“Priscilla & Aquila • Aquila & Priscilla” ~ ✨
The apostle Paul, called by the Lord Christ Jesus, preached the gospel to the Gentiles. Throughout his more than thirty years of ministry, the Lord provided many of God’s people to work alongside him. In the New Testament epistles, Paul repeatedly greets his co‑workers and commends their zealous service. Among Paul’s many letters, Romans contains the longest list of greetings. And none appear more frequently in his greetings and commendations than Aquila and Priscilla.
The Bible mentions the married couple Aquila and Priscilla six times – in Paul’s epistles and in the Acts of the Apostles. I have often wondered: what made Aquila and Priscilla so exceptional? What can believers learn from their example?
Let me first explain how Paul came to know Aquila and Priscilla. During the reign of Claudius Caesar (AD 49), the emperor ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Aquila, a Jew born in Pontus on the Black Sea, went with his wife Priscilla to Corinth. They were tentmakers by trade. When Paul met them in Corinth, they welcomed him, and because they shared the same trade, he stayed and worked with them.
Every Sabbath, Paul preached in the Jewish synagogue or at the house of Titus Justus (which was next to the synagogue). His preaching led many Corinthians to faith, but also caused many Jews to reject and persecute him. The Lord said to Paul in a vision, “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you…” So Paul remained in Corinth for eighteen months. Under Paul’s teaching and influence, Aquila and Priscilla grew into outstanding ministers of the word.
After eighteen months, Paul took Aquila and Priscilla with him to Ephesus, and then left them there while he continued his journey, launching his third missionary journey. While in Ephesus, Aquila and Priscilla met Apollos, a learned Jewish man who could explain the Scriptures. Apollos had been gifted to speak about the things of God, but he knew only the baptism of John. So Aquila and Priscilla took him aside and explained the way of God to him more accurately. These events are recorded in Acts chapter 18. Beyond these specific accounts, the Bible also notes that they hosted a church in their home.
In Paul’s letters and in Acts, Aquila and Priscilla leave readers with a very positive impression, serving as models to imitate. The above is a brief summary. I would now like to share what I have learned from this couple’s testimony, using the following relevant passages as a reference:
Romans 16:3–5 – Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co‑workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life. Paul says, “They have worked alongside me in Christ Jesus, and they risked their own necks for my life. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.” Paul also greets the church that meets in their house. In just a few words, Paul highlights their unity in Christ and their sacrificial love.
Acts 18:2 – There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them.
Acts 18:18 – Paul stayed on in Corinth for many days, then left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila.
Acts 18:26 – He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
1 Corinthians 16:19 – The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, along with the church that meets at their house.
2 Timothy 4:19 – Sixteen years later, as Paul neared martyrdom, he still sent greetings to Priscilla and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus, showing the deep bond between them.
In the passages above, we see that in four of the six mentions, Priscilla’s name appears before her husband Aquila’s. The other two times Priscilla’s name comes after Aquila’s are in Acts 18:2 (their first introduction) and 1 Corinthians 16:19. In the introduction, saying “Aquila and his wife Priscilla” is simply a descriptive statement.
Regarding the name order in 1 Corinthians 16:19, my thought is that Paul wanted to convey a message to the Corinthian church: that the husband is the head of the wife. Paul did this because, at that time, some women in the Corinthian church were disrupting order by speaking out randomly and inappropriately. So Paul, addressing the specific situation in that church, did not permit women to speak in the assembly. Apart from those two instances, the other four mentions concern the couple’s work in building up the church and their sacrificial love. As we see, except for 1 Corinthians 16:19, Paul’s greetings and commendations place Priscilla’s name first.
So does this order have any special meaning? In the context of a husband‑and‑wife team, what role did the wife play in their joint ministry?
Regarding couples working together, I notice that other ministers – including apostles, disciples, deacons, etc. – are never described as serving alongside their wives. Aquila and Priscilla are the only such pair. Their names are mentioned not just once, but six times across four New Testament books.
In much Christian literature, Aquila and Priscilla are regarded as models of first‑century Christian ministry – an exemplary married couple that brings glory to God.
As for the roles of wife and husband in shared ministry, among the six mentions in Romans, Acts, 1 Corinthians, and 2 Timothy, Priscilla’s name appears before Aquila’s four times. In Western culture, when a husband and wife are named together, the wife’s name sometimes comes first; but in Jewish or traditional Chinese culture, the wife’s name is either unmentioned or placed after the husband’s.
The omission of wives’ names is clear in Matthew chapter 1. At the beginning of that chapter, when the genealogy of Jesus is given, the names of the patriarchs’ wives are not included – except for four prominent women (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Mary). Many commentators believe that this name order indicates that Priscilla held a leading role in the couple’s joint ministry. I do not wish to draw a firm conclusion here, but one thing is certain: Paul deliberately placed Priscilla’s name before Aquila’s to honor her significant role in their partnership.
I am not advocating that in serving Christ, a wife should compete with her husband. A wife must respect and love her husband, both in her own home and in God’s household. If she stumbles in this area, all her other excellence becomes meaningless. Neither should a husband feel jealous or inferior because of his wife’s abilities. He must respect and love his wife, both at home and in God’s house, because when God created Adam and Eve, He ordained that the two would become one flesh (Genesis 2:24). Aquila and Priscilla obeyed God’s word and in this way left a lasting testimony for generations to come.
We should learn from the past – carry forward what is good, and be warned by what is bad. More than 1,900 years ago, society was not as advanced as today, and travel was not as convenient. Yet a group of people who loved the Lord worked with all their hearts for Him. There was no division between clergy and laity. Everyone who loved the Lord was willing to give their best and shoulder the sacred duty of spreading the gospel.
Aquila and Priscilla moved among Rome, Corinth, and Ephesus, serving according to God’s calling and leading. Today, many churches – whether explicitly or in attitude – divide believers into clergy and laity to satisfy their own desires for status and power. Yet they lack leadership in building up the church and mobilizing members to evangelize. This is truly lamentable.
From the example of Aquila and Priscilla, I see a life that testified to loyalty to Christ:
1. They travelled across seas and lands to three cities – Rome, Corinth, and Ephesus – serving as called and acting in love.
2. They generously welcomed saints, including Paul, Apollos, and others.
3. They opened their home to host the church.
4. They were devoted and courageous, risking their own lives to help Paul (Romans 16:3).
5. They became an example to the saints around the Mediterranean.
Whether “Priscilla & Aquila” or “Aquila & Priscilla” – if it is good in God’s eyes, then it is good. In Romans 16, Paul graciously and appropriately commends the contributions of his female co‑workers. This is something that believers today should also learn. We should see that serving Christ is not about gender, nor about being single or married in ministry. What God looks at is our heart and our strength. Some have the heart but lack strength; some have strength but lack heart; some have neither heart nor strength. These are all mismatches, for the Lord commands us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. And the second is to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:30–31).
Finally, I close this reflection with Philippians 3:17–20:
“Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body…”
