This week is the fourth of five lessons in the unit in the Sunday School Lesson Standard: The Call of Women. This week’s lesson focuses on Priscilla, one half of a husband and wife team who were principal contributors to building the New Testament church in Corinth.
Get the setting:
Paul began his 2nd missionary tour after the Council at Jerusalem in 49 AD. Leaving Jerusalem, Paul traveled north along the coast into Damascus, then Antioch. He then went home to Tarsus, then west along the southern rim of Asia through the region of Galatia, which he had visited during his first missionary tour. He continued into Asia Minor but was warned by the Holy Spirit not to stop there. In the city of Troas, on the eastern edge of the Aegean Sea, he may have turned south and turned back toward Jerusalem, but for a dream….
Acts 16: 9-10 NASB
9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and pleading with him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 When he had seen the vision, we immediately sought to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
At Troas, Paul had a vision. A vision of a man pleading for him to come to the region of Macedonia to help them. Paul responded, immediately taking the first available passage into … Europe...
Acts 16:13-16 NASB
13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were thinking that there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled. 14 A woman named Lydia was listening; she was a seller of purple fabrics from the city of Thyatira, and a worshiper of God. [d]The Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. 15 Now when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.
Thus, Lydia, a woman, becomes Paul’s first convert to Christianity in Europe. And we see a pattern developing. Women responding to the preaching of the Gospel as fervently and enthusiastically as men. We will learn more of Lydia in next week’s lesson.
Acts 17:1-4 NASB
1 Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And according to Paul’s custom, he [a]visited them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 [b]explaining and [c]giving evidence that the [d]Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the [e]Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, [f]along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and [g]a significant number of the leading women.
Acts 17:10-12 NASB
10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, [k]and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now these people were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, [l]for they received the word with [m]great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. 12 Therefore, many of them believed, [n]along with a significant number of prominent Greek women and men.
After Philippi, Paul travels further west into Thessalonia and then south to Berea where the pattern is repeated: women, as well as men, respond to the Gospel of Christ. God has opened a door to the Gentiles through Paul’s ministry and many are hurrying through it.
The Lesson:
Acts 18:1 NASB
1 After these events Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
Paul then turned south, journeying into Greece. He stopped first in Athens, where preached the Gospel on Mars Hill, He then left Athens and traveled to Corinth. Corinth was a crossroads of sorts, they had a land bridge that allowed ships to pass east to west from Italy to the Aegean Sea without having to take the dangerous path around the southern tip of Greece, thus saving valuable time and resources. Thus Corinth was a thriving center of commerce for the region. Corinth was also a place where east met west in the areas of philosophy and religion. Pagan worship thrived there, but there was a large community of Jews there, just there had been in the cities previously visited by Paul on this tour through Europe.
Acts 18:2 NASB
2 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them,
Sometime around 46 AD, Claudius ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Aquila and his wife, Priscilla moved to Corinth, where they eventually met Paul. We can infer that Aquila and his wife were already converted to Christianity, in that they had been ordered out of Rome by Claudius Caesar due to the continuous and sometimes violent contention between observant Jews and Jews who had converted to Christianity. This contention was evident throughout the region. In Aquila, Paul found a friend who was of like mind, or rather, who had the mind of Christ.
Acts 18:3 NASB
3 and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them, and they worked together, for they were tent-makers by trade.
Paul found more in common with his fellow countrymen than Christ. He found that they were tentmakers, like himself. In the Jewish culture, parents were required to teach their children the Torah, a trade, and to swim. The goal was to teach them self-sufficiency. These are still tenets in the Jewish culture today. Additionally, in a major center of commerce like Corinth, the various trade groups would have been segregated to a particular location in the business district, so in Aquila and Priscilla, Paul found commonality in skill and in spirituality.
Acts 18:18-21 NASB
18 Now Paul, when he had remained many days longer, took leave of the brothers and sisters and sailed away to Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. [k]Paul first had his hair cut at Cenchrea, for he was keeping a vow. 19 They came to Ephesus, and he left them there. Now he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not consent, 21 but took leave of them and said, “I will return to you again if God wills,” and he set sail from Ephesus.
Paul stayed with Priscilla and Aquila for about eighteen months before deciding to return to Syria and on to Jerusalem. From Corinth, the most direct route was through Ephesus. When Paul left Corinth, Priscilla and Aquila accompanied him on the voyage. When Paul left Ephesus, he left Priscilla and Aquila behind. There are several observations I would like to make at this point:
Priscilla seems to have been a nickname or a term of endearment. The name Prisca is the proper name or rendering and is used elsewhere in Scripture. Luke, the author of the Book of Acts uses the name Priscilla exclusively, This can probably be interpreted as a sign of respect and endearment, as Luke accompanied Paul on his journey and would have been personally acquainted with both Priscilla and Aquila. This speaks to the type of person Priscilla must have been: intelligent, friendly, warm, and personable. She must have had a certain charm or magnetism that drew people in and made them feel comfortable.
Prisca is the name used in every other instance. All occurrences are written in epistles written by Paul. It appears that Paul’s intention was to elevate Prisca in the eyes of his readers so that at all times and in every way Prisca is held in the highest esteem.
Prisca means ‘venerable’ and conveys an impression of aged goodness and benevolence. Other descriptive terms might be hallowed or ‘holy’, sacred or revered. Her name speaks of her character and bearing; that of royalty.
In two of the three cases, her name precedes that of her husband. Consider that Paul, in His wisdom, is sending a subtle message to his audience that, possibly Prisca has spiritual preeminence in their relationship. I’ll add that since ‘all scripture is given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit’, we can safely assume that the Holy Ghost affirmed Paul’s writings.
Earlier in the week, I was fascinated to learn that the phrase, ‘I have a dream’ did not originate with Dr. Martin Luther King. Rather, Dr. King heard it first in a prayer meeting led by a woman, the Reverend Dr. Prathia Hall. Dr. Hall was a young activist and had a reputation as a prophetic voice in the civil rights movement in the sixties. Here is a brief description of that meeting from a Pennsylvania newspaper in 2013…
“Boston University historians say it happened after Hall, a preacher’s daughter, was asked to speak during a prayer vigil at the site of Mount Olive Baptist Church in Georgia after it had been burned to the ground by the Ku Klux Klan. During the ceremony, Hall passionately shared her “I have a dream” vision, leading King to incorporate the phrase into his famous “I Have a Dream” speech during the March on Washington 50 years ago Wednesday.”
Priscilla laid the groundwork for women like Dr. Hall to step into ministry roles and leadership roles in the church. Paul saw a future for the Church with Priscilla in it. A Church where a Priscilla was as highly esteemed as an Aquila. Priscilla then, becomes a groundbreaker, a pioneer for the cause of women as leaders in the Church.
Acts 18:24-26 NASB
24 Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, [l]an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was proficient in the Scriptures. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was accurately speaking and teaching things about Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; 26 and [m]he began speaking boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the way of God more accurately to him.
Apollos was Hellenistic Jew born in Alexandria. This is significant. Alexandria was regarded as one of the preeminent cities in all of the civilized world. It was the home of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It was also the home of the Great Library of Alexandria. Not only was Alexandria a center of commerce, but it was also a center of higher learning. Thus, Apollos was well learned in the Scriptures and was a very capable speaker, undoubtedly trained within the educational system provided in Alexandria.
Scripture tells us that Apollos preached the Gospel of John, that being the ‘baptism of repentance’. The message preached by John’s followers was of a Messiah whom God would send to save the Jews. However, as erudite as his delivery was, his message was flawed and incomplete. Enter Priscilla and Aquila.
Proverbs 9:9 NASB
9 Give instruction[a] to the wise, and they will become wiser still;
teach the righteous and they will gain in learning.
Priscilla and Aquila encountered Apollos in Ephesus. They heard him preach. Impressed by his bearing and presentation they saw an opportunity to take this young disciple under their wing. They immediately understood that his message was incomplete, but rather than openly rebuke him in an adversarial way, they befriended him and took him under their wing. Then they began to fill in the gaps in his knowledge, teaching of Christ who had come, thus fulfilling the Scriptures and teaching him of Jesus’ death burial, and resurrection, thereby providing a path for all of mankind.
Apollos went on to travel to Corinth, the former home of Priscilla and Aquila where he continued growing in the knowledge of Christ, and where he would eventually become one of the leaders of the church at Corinth. Priscilla and Aquila continued ministering in Ephesus. They demonstrated that, like Paul, they were willing to go wherever needed and act in any capacity required to further the expansion of the Gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 4:19 NASB
19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.
1 Corinthians 16:19 NASB
19 The churches of [a]Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.
Romans 16:3-4 NASB
3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles;
In closing, the verses above reflect the three different times Paul mentions his dear friends and co-laborers in the furtherance of the Gospel of Christ and in the building up of the Church of Christ. As previously noted, Paul uses the name Prisca in addressing his audience, I believe to establish that she is to be revered in the eyes and minds of his readers. Early church history informs us that Aquila was appointed by Paul as the first Bishop of Asia Minor. In that Prisca was joined in marriage to him and that she held a preeminent role in the church, she could logically be thought of as Bishop as well. While this may make some (men) uncomfortable, let me tell you that my very own sister is presently being considered for elevation to the office of Bishop in the United Methodist Church. Throughout the church world there are a great number of churches where the wife of the Pastor is not recognized as First Lady only, a kind of figurehead if you will, but also as co-pastor with their husband, literally a co-equal to the pastor who is to be held in the same esteem as the pastor. In those churches, the First Lady is as frequent a presence in the pulpit as the pastor. Aquila and Priscilla model this type of leadership style throughout their ministry, thus it is appropriate to consider Priscilla a Bishop, if not in name, certainly in stature and esteem.
I would argue further that Priscilla and Aquila could both be regarded as Apostles in the early church, thus making Priscilla one of several women who could be regarded as Apostles in the early church. On another day, Lord willing, I can and will expand on this train of thought, but let me provide a brief overview. I do not hold to the ‘only thirteen Apostles’ theory. I don’t think Paul held to that theory either. In 1 Corinthians, the first and third chapters Paul clearly identifies Apollos as an equal. Paul also refers to Peter in these passages, thus clearly inferring the office of Apostle on Apollos as it is with himself and Peter. I would then expand the argument to Prisca and Aquila because they are primarily responsible for bringing Apollos into the full understanding of the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Additionally, Apostles could be thought of as ‘super missionaries’. Prisca and Aquila certainly fit that description. The three greetings above from Paul show that they were located in various places at various times, Corinth, Ephesus, and finally Rome, where they were both martyred in 64 AD by Nero after the Great Fire of Rome. They moved as needed for the building up of the church and, based on the fact that their final destination was Rome, I would argue that they went there specifically to strengthen the Roman church during a time of extreme persecution. A decision that would cost them their lives.
Finally, let me give a well-deserved shout-out to Aquila. He was so secure in his relationship with his wife, Priscilla that rather than trying to diminish her role in their ministry, he actually encouraged and supported her spiritually and emotionally, allowing her to blossom into a place of esteem and reverence in the Church. He deferred to her intellect, which certainly enhanced their position in the community of churches. Aquila’s posture toward his wife as co-laborer with him in the Gospel establishes Priscilla as a married woman who rose to a position of esteem, thus modeling a role for women, both married and unmarried in the Church.
Here is a side note to consider. While the authorship of the Book of Hebrews is unknown, the influence of Paul is certainly recognized by most theologians. Some attribute the authorship to Paul outright, but most believe the epistle to have been written by one of three people: Barnabus, Apollos, or Priscilla. Those who support the argument for Priscilla point out that she may have purposely left out her name so as not to alienate her entirely Jewish audience as she sought to rescue them from reverting back to Judaism. That’s certainly a viable argument for her as the author of Hebrews. I offer this final advice from the Apostle Peter. This is directed to men, specifically husbands or future husbands. Be like Aquila. Nurture your wife and allow her to discover her inner ‘Priscilla’.
1 Peter 3:7 NASB
7 You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with [c]someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
Selah
wb
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