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Romans 16:12 – Hard Working Women

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Romans 16:12 – Hard Working Women

Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have labored in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord.

Truth to Learn

There are many hard working women in the church!

Behind the Words

The names “Tryphena and Tryphosa” are Greek and are both derived from the verb truphaō, meaning “to live luxuriously.”

“Labored” is translated from the Greek word kopiaō, which we saw back in verse six means “to work hard to the point of feeling fatigued.” There is another Greek word, ergadzomai, which is usually translated “work.” Kopiaō, however, implies long, hard labor, much greater than simply ergadzomai.

The name “Persis” means “a Persian woman.”

Meaning Explained

The next three people to be greeted by the Apostle Paul are all women who worked for God in some capacity. The first two, Tryphena and Tryphosa are believed to be sisters and may, in fact, have been twins. They are said to have been noble women of Iconium and may likely have been converted under Paul’s ministery there. Paul tells us that these two women were not simply workers in the ministry with him, they were laborers, that is, they worked hard. The other woman mentioned in this verse is Persis who, he says, labored much in her service to God. She apparently worked hard for many hours.

Some commentators have gone to great lengths to assert that these women did not preach. Such a waste of time and effort! Nowhere in the Scriptures are we told that women can’t preach. Paul does give specific instruction regarding elders (probably pastors) and bishops (senior pastors) in his letters to Timothy and Titus:

For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. (Titus 1:5-6)

This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; (1Timothy 3:1-2)

The word translated “husband” is specifically male and the word for “wife” is specifically female. So a woman is not to be an elder or a bishop. Paul is also very specific about women not teaching men or having authority over a man in the church:

And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. (1Titus 2:12)

But, the Bible does not tell us that women are not to preach the Gospel message. And, Paul tells Titus very specifically that the older women are to be teachers of other women (Titus 2:3, 4).

Application

God knew that Paul would need help from some very hard working people. We see here that a number of those hard workers were women. The church today would not be nearly as effective as it is except for the many hard working women who commit their time and effort to God in the local church. Thank you ladies for your hard work!

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 16:11 – This Precious Salvation

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Romans 16:11 – This Precious Salvation

Greet Herodion, my countryman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.

Truth to Learn

Some Christians put their lives in danger when they get saved.

Behind the Words

The word “countryman,” which we saw in verse seven, is translated from sungenēs, meaning “same offspring, same family, or same nation.” This word can be used to imply a family member (a relative) or someone with the same ethnic roots.

“In the Lord” is an expression used almost exclusively by the Apostle Paul. Luke uses it once in Acts 14:3 and John uses it once in Revelation 14:13. The other forty or so uses of this expression are all by Paul. In this case it refers to people who are Christians, in the body of Christ our Lord.

Meaning Explained

In the past ten verses the Apostle Paul has been sending greetings to people in Rome who are connected with the church there. He now sends greetings to Herodian who, although having a distinctly Greek name, is referred to as one of Paul’s countrymen. In verse seven we met Andronicus and Junia, whom we speculated were relatives of Paul’s. In the case of Herodian, he may simply be a fellow Jew, perhaps a slave of the family of Aristobulus (see verse ten). It is possible that he was of the tribe of Benjamin as Paul was. What we do know is that there was a man by this name who, like Apelles, was among the seventy disciples sent out by our Lord (Luke 10:1). This Herodian became the bishop of the church in Tarsus.

Next, Paul greets those who are of Narcissus. In the previous verse we talked about the fact that the word “household” does not appear in the Greek text; but, being members of his household seems to be the real sense of Paul’s comments. Unlike the previous verse, however, Paul refers to these as “in the Lord.” This is a Pauline expression indicating that these people are Christians. Since all the people to whom Paul is sending greetings are Christians there must be a reason why he specifically refers to this group of people thus. It is likely that Narcissus was not a Christian, so Paul is specifically sending greetings to those of his family, servants, and slaves who are Christians.

From other historical documents we do know that there was a man by the name of Narcissus who was the secretary to Claudius Caesar and was highly favored of him. This man became very wealthy and powerful in the service of Caesar, even though he had a reputation for being an exceedingly wicked man. He was eventually put to death by Claudius’ wife Agrippina. If this is the same Narcissus, it is a testament to the fact that even in the household of politically powerful people who exhibit extremely anti-Christian behavior, there can be those who willingly submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, thus putting their very lives in peril.

Application

In most Western countries it is not a hazard to life and liberty when someone proclaims themself to be a Christian; however, there are places in the world even today where becoming a Christian puts life and safety in jeopardy. These people must be completely committed to their Lord. For the rest of us, salvation is sometimes seen as convenient, and we may not have as acute a sense of how precious our salvation really is. How precious is your salvation to you?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 16:10 – Proving Ground of Faith

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Romans 16:10 – Proving Ground of Faith

Greet Apelles, approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus.

Truth to Learn

Christians undergo trials of their faith.

Behind the Words

The word translated “approved” is dokimos, derived from the verb dokimadzō, which means “to try or test for the purpose of determining value or worthiness.” In the Greek text the definite article (the) is present. Thus, Paul is referring to “Apelles, the approved one.”

Notice that the word “household” is in italic font. That’s because the Greek equivalent does not appear in the text. A literal translation of this greeting would be, “Greet those of Aristobulus.”

“Aristobulus” is a Greek name, although it was used by some Jews as well. It means “the best advise” or “the best advisor.”

Meaning Explained

Again, we have two people about whom we know very little for certain other than what Paul says here. Throughout the centuries there have been a number of ideas regarding who these two might have been, however. Let’s start with Apelles. One of the church fathers in the third century was Origen of Alexandria. He believed that Apelles may have been another name for Apollos (see Acts 18:24-26). Others have argued, however, that since Apollos was such a powerful and remarkable preacher of the Gospel, Paul would have said much more than simply that he was “approved in Christ.” Others have claimed that Apelles was one of the seventy disciples of Christ (see Luke 10:1) and that he had become bishop of the church at Smyrna.

Whoever Apelles might have been, according to Paul he was “the approved one in Christ.” In order for Paul to refer to him as such, Apelles must have gone through some great and well known trial of his faith, having come successfully through. As we have said before, the verb dokimadzō is the word used when speaking of testing gold to determine its purity by burning it in fire. We don’t know anything about the fiery trial that Apelles went through, only that he was found to be approved in the end. James talks a little about this process:

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (James 1:12)

Paul now greets those of Aristobulus. There was a grandson of Herod the Great with this name who lived around this time. Some think that it is he whom Paul is referring to. Whoever he was, it is interesting that Paul does not greet him, only those of his household. There are a couple of possible reasons for this. It is possible that Aristobulus had passed away when Paul wrote this letter and that he was thus greeting the slaves and other family members. The other possibility is that this man was not a believer but that some of his slaves, domestic servants, and family members were believers, and it is these people to whom Paul sends his greeting.

Application

God chooses to test the faith of some Christians more than others. The important thing is not whether you have been tested or not, but that you have been found approved in the end. Has God been trying your faith? Have you been found approved?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 16:9 – Hugs and Kisses

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Romans 16:9 – Hugs and Kisses

Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved.

Truth to Learn

Family members greet one another with signs of affection.

Behind the Words

The word “greet,” which we looked at back in verse three, is aspadzomai, which refers specifically to greeting a person with a hug. There are two other Greek words that carry roughly the same idea, that of a greeting or a salutation. They are philema, meaning “to greet with a kiss” and enagkalizomai, meaning “to embrace or hug.”

“Urbanus” is a common Roman slave name. It means “city-born.”

“Fellow worker” is the word sunergos, which we looked at back in verse three. It refers to someone who works together with someone else.

The name “Stachys” is a fairly rare Greek name. It means “an ear of corn.” There was a person of this name who was a member of the household of Caesar. Whether or not this is the same person cannot be verified.

Meaning Explained

Paul continues with his salutations to various people in the church at Rome. The two individuals in today’s verse are Urbanus and Stachys. Urbanus was quite possibly a slave owned by a Roman citizen and Stachys may have been a domestic servant in Caesar’s household. This is plausible since Paul greets the two brothers in Christ in the same verse, although we don’t know for certain anything about these two other than what Paul tells us here.

Notice how often Paul has used the word “greet” in this chapter. He continues to use this word repeatedly up through verse sixteen. As we pointed out in “Behind the Words” above, this is one of several Greek words that were commonly used to express a greeting. Two of the words imply a hug or an embrace and the other one implies a kiss. It was very common in the first century church to greet fellow Christians with hugs and kisses. There are many Churches today in which believers greet each other with a hug; however, few churches greet one another with a kiss. In the first century church is was very common for men to greet men with a kiss and for women to greet women with a kiss.

Later, in verse sixteen, Paul will suggest that the members of the church in Rome greet each other with a holy kiss, as he also does to the church in Corinth (1Corinthians 16:20 and 2Corinthians 13:12) and the church in Thessalonica (1Thessalonians 5:26). Likewise, the Apostle Peter in his first general epistle says to “greet one another with a kiss of love” (1Peter 5:14). Because of this common practice of hugging and kissing in the first century church, Christians were often characterized by outsiders as being incestuous.

Application

Since all Christians are part of the body of Christ and we all have a common Heavenly Father, we refer to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. And, since we are all part of the same family, we should feel comfortable greeting one another with an affectionate hug.

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 16:8 – My Beloved Brother

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Romans 16:8 – My Beloved Brother

Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord.

Truth to Learn

Some people were specially honored by the Apostle Paul.

Behind the Words

“Amplias” is a shortened form of the Latin name Ampliatus, meaning “enlarged.” Some Greek manuscripts have the full name rather than the shortened form.

“Beloved” is translated from agapētos, which is based on agape, meaning “a perfect self-sacrificing love.” There are two different Greek verbs translated “love” in the New Testament. The first is Phileō, referring to a “brotherly love” or “fondness” as expressed between good friends. The other is agapaō, which indicates more than just emotion. It implies action which is directed toward the benefit of the beloved even at the expense of personal sacrifice on the part of the loving one.

Meaning Explained

Paul spends the entire first half of this final chapter of the letter to the church at Rome giving greetings to specific people who are associated with the church. Each one of these people is someone whom Paul considers worthy of greeting. In some cases he tells us a little about the person (or persons) but in others, like Amplias in today’s verse, he tells us almost nothing.

What we do know about Amplias is that Paul considers him beloved in the Lord. In other words, he considers Amplias more than just a friend. We don’t know what Amplias did to earn such an esteemed position in Paul’s mind, but whatever it was, Paul expresses a level of affection for this person that he offers to few others; in fact, of all those greeted in this letter only four are referred to as beloved by Paul. They are Epenetus (Romans 16:5), Amplias (Romans 16:8), Stachys (Romans 16:9), and Persis (Romans 16:12).

Though Paul is the Apostle to the Gentiles, well known by virtually everyone in the church throughout the known world at that time, he did not consider himself above others in the church, especially those who labored fervently for God. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul referred to himself as the chief of all sinners:

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. (1Timothy 1:15)

In this passage in 1Timothy, Paul has recounted some of the despicable things he did before he got saved. And yet, in 1Timothy 1:15 he does not say, “of whom I was chief,” he said, “of whom I am chief.”

The Apostle Paul does not think of himself as better than other Christians. He is well aware that apart from God’s grace he is destined for hell just like the rest of us. And, out of his humility he gives recognition to a number of unknown people who give their all for their Savior. In today’s verse we see him giving recognition to one of his dearly beloved friends, Amplias.

Application

Imagine how honoring it must have been for a simple Christian man like Amplias to receive recognition in a church letter from the Apostle Paul. What would be even better would be to receive recognition from our Lord as He ushers us into heaven with, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” Will God say that about you? Remember, how you serve Him now will have eternal consequences.

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 16:7 – A Distinguished Pair

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Romans 16:7 – A Distinguished Pair

Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

Truth to Learn

Some Christians are well known for their service in the church.

Behind the Words

The word “countrymen” is translated from sungenēs, which is made up of sun, meaning “together” and genos, meaning “offspring, family, or nation.” This word can be used to imply a family member (a relative) or someone with the same ethnic roots.

“Fellow prisoners” is from the Greek noun sunaichmalōtos, a double compound word made up of sun, meaning “together,” eichmē, meaning “a spear,” and a form of halōtos, meaning “to be conquered or taken captive.” Sunaichmalōtos refers to anyone who has been imprisoned with someone else.

The words “of note” come from the Greek word episēmos, which is made up of epi, meaning “upon” and sēma, meaning “a mark or a sign.” So, literally this means someone who has “a mark upon them.” In a good sense this word implies being “well thought of or distinguished.” In a bad sense this word refers to someone who is “notorious.”

Meaning Explained

Paul now extends a greeting to Andronicus and Junia. Although Junia is a name that can be given to a man or a woman, it is most likely that these two were both men. Though this translation refers to them as countrymen (fellow Jews) it is likely that they were more closely related to Paul than just descendants of Israel. A number of the people to whom Paul sends greetings have Jewish names, yet only these two are referred to as sungenēs. Therefore, it is likely that Andronicus and Junia were family relatives of Paul.

He tells us that they were imprisoned with him, although he doesn’t say when or where. Given that Paul was frequently imprisoned, it is difficult to speculate on which occasion they were imprisoned with him. What is of note is that Paul only refers to two other “fellow prisoners” in all his writing:

Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, (Philemon 1:23)

Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you … (Colossians 4:10a)

Paul tells us that Andronicus and Junia were well thought of among the apostles. He is not saying that these two were apostles, but that they were well thought of by those who were true apostles of Jesus Christ.

Finally, we are told that these two were believers in Jesus Christ as the Messiah before Paul was. It is likely that they were among the earliest converts among the Jews and became known to the apostles in Jerusalem before the martyrdom of Stephen and the ensuing dispersion of Christians from Jerusalem.

Application

Andronicus and Junia were well known among the leaders of the early church, probably because of their testimonies and their service in the church. What do the leaders of your church say about you? If asked, would they say that you are “of note” within your church, or do they even know who you are?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 16:6 – Hard Working Mary

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Romans 16:6 – Hard Working Mary

Greet Mary, who labored much for us.

Truth to Learn

Some people in the church work extremely hard and get little or no recognition.

Behind the Words

“Mary” is translated from the Greek name Miriam, which is transliterated from the Hebrew name Miryam, meaning “rebelliously.” Some texts have the name as mirian. So this could variously be translated as Mary, Maria, Miriam, or Marian.

The word “labored” is translated from the Greek verb kopiaō, which is derived from the noun kopos, which literally means “a cut” but figuratively refers to “heavy labor which reduces one’s strength.” Thus, kopiaō means “to work hard to the point of feeling fatigued.”

The word “us” is from hēmas, however some Greek manuscripts have the word humas, meaning “you (plural).”

Meaning Explained

Very little is known for certain about this woman, Mary. The only thing which Paul says about her is that she was an extremely hard worker. It is possible that this woman was a tireless worker in Paul’s church planting, evangelistic ministry, and that she offered her services in multiple cities where Paul preached. On the other hand, based on the textual variation of “you” versus “us,” it could be that she was a resident of Rome who dedicated her hard work in the service of the church there.

The fact that Paul sends her greetings in his letter to the Roman church would seem to indicate that he was quite familiar with her and was quite familiar with how hard she worked. If this is the case, then it makes sense that she expended her hard work in assisting Paul in his ministry. It is possible that she, like Aquila and Priscilla, had assisted Paul in Greece and Asia Minor and had since moved to Rome. Whoever this woman was and whatever her specific task was, we know that she was a tireless worker who labored hard and long.

This type of hard work on behalf of our Lord is recognized in several places in the New Testament. In His message to the seven churches in the opening chapters of Revelation, Christ says this to the church at Ephesus:

I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. (Revelation 2:2-3)

In this passage, both “labor” and “labored” are translated from the same word used to describe Mary in today’s verse. Also, this same word is used in one of the more easily recognized quotes from the Bible where our Lord said:

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

Application

Many people attend church each Sunday to get a spiritual recharge and to find some peace and rest. Such would not be possible, however, were it not for those who work tirelessly with little or no recognition, such as janitors, nursery workers, or office assistants. Let’s all make it a point this week to find someone like Mary and thank them for the hard word they give week after week to the service of our Lord.

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 16:5 – Committed and Active

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Romans 16:5 – Committed and Active

Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia to Christ.

Truth to Learn

Christianity involves active participation, not passive attendance.

Behind the Words

Notice that the word “greet” is in an italic font. That’s because it does not appear in the Greek text, but has been inserted by the translators. The Greek text actually reads, “Likewise the church that is in their house.”

“Church” is from the Greek noun ekklēsia, which is made up of ek, meaning “out of” and a form of kaleō, meaning “to call.” Hence, we see that ekklēsia literally means “a group of called out ones.” It originally referred to citizens who were called out by a herald for a public meeting. As Christians gathered in the first century they were initially referred to as a synagogue (from the Greek sunagogē, meaning “gathered together ones”). But, in order to distinguish them from a Jewish gathering, they were soon referred to as a church (ekklēsia).

The word “firstfruits” is translated from aparchē. This is another compound word. This one is made up of apo, meaning “from” and archomai, meaning “to begin.” Thus, aparchē literally means “begin from.” In other words, it is the beginning of something from which other things follow.

The word “Achaia” does not appear in some of the major Greek texts. Instead, the word Asia appears.

Meaning Explained

The first thing we learn from this verse is that Aquila and Priscilla were totally involved in ministering for the Lord. Not only did they work with Paul in both secular and spiritual activities, helping Paul and even risking their own lives for him, but they also had a church meeting in their own house. Some have speculated that this simply indicated some of the members of the church in Rome gathering in their home from time to time. However, we know that Aquila and Priscilla seemed to use their home for church meetings elsewhere as well. Since Paul wrote 1Corinthians from Ephesus, we see that Aquila and Priscilla had a church meeting in their house in Ephesus as well.

The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. (1Corinthians 16:19)

Paul now moves on from Aquila and Priscilla, sending greetings to a man named Epaenetus. His name means “praised.” We know nothing about this man other than what Paul proclaims here. He was someone very special to Paul because he refers to Epaenetus as his “beloved.” He also indicates that this man was the firstfruits of Achaia (or Asia). This implies that Epaenetus was the first (or one of the first) people to become a Christian in that area.

Application

Aquila and Priscilla were active members involved in ministering to the body of Christ no matter where they were. Likewise, Phoebe used what God had given to her to support the body, especially those who had a particular need. Are you an active member of the body of Christ, or do you just go to church?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 16:4 – Behind The Scenes

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Romans 16:4 – Behind The Scenes

who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

Truth to Learn

Some of the most important ministries are behind the scenes.

Behind the Words

The word “risked” is a metaphorical translation of hupotithēmi. This is made up of hupo, meaning “under” or “beneath” and tithēmi, meaning “to place or to put.” So, literally this word means “to place underneath.” It is a word which was used of those who “placed their neck under the axe of the executioner.” The correctness of this metaphorical translation is strengthened by the fact that Paul says it is their “neck” that they “placed underneath.”

Eucharistō is the word translated “give thanks.” This is a word which we have seen before. A transliteration of this word gives us our English word Eucharist, which refers to communion or the Lord ’s Supper. Eucharistō means “to give thanks.”

Meaning Explained

From verse three we know that Paul is talking about Priscilla and Aquila, a husband and wife team who were instrumental in assisting Paul in both his secular job and his ministry. He says here that they risked their own necks for him. We don’t know exactly how they did this, for there is no direct scriptural evidence, but we do know that Paul was in physical danger on several occasions. One such time may have been there in Corinth when the Jews accused Paul of breaking the law:

When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat, saying, “This fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.” (Acts 18:12-13)

Another time that Aquila and Priscilla may have endangered themselves to protect Paul was in Ephesus where there was a great uprising against Christians:

So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul’s travel companions. And when Paul wanted to go in to the people, the disciples would not allow him. (Acts 19:29-30)

Paul also makes it clear that Aquila and Priscilla were a great help to some of the churches. Again, we don’t know exactly what Paul is referring to but one example of their service to the churches is found again in Ephesus where they provided scriptural training for Apollos, a preacher of the gospel:

Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. (Acts 18:24-26)

Application

Obviously, Aquila and Priscilla were used by God in the early church by assisting Paul in his ministry and by teaching correct doctrine to those who were gifted in proclaiming it. It seems that their ministry was “behind the scenes” where they worked quietly and fervently. Is this the type of ministry God has called you to? If so, do it faithfully like Aquila and Priscilla.

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 16:3 – Secular Saints

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Romans 16:3 – Secular Saints

Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,

Truth to Learn

Just because you work at a secular job doesn’t mean God doesn’t want to use you in building up the church.

Behind the Words

“Greet” is translated from aspadzomai, which is made up of a, denoting union and probably a form of spaō, meaning “to draw.” Thus, aspadzomai means “to enfold in the arms” or as we would say, “to hug.” Just as it is today, a hug was a form of greeting, especially within the body of Christ.

The name “Priscilla” literally means “little Prisca.” It is like a person today named Bill being referred to as Billy.

“Fellow workers” is from sunergos, which is made up of sun, meaning “together” and a form of ergon, meaning “work or labor.” So, sunergos means “a fellow laborer.”

Meaning Explained

Paul met Priscilla and Aquila on his first trip to Corinth (see Acts chapter eighteen). Paul’s commission from God was to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles but his occupation was that of a tent maker. In large cities in the Roman world, the various trades gathered together around the marketplace. Likewise, in the Synagogue the various trades sat together in “guilds.” Therefore, it is not unusual that Paul would have met a fellow tent-maker when he first arrived in Corinth. Because Paul and Aquila were both tent makers and both Jews who believed in Jesus Christ as the Messiah, Aquila and Priscilla apparently asked Paul to live with them when he first came to town.

And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them. So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers. (Acts 18:2-3)

From this passage in Acts, we also learn that Aquila and Priscilla originally lived in Rome, but they had to leave when Emperor Claudius kicked all the Jews out of Rome. At the time of the writing of this letter, Paul was again in Corinth, but by this time Aquila and Priscilla had moved back to Rome.

Paul remained in Corinth for about a year and a half, then he sailed for Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila sailed with him. On their way to Syria, however, they stopped in Ephesus where Priscilla and Aquila stayed behind.

So Paul still remained a good while. Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him… And he came to Ephesus, and left them there… (Acts 18:18-19)

It is quite likely that Paul worked side-by-side with Aquila making tents, but Priscilla was likely more involved in helping Paul in his preaching ministry. That is probably why in both Romans 16:3 and 2Timothy 4:19, when Paul mentions this couple he refers to Priscilla first.

Application

God may have called you to work full-time in a Christian organization. Even if He didn’t, though, you can have a significant impact in building the body of Christ. If you are not serving God in a local church, you may be missing out on one of the greatest blessings God could bestow on you.

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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