“Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him and explained to him the way of God more accurately.”[1]
In this historical narrative about the early church, Luke writes about Apollos, an evangelist who was zealous to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. While Apollos was mostly correct in his doctrine, apparently there were a few things in his teaching that needed correcting.
Enter Aquila and Priscilla, a husband-and-wife team who took Apollos under their wing and gave him the instruction he needed to continue preaching the gospel effectively:
When [Apollos] wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.[2]
Priscilla and her husband knew where there is truth—and not just boldness—there can be power (John 4:24; Acts 1:8). Notice that Apollos had spoken boldly on the first occasion, yet he did not have the whole truth. There are many teachers today who speak boldly, but without life-changing power. It was only after the gospel was explained with clarity to Apollos that the Holy Spirit imparted power to his words.
Many believe Priscilla was a very special woman of God. “She is mentioned six times in the New Testament, always with her husband, Aquila. However, four times Priscilla is named first, a peculiarity that [possibly] indicates she was likely more influential in the church than her husband.”[3] I posed this possibility to Dr. Dan Wallace, a NT scholar and expert in the Greek language, and he stated the following, “It’s wishful thinking. Paul puts the order the other way around (1 Cor. 16.19) – why isn’t this ever mentioned in these discussions? Further, he uses a construction that focuses much more on Aquila. To be placed first is significant, but what that significance means is difficult to determine. But Paul’s usage suggests far more prominence to Aquila than to Priscilla, than Luke’s does for Priscilla over Aquila.”[4]
I love how author Ruth Tucker imagines her: “If Priscilla were living today, she might be a seminary professor, running a business on the side, and maybe even churning out a book now and then.”[5] This last part is an allusion to the fact that there is a school of thought that suggests Priscilla is the mysterious writer of the book of Hebrews. While she certainly fits the bill of the author’s profile, unfortunately, there is simply not enough explicit evidence to support this claim.
Priscilla and Aquila were a Jewish couple who had come from Rome and settled in Corinth. From what we can gather, it appears Priscilla had grown up in Rome, probably a young Jewish girl who attended synagogue regularly with her parents until she was forced to flee in AD 49. Eventually, the couple moved their leather-working business to Ephesus and ended up working alongside the apostle Paul. What better seminary could she have attended than being taught by a Jewish scholar and the writer of most of the New Testament? Paul even commends the couple in his letter to Rome, writing,
Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus.They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. Greet also the church that meets at their house.[6]
When Paul wrote this (circa AD 55-57), Priscilla and her husband were back in Rome after the death of Emperor Claudius, once again leading a house church and equipping the saints together.
I thank God for including the passage about Priscilla in the book of Acts because it informs us that Priscilla was the very first female Christian apologist. She not only did apologetics herself, she also helped train others how to defend the faith, including Apollos. She was a pastor’s wife who assisted with hosting a home church alongside her husband Aquila (1 Corinthians 16:19), and traveled as a missionary to Syria (Acts 18:18). Man or woman, we must “always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks us for a reason for the hope that is in us; [and to] do it with gentleness and respect.”[7]
[1] Acts 18:24-26, ESV
[2] Acts 18:27-28, ESV
[3] Richards, Sue P. and Lawrence O. Women of the Bible. TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003, p. 305-306.
[4] In a conversation with the author on June 7, 2020.
[5] Tucker, Ruth. Dynamic Women of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2014), 296-297.
[6] Romans 16:3-4, NIV
[7] 1 Peter 3:15, ESV.