Priscilla and Aquila had grown up in Pontus (the northeast coast of Turkey along the Black Sea), and then they had moved to Rome. Apparently they became Christians there, hearing the gospel from those who had perhaps been in Jerusalem at Pentecost (Acts 2:10). They were then forced to leave Rome when Emperor Claudius expelled all the Jews from Rome (Acts 18:2) – the Roman historian Suetonius states that the expulsion was because of disputes in the Jewish quarter about Christ (Claudius, 25).

The couple settled down in Corinth, making their living as tentmakers. Paul stayed with them, and worked in partnership with them making tents (Acts 18:1-3) and preaching the gospel for a year and a half (18:4-11). This eventually resulting in some opposition (18:12-17). Paul then decided to travel back to Antioch once again, and invited Priscilla and Aquila to come along (18:18). They stopped in Ephesus along the way, where Paul spoke briefly in the synagogue; although he had apparently invited Priscilla and Aquila to travel with him all the way to Antioch, he now asked them to stay instead at Ephesus (18:19).

A church soon emerged. Apollos showed up; he would become one of the great evangelists of the first century, but first he needed to get further instruction from Priscilla and Aquila (18:24-26). When Apollos thought he should go do missionary work in Greece, the church in Ephesus encouraged him and wrote a letter of introduction on his behalf (18:27) – probably to the church in Corinth, where Priscilla and Aquila would know people by name.

Thus Priscilla and Aquila can serve us as the model of the original missionary couple. They were displaced refugees who might well have stayed in Corinth after they had been forced to leave their home in Rome: yet they accepted Paul’s invitation to travel to Antioch, and then saw the opportunity to begin the work in Ephesus, founding the church there and instructing the missionary preacher Apollos.

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How will you direct us, O Lord? Where will you take us? What will be the circumstances you use to bring us there? And how will we serve you there, to establish your church and to teach a new generation of preachers and leaders? Grant us, we pray, the courage to follow your leading.

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