Priscilla and Aquila: the ultimate power couple

I’ve always had a soft spot for the Biblical couple Priscilla and Aquila, two early (and by all accounts, eager) Christian converts. For one thing, their names rhyme. Which let’s face it, is kind of cool.

For another, they lived, worked and traveled with Paul during a crucial time in his life. Some scripture even indicates that they invited Paul over one night to clear some things up after they listened to him speak in a synagogue.

He (Apollos) 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 adequately. – Acts 18:26:

My husband and I once did a study of Priscilla and Aquila.It sprang out of jealousy. It seems like there are so many cool Christian couples out there. We always admire the artsy hipster ones. The ones who sing in a band together or started a design company or make potpourri for Jesus and sell it at a booth at some art fair. (Okay, I’ve never known anyone like the last couple…but you get the idea.)

We, by contrast, are the nerdiest of nerds. We like Star Trek and our idea of fun is camping out at a bookstorewhen we invite people over, we have the luxury of explaining why we have three cats and to please ignore our retainers that sit on the bathroom counter. Gross.

So we started a list of all the things that it seems like they were as a couple, thinking that if we could be more like Priscilla and Aquila, we’d move closer to cool.

So Priscilla and Aquila were unique, they were hospitable, they were knowledgeable, and they were a true team. Now for all I know, I’m glamorizing things. They were tentmakers, maybe they argued every time they were hired to tent a wedding. For all I know they bickered day and night. But somehow, I don’t think so.

If they were wise enough and unified enough to be able to invite Paul over for dinner to teach him about something he missed, I feel like they probably had a pretty decent handle on their marriage. They only appear in the Bible seven times, but each and every time, they are mentioned together and always in a tone of love or appreciation.

But if they had tried to be anyone but themselves, who knows if God would’ve used them in the wonderful ways that he did? Maybe he needed recently converted tent-making nomads who were nerdy enough to study their new faith with fervor.

~ Audrey Brown-Williams

For Prayer:

If you are single, the more you discover about who God wants you to be, the more likely you will be to find the mate that he created you for. Ask God to reveal more ofhimself to you and it will lead to more understanding of who He wants you to be. If you are married and you are experiencing feelings of jealousy over the “cool” couples around you, do what Pastor Justin at Real Life suggests and “lean into God” by seeking Him for answers. Pray together that God would show you more about your destiny together and He will show up in big ways!

To study more about Priscilla and Aquila, read:

• Acts 18: 2-3
• Acts 18:18
• Acts 18:19
• Romans 16: 3-4