've learned with the Apostle Paul for amount of time in Corinth and now suddenly they're on their own if you will they're in Ephesus and Paul is not there to consult there's no way to communicate with him when perhaps problems arrive or difficulties arrive they would have to write a letter and send it no email no chats no cell phones and there they are and one day when they're in the synagogue or nearby a man named Apollos comes in and begins to preach. Now let's just take a look at Apollos quickly because there's probably some lessons that we can learn by examining him for some of the young men.

Interestingly his name he was a Jew that's what verse 24 says his name is a name given to different gods he was born in Alexandria in Egypt which was a city founded by Alexander the Great thus the name Alexandria. Alexandria apparently was a city that was known for its schooling and its education for its emphasis on educating and had schools that were famous and well known renowned schools and there are suggestions that perhaps he had the privilege of studying in one of those schools be what it may the scripture does tell us that he was an eloquent man the word eloquent there is a word very similar to the word logos those that have the bible software almost everybody is familiar with the word logos which means the word or a verb l-o-g-o-s the word here eloquent is l-o-g-i-o-s very similar to that word it would mean that Apollos had a vast vocabulary had a way of just speaking that would perhaps hypnotize the audience just mesmerize them as they would listen to his vocabulary and the the flow of his words and the eloquence of his speech but not only that it says that he was mighty in the scriptures and of course that would refer to the old testament scriptures the new testament scriptures perhaps uh somewhere in the process of being written but primarily the old testament scriptures a man that had poured hours into studying his bible that when he would begin to speak not only would his vocabulary be vast and his his speech pleasant to the ears but he would be able to grab scripture after scripture have him at his fingertips as it were and he would be able to to pass those along mighty powerful in the scriptures it says that this man was instructed in the way of the lord the word instructed means to be indoctrinated it's actually the word i think that the word catechism comes from to be catechized to be instructed in the way of the lord the way of the lord seems to be an old testament uh phrase or phraseology from the old testament where it would refer to the the the ways or the doings the actions of the lord how the lord operates if you will and it you can find it several times in the old testament he was also fervent in the spirit means ardent or or burning he had a passion for for sharing the scriptures and he wanted to share what he had learned from john the baptist and it says he spake and taught diligently he was a diligent speaker a diligent man the things of the lord knowing only the baptism of john so there was a in spite of all his positive attributes and i'll leave i'll just leave it there despite of all of his positive attributes there was a great deficiency verse number 25 at the close says knowing only the baptism of john in the following chapter we get a clearer picture of what john preached he preached repentance the baptism of repentance and that they should believe on him which should come after him that is on christ jesus that's the next chapter verse number four and so john would come and he would preach to the people that they should repent that they should change their mind just a quick note on repentance it's something that perhaps that we don't mention often in our preaching because perhaps there could be confusion as to what it means repentance means a change of mind but not just a superficial change of mind you'd see it from second corinthians that there is a repentance of god that cannot be repented of repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change of direction and if you examine the passages for example in the book of the acts where repentance is used where the the apostles in their preaching would command the people to repent if you examine their sermons you can see very clearly what they are indicating by repent for example acts chapter 2 peter in the day of pentecost he concludes that when they say amen and what shall we do he says repent and be baptized in the name of the lord for the forgiveness of sins but throughout his sermon he has indicated he has very pointedly said to them you have crucified you have delivered they had rejected christ and so i personally would submit to you that there when he says to repent you are to change your mind about the lord jesus specifically about him you openly rejected him therefore you are to openly confess him complete change of mind regarding who he is there are other passages as well that mention repentance but this is the only message that apollos knew repent and then to believe on christ when he came that was john what john would preach now it is possible again apollos was born in alexandria where he heard john's preaching is not disclosed to us perhaps he had visited jerusalem perhaps the message had filtered down to egypt but regardless that is the only message that he knew so he stands up in the synagogue and begins to preach this message now here's this couple that has just spent a fair amount of time with the apostle paul listening to the apostle paul and the apostle paul you will recall was teaching the jews in earlier in chapter 18 that jesus is the christ and they had they hear apollos preaching one day and i just want to notice their handling of him and i would put over this their leadership because as i mentioned they're on their own here the apostle paul isn't around and they hear this young man again i don't know whether apollos was young or not but we hear we hear apollo he hit they hear apollos preaching and how are they going to react are they going to fly off the handle that this man isn't preaching the whole message are they going to get all excited and publicly rebuke him and and get up and notice quickly how they handled him verse number 26 and he began to speak boldly in the synagogue whom when aquila and priscilla had heard they took him unto them notice their care in dealing with this young man not to squelch his zeal or his fervent desire his exercise they took him unto them it means that they took him apart or to the side quite possibly they they took him to their home and invited him into their home into a place where they could speak to him so notice their care for him now notice as well and this might be i think it should be obvious in english but in the verb tenses for example expounded is a plural verb meaning more than one person not the singular he it does not say aquila expounded to him it is actually a plural verb meaning they expounded to him so i i just the only point i wanted to make there is that priscilla was able in the scriptures was capable in the scriptures and i would encourage young sisters and all sisters to be very capable in the scriptures you're going to run across people that are going to ask you questions all the time why do you believe what you believe why do you do what you believe why do you do or practice what you do and it is good to be able to have a working knowledge of the scriptures to be able to point people to the scriptures we're going to see here at the very end of this passage that the scriptures are essential they're the basis of what was being preached and so just to note that both of them were capable in the scriptures and you could probably link that back to their time spent with the apostle paul and all the time that they would sit listen to him as he would expound the scriptures to them so first of all their care is they would take him apart they didn't stand up right there in the synagogue and and say well we have something to correct this young man is is wrong they brought him aside carefully and they spoke to him now this would likely take a fair amount of time he was very knowledgeable in the old testament and maybe he was very convinced of his theology this might not have been just a one-time conversation they might not have just whipped open their bible to isaiah 53 and said see there there it is they might have had to pour over scripture and he would have questions there would be conversations they would go back and forth and so i see this couple as being a model couple for middle-aged or older couples that would have an interest in young people as they would seek to direct them and give them guidance and give them help that there's going to be patience that is needed there's going to be time that is going to be needed to be invested in the younger generation and conversations and difficult questions perhaps that need to be answered and there they are and they're expounding the word expound means to expose not in a negative sense but to just be peeling back the layers and and to show him exactly so they were expounding to him the way of god more perfectly notice the completion if you will if you allow me to use that word the completion of their work here what is the completion well apollos after this time with aquila and priscilla just let me make one more comment before i continue notice quickly about apollos his disposition his willingness to accept correction right you've got somebody that is eloquent probably could speak circles around the two of them that is very knowledgeable in the old testament deficient but very knowledgeable very exercised they weren't that we know of out there preaching in the synagogue or aquila wasn't but he was and yet when they pulled him aside he was willing to receive correction he was willing to sit down and listen to them and so that would be a lesson for those of us that are younger when an older brother an older couple pull us aside and say you know i appreciate your exercise and what you're trying to do here but could i just explain this passage to you a little more clearly his willingness to to receive correction to listen back to what i was saying so now they've discipled him if you will and he has the burden to carry on and he comes to he was says verse 27 and when he was disposed to pass into a ki the brethren wrote exhorting the disciples to receive him but when he was come helped them much which had believed through grace so now he's a tremendous help to the believers for he mightily convinced the jews and that publicly showing by the scriptures not by his eloquence not by his ability to piece together the argument but by his handling of the scriptures he was able to convince the jews that jesus was the christ one commentator has said regarding the scriptures in this passage learn that the scripture that scripture knowledge is the choicest qualification and the highest commendation of a gospel minister i repeat that learn that the scripture knowledge or that scripture knowledge your knowledge of the scripture is the choicest qualification and highest commendation of a gospel minister you see apollos had he knew the scriptures and now he's using the scriptures to convince to be a help to the lord's people after this in the book of the acts aquiline priscilla disappeared from its pages you won't read of them again in the book of the acts but you will read of them in just a few scattered verses as i mentioned in roman 16 1 corinthians 16 and 19 2nd timothy 4 and 19 so with that said let's quickly turn over to roman 16 and see what paul has to say about them here it would appear that at some point priscilla and aquila aquiline priscilla had the privilege of having two assemblies that met in their homes perhaps in ephesus and in rome so romans chapter 16 and with this i'll finish romans 16 verse number three notice that priscilla and aquila are essentially the first ones that are greeted by paul paul is writing to the romans he says greet priscilla and aquila again her name is mentioned first here my helpers in christ jesus my helpers is the same word that paul uses to describe timothy as his fellow worker my helpers they were laborers together with paul but more than that notice in verse number four i should mention as well notice that they are in rome at this time so while it is difficult to trace their movements after acts 18 it does appear that perhaps at some point they returned to rome where they had left so they left rome went to corinth to ephesus from there we're not sure but at some point had made their way back to rome perhaps as someone suggests after claudius had died or the ban on jews had been lifted but that be that what it may verse number four speaking again of aquila and priscilla who have for my life laid down their own necks this particular event if it was one particular event is difficult to identify but apparently whether at corinth or ephesus or in some other place there was at some time where the life of the apostle paul was in jeopardy now there are many occasions where his life seemed to be in jeopardy but at this particular instance if to be taken literally that they literally risk their own lives or riddle literally put their own necks on the chopping block would seem to indicate that their actions save the life of the apostle paul so they're learning and they're laboring their leadership and then just simply their lives that they were willing the two of them how beautiful to see them always mentioned together remarkable never mentioned separately but together they were willing to lay their lives on the line random speaking about an unequal yoke and entering into relationships but and just how beautiful to see a young couple together in the lord and ready to lay down their lives for the work of the lord who have for my life laid down their own necks unto whom not only i give thanks now if you follow this out but also all the churches of the gentiles that could possibly possibly mean that a result of them willing to sacrifice well they didn't have to but willing to put their lives on the line to save the life of the apostle paul that that freed him to therefore be able to carry the gospel further to other gentile churches so that those churches as a result could look back and say wow thank god for what aquila and priscilla were able to do because of what they did the apostle paul was able to bring the gospel to us and there were assemblies saved because of that yes remarkable to think remarkable and i just leave that with you to study the life the limited details that we have of this young couple young couple sorry this couple uh aquila and priscilla and their learning and their laboring and their leadership and their interest in apollos and then they're willing to risk their lives for the apostle paul and essentially for the lord himself and the work of the gospel so may the lord bless this word