Aquila and Priscilla
Aquila and his wife Priscilla were Jews and natives of Pontus.
Their occupation was tentmaking. They had fled from Rome to Corinth
when the emperor Claudius had commanded all Jews to leave that
city. When Paul came to Corinth, he found them and stayed with
them for some time, working with them at the trade of tentmaking.
Later, when Paul was opposed by the Jews, and perhaps to remove
any obstacle to his reception by the Gentiles, he left the house
of Aquila and dwelled with a man named Justus.
It is not clear when Aquila and Priscilla became Christians, but
it was certainly before Paul left Corinth, because they traveled
with him to Ephesus. Paul was able to teach them a great deal
about Christ in a short time, because we see Aquila and Priscilla
giving instruction to Apollos in Ephesus (Acts 18). They appear
to have been zealous promoters of the cause of Christ in Ephesus
(1 Cor. 16:19).
Acts 18:2 And he [Paul] found a certain Jew named Aquila,
a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife
Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave
Rome. He came to them,
Acts 18:18 And Paul, having remained many days longer,
took leave of the brethren and put out to sea for Syria, and with
him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchrea he had his hair cut,
for he was keeping a vow.
Acts 18:26 and he [Apollos] began to speak out boldly
in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they
took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
Aquila and Priscilla later returned to Rome, and their home there
was a place of assembly for believers. See Romans 16:3 and following
verses.
Some years after that they seem to have returned to Ephesus, because
Paul sends salutations to them there during his second imprisonment
at Rome (2 Tim. 4:19), as being with Timothy.
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