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Priscilla and Aquila – in that order!
I want to show you a picture of an important person.
This man was promoted to the rank of Major during the second world war, although he never saw direct combat, and was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire for those who aren't up with their titles) for his military service. He went on to be a successful businessman, before becoming a member of the board of Castrol, and then Burmah oil companies. He was the chairman of Atlas Preservatives, the vice-chairman of Attwoods, a director of Quinton Hazel, and a non-executive director of Halfords. He was awarded the last hereditary title given to someone outside the royal family (thus far), becoming a 1st Baronet. He would have been introduced as Sir Denist. He died in June 2003. Who is this man?
Does anybody know? His importance as a person can be seen by him standing at the door of number 10 Downing Street. I'm guessing none of you recognise him, except perhaps if you lived in England. But if I were to show you the full picture, would you be able to take a guess at who he was?
His name was Denis Thatcher, the husband of Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1975 to 1990.
As important as he was, as much as he achieved, Sir Denis will go down in history as being “The husband of Margaret Thatcher”. It's not that he did nothing – more that he was simply overshadowed by the prominence and achievements of his wife.
Today, I want us to look at a Christian couple who are mentioned only a scant six times in the Bible – three times by Luke in his book of the Acts of the Apostles, and three times by Paul in those sections at the end of his letters when he's saying lots of greetings. You know, those bits we don't generally spend a lot of time on. This couple were Priscilla and Aquila, and almost every time they are mentioned, it is the wife Priscilla who gets spoken of first.
You might think, “Well, so what? It's not like there's a rule that they have to be in alphabetical order or something.” But remember that back then, it was a very conservative culture. A woman was lucky to get a mention alongside her husband in the first place. But for the wife to get the primary mention was a strong message. So before we look at the lives of Priscilla and Aquila according to what the Bible tells us about them, we should try and discover what kind of message Luke and Paul were wanting to send to us by putting Priscilla's name first in their culture.
Was it because Priscilla's work in the church was of a better quality that Aquila's? Was it because she was a church leader? Because she wrote the book of Hebrews, as some scholars have suggested? Was it because she was a member of a noble family, the gens Prisca? Was she famous, well-known in Christian circles? The truth is that the Bible simply doesn't tell us. But she was obviously important, not only because she even gets a mention (we could be left to wonder how many wives did not), but is given primacy of first mention by both Paul and Luke.
The New Testament, and Luke and Paul in particular, actually give quite a lot of space to women, considering the era in which it was written. Of the 29 people that Paul greets in the end of the letter to the Roman church, 10 of them are women – that's about a third. It shouldn't surprise us, then, that one of them might have been especially noteworthy or distinctive to get a special mention. And you know what? It shouldn't bother us at all if our wives or daughters or sisters go on to achieve something greater than we men are able to. Paul says in Galatians 3:28 that, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” They are not achieving something really great 'for a woman', they are achieving something great for God's kingdom. Good on them! They deserve our support and encouragement, and that of the church. You might even say we have our own Priscilla in St Ives Community Church, who always gets a special mention before her husband – Bethany and Claude Kapezya! We don't do it because we are seeking to belittle or demean Claude. But Bethany is a daughter of St Ives Community Church, and we esteem her for her role as a missionary in the Congo. She's special to us, and so is Claude. No doubt Priscilla was special to the Christians of New Testament time, and so was Aquila.
So why are this couple special enough to rate a whole sermon? Well, for one we can see the important role of women in the church, and that it was valued by both Paul and Luke. But there is more, much more, that is of special relevance today when we look at this Christian couple. In fact, from the six short mentions we receive about Priscilla and Aquila together as a couple, there are six important lessons we here in St Ives today can learn from and follow.
- Successful businesspeople who used their business to support church work (Acts 18:1-3)
We read in Acts 18 starting at verse 1 that after Paul left Athens and went to Corinth, he met there a Christian couple called Priscilla and Aquila. He was particularly interested in them, because their business was that of tentmaking, or probably more properly leatherworking generally, and this was the same business that Paul was involved in. Apparently Jewish rabbis were taught a trade so that they would not have to be a financial burden on those they taught – whereas the Greek culture saw it fit to pay people who came and spoke, because their speaking was as much entertaining as it was informative. But Paul didn't want a bar of that – he didn't want non-Christian people to have to pay to hear the gospel themselves.
Well, Priscilla and Aquila obviously weren't going to simply put up the cash to support Paul on their own. Even if their business was a roaring success, Paul probably would have turned them down anyway. Instead, Paul joins them in their business, working leather to earn his pay so that on weekends he can go and preach the gospel in the synagogue to both Jews and local Corinthian Greeks. These days, we call missionaries who use their working trades to get into countries who don't accept full time missionaries “tentmakers”, because of what Paul did in Corinth. Of course, verse 4 tells us that once Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, probably with a financial gift for Paul from the churches there, Paul was then able to devote his full time to the ministry. So Paul obviously preferred having his ministry funded if it was possible.
But back to Priscilla and Aquila. They had a successful business, obviously successful enough that they could move from Rome to Corinth, from Corinth to Ephesus, and then from Ephesus back to Rome, having houses in each, at a time when such travel was really only open to the well off or the desperate. They were prepared to take on a Christian whom they'd never met before to work in their shop, not knowing how long he would be able to commit to the work, and knowing that his real passion was in reaching out to people with the gospel. This is an excellent example of people who are prepared to give all that they have to God for God's purposes.
I know several of you here own businesses. Others probably work in situations where they have positions into which they hire people. You know full well that someone who is simply saving up money to make a mission trip to Africa or Europe or Asia, and who will trip out the door the moment they have the dough, is probably not the person who would be the best choice to hire to work for you. They might have good qualifications, but they don't have your business as their first priority. Their eyes are set out there, on the field, where they can be working on the frontlines for God. They're not reliable – you have to train them, they have to learn their role, but they might only be with you a year, or less!
And yet that is exactly what Priscilla and Aquila did for Paul. I can tell you, from my work at AMT, that there are a lot of highly skilled Christians out there on the field working for God – doctors, nurses, teachers, administrators, engineers and others – and I can tell you that the hardest time for them to raise money is when they are forced to come home because of danger or because their chosen country suddenly becomes closed off. They don't know how long they will be home, or when (or even if) they will get to go back. Who is going to give them a job, knowing that as soon as the opportunity arises they'll head back overseas, back onto the mission field? Knowing that they're going to be heading off on weekends visiting churches and mission conferences left, right and centre, making reports about their work? Knowing that their mind is not really on the task, but on the Kingdom? I'll tell you who will do it – Priscillas and Aquilas will – people who value the Kingdom of God and its work above their own temporary business dealings.
You might not own a business or be in a position to pull some strings and get someone a job. I'm certainly not. So do Priscilla and Aquila's example hold anything for us? Absolutely, because:
- Hospitable people who opened their doors to others (individuals and churches) (Acts 18:26, Rom 16:4, 1 Cor 16:19)
Not only were Priscilla and Aquila generous with their business, they were also generous with their house. Acts 18:24-28 tells a great story of a man named Apollos, who came to Ephesus speaking boldly about Jesus being the Messiah, even though he only knew about it because of John's baptism. For the second time, Priscilla and Aquila open their doors to a stranger because they were a Christian. More than that, we read in 1 Corinthians 16 that Priscilla and Aquila had a church meeting in their home (most likely in Ephesus). They probably had church meetings in their homes in Corinth, Ephesus and Rome.
Many of us are blessed enough to own their own homes. Yet more of us have a roof over our heads that we can call our own, even temporarily. As Christians, we should be looking for opportunities to use these dwellings that are given to us to further God's kingdom. Do you have a spare bedroom? Is there a Christian person out there who could use it? Are you going away on holiday for several months? Is there a missionary family home on furlough who could use your house as a base while they stay in Sydney? It can be really hard for missionary families to find places to stay, especially in Sydney where it is so expensive. Have you offered to host a Bible study in your house, even occasionally? Is there some other use the church could have for your house? Be creative! No doubt you know the advantages and best uses of your own place. It is a burden. Yes, it costs you time (because you'll most likely have to clean up before and afterward). It will probably cost you money (feeding people or providing snacks, washing extra laundry, lending someone the car). But such Christian hospitality is one of the things that should mark out a Christian community. Even having people to your house for lunch or dinner is a great act of hospitality and fellowship which can show love and care for others. In my time at AMT I went to lots of different churches and stayed with many different people who were hospitable enough to give me a room to stay in. Penny and I have had our fair share of visitors to our spare bedroom as well. If you've got the space, keep an ear out for the opportunity to practise hospitality.
This hospitality ministry led to Priscilla and Aquila being involved in the life of a powerful Christian speaker of their time, and even led to them having quite a powerful impact on his life, because:
- Discerning Christians who could recognise giftings and disciple others (Acts 18:26)
Apollos, we are told, was a persuasive and powerful speaker, who taught boldly from the Scriptures about Jesus, even though he'd only ever heard about him through John's baptism! But Apollos went on to become a powerful and influential Christian speaker of the early church. You might remember from our studies in Corinthians last year that Apollos was one of the Christian leaders who was so powerful a speaker that one of the Corinthian church factions followed him exclusively. But how does someone get from not even knowing about Jesus fully, to becoming a powerful Christian leader? They meet up with Priscilla and Aquila, of course!
When Apollos first got to Ephesus, he was passionate and fervent, but he had gaps in his knowledge about Jesus Christ. Priscilla and Aquila were discerning enough to recognise the gifts and passion of Apollos, but also to recognise his weak area – he needed more knowledge. So they took him into their house (hospitality, like we were just talking about), but they also trained him themselves. They discipled this great speaker, and he went on to become an influential church leader.
Priscilla and Aquila were discerning Christians. They had God's wisdom, and could recognise someone's giftings, but also recognise how to help that person to become even more successful in their service to God and the Kingdom. Think about the people in St Ives church today. Have you got a relationship with someone strong enough that you can look at them with God's wisdom and see the sorts of things God could use them for? If you do, let me encourage you not to just talk to them about it (although even giving someone a word of encouragement about their gifts is a great thing to do) but can I encourage you to talk to that person about how you can play a part in supporting them to unlock their full potential for God. It might be something as simple as a financial problem. Such problems are easily contributed to. But they might have different social concerns – their parents might not agree with them following a certain course because they want them to be financially successful. They might need regular prayer for their endeavours. You might even have a similar gifting and be able to pass on helpful experience and principles that have helped you over the years.
And we're not just talking about Christian leadership here either. It could be passing on recipe ideas for meals that are simple to make and take little washing up, or don't include milk, peanuts, and other things everyone seems to be allergic to these days ( meals like that are great for regular hospitality). It could be networking them with someone else gifted in their area, or keeping them up to date with opportunities they might not be aware of. Young people particularly need this sort of encouragement and support – there is nothing better when you're young then having someone recognise something you're good at and giving you ideas. They might go on and do something completely different with their gifting. But working out what our gifts are is one of the key challenges that faces young Christians today. I can tell you that if it wasn't for discerning Christians from St Ives taking the time to both recognise my gifting and encouraging me to use it, to study, to go to conferences and so on, I would not be up here today preaching to you!
- Caring people who are prepared to make sacrifices for others (Rom 16:4a)
If you couldn't tell already, Priscilla and Aquila were the kind of people who were prepared to stick their own necks out to help other people, for the glory of God. Paul goes so far as to say this about them: “They risked their lives for me.” We don't know when they did this, or how often. Oh, people have made up all sorts of stories, let me tell you! But the simple fact is that Priscilla and Aquila were not only prepared to put their business and their home up for God's use – they were prepared to put their very lives on the line to further God's kingdom. It doesn't happen often in suburban Sydney that we need to put our lives on the line. But it should show us just how far we should be prepared to go, just how much we are prepared to sacrifice for others, and for God.
Priscilla and Aquila were this type of people. For Paul's ministry, they were prepared to pack their bags and follow him from Corinth to Ephesus. And Paul didn't even stay there! He dropped them off and just kept going on his merry way to Caesarea. He left the people in Ephesus hungry for God's word, and then off he went, leaving Priscilla and Aquila in his dust. But for the sake of Paul's vision and God's mission, they set up home in Ephesus, no doubt opening their business and their home there up for God's use, just like it had been in Corinth.
It's an ever present challenge to the Christian – how much of ourselves do we give to those around us? I know I find myself getting involved in this ministry or that, and the responsibilities and involvements start to pile up, and then someone asks, “Can you do this?” and I think, “If I do one more thing, I'll explode.” But sometimes I'm prepared to push it that one extra step, to make the sacrifice of time and energy, and I think it always pays off, because the work of the Lord is never done in vain.
- Dedicated people who are prepared to make the most of opportunity for the Kingdom (Acts 18:2, 18-19; Rom 16:3, 1 Cor 16:19; 2 Tim 4:19)
I've left this till second last, but really this is a summary of the attitude of Priscilla and Aquila in everything they did for God. But there's a distinct point here too. We learn in Acts 18 that Priscilla and Aquila got chased out of Rome (with a lot of other Jews) because Christianity was causing a stir in the Empire's capital. So they had to pack their bags, and off they went to Corinth. It was there that they were able to meet Paul and give him a job and get involved in his ministry. Later in Acts 18, after a word in their ear from Paul, and probably guidance from God through prayer, they pack their bags again and find themselves living in Ephesus. This is where they meet Apollos and have a massive impact in his life. They also house a church here in their own home. Then at some point in time they end up back in Rome, where Paul greets them in his letter to the Roman church. No doubt they were working hard there to encourage and help the church too.
Throughout all the moving back and forth, they are prepared to look for God's work. They keep their eyes open for any opportunities that they can see to be involved in growing God's kingdom. They might have been leatherworkers by trade, but they were Christians first, and they sought to make use of everything – even being moved out of home against their will – for God's glory.
Is that how you live your life? Because it's really easy to get into a regular Christian timetable where you do all your bits of service each week, and that's fine. But when something goes other than you had planned, do you look at it and think, “Here's an opportunity for me to do something different for God”? People move jobs more often than ever before, and often it causes them to move house, move state or even country, as we have seen several times in this church. I thank God that we have had some really good role models of Priscilla and Aquila-type opportunists in this church, who have used changes in job situation or in location to do something great and different for God. Let's all follow that example, and be that dedicated to God to look for opportunities everywhere.
- They end up being Beloved people who are a blessing to the whole church (Rom 16:4b)
This is the final thing about Priscilla and Aquila, and it comes out in Romans 16:4, where Paul says, “Not only I, but all of the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.” That's how important Priscilla and Aquila were to the growth of the early church. They gave its most influential leader a place to stay and a job. They discipled another great leader. They housed some of the most well known churches of the early church period in their own homes. They risked their necks for others. They were prepared to up and move house if God wanted it, and they were always on the lookout for yet more opportunities wherever life found them.
Were they brilliant speakers? Were they strategic leaders? All we are told about them in the Bible is that they were a Christian couple who were business owners, home owners, and travellers. And yet they were so important in these simple ministries of hospitality and such that all of the gentile churches were grateful to them for their influence. Let's pray that our lives will be used as powerfully by God, as we look out for the opportunities he puts before us.
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