Join The Movement: Priscilla & Aquila

Paul’s picture of the body of Christ begins with a strong Father’s Day word: dads are needed, not just as instructors, but as fathers who spend time, mentor, discipline, speak, love, support, and encourage. Romans 16 then pulls attention away from the so called superstars and puts names on the everyday people who made the gospel movement possible. Phoebe, Mary, Junia, Urbanus, Rufus, and so many others stand as unsung heroes, ordinary folks whose faithfulness carried the work forward.

Acts 18 and Romans 16 then place Priscilla and Aquila right in the middle of that same movement. Priscilla and Aquila were not full time religious celebrities. They were a husband and wife, Jewish tentmakers, displaced from Rome, working jobs, opening a home, mentoring leaders, and risking their lives for the gospel. Their story says loud and clear that God uses everyday lives, everyday homes, everyday workplaces, and everyday relationships to change the world.

Their everyday lives were not their own. Paul says they once risked their lives for him, likely by welcoming him and supporting the mission when that support could have cost them dearly. Second Corinthians 5 gives the heart of it: Christ died so that those who receive new life no longer live for themselves. Priscilla and Aquila lived with that kind of open handed courage.

Their everyday home was not their own. Romans 16 says the church met in their house, and 1 Corinthians 16 points to the same kind of hospitality. Their home was not just a private retreat from people. Their home became headquarters for ministry, discipleship, meals, prayer, and everyday life shared for the glory of God.

Their everyday workplace was not their own. Acts 18 says Paul lived and worked with them because they were tentmakers like him. Their business was not merely a way to get ahead or make money. Their work became a place where Christ could be honored, relationships could be built, and the gospel could move.

Their everyday relationship was not their own. Priscilla and Aquila were a power couple in the New Testament, secure enough in love and calling that Priscilla’s leadership did not threaten Aquila. Their marriage, and by extension every friendship, family bond, and relationship in Christ, belonged to God. Their whole life preached one steady line: life is not one’s own, and everything in hand can glorify Jesus.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Life is not personal property Priscilla and Aquila show that following Jesus means more than adding faith to a busy life. Their willingness to risk themselves for Paul reveals a deep surrender, not reckless behavior, but holy availability. The question becomes whether a life is being protected at all costs or offered for Christ’s purposes. [49:23]
• 2. Homes can become gospel headquarters Priscilla and Aquila did not treat their home as a locked down retreat from people. Their space became a place where the church gathered, faith was formed, and ordinary hospitality became kingdom work. A table, a couch, a meal, or an open door can become more spiritually weighty than it first appears. [56:38]
• 3. Workplaces are real mission fields Priscilla and Aquila’s tent making business did not sit outside their discipleship. Their work connected them to Paul and became part of how the gospel moved. Colossians 3 presses the same point: work done for the Lord changes the way a person treats bosses, coworkers, money, and responsibility. [61:11]
• 4. Mentoring requires loving courage Priscilla and Aquila heard Apollos preach with fire, but also with an incomplete understanding. Their correction was not public humiliation, but private investment for the sake of truth and maturity. Real spiritual fathering and mothering means caring enough to pull someone aside before error becomes damage. [50:57]
• 5. Relationships belong to Christ Priscilla and Aquila’s marriage carried a shared purpose larger than personal comfort or status. Aquila’s security in Priscilla’s leadership gives a beautiful picture of honor, not competition. Every relationship in Christ is meant to ask how love, friendship, singleness, marriage, and family can glorify God. [68:55]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [33:17] - Dads Are Needed
• [35:32] - Everyday People Join the Movement
• [36:30] - Romans 16 and Unsung Heroes
• [40:50] - Priscilla and Aquila Introduced
• [43:35] - Acts 18 and Romans 16
• [45:40] - Their Lives Were Not Their Own
• [50:02] - Mentoring Apollos With Courage
• [52:23] - The Need for Fathers and Mentors
• [54:13] - Their Home Was Not Their Own
• [58:58] - Their Workplace Was Not Their Own
• [65:44] - Their Relationships Were Not Their Own
• [69:17] - Everything Belongs to Him
• [70:07] - Prayer for Renewed Surrender
• [73:56] - Invitation to Receive Christ

Bible Reading
Acts 18:1-3 (ESV)
After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.

Romans 16:3-5a (ESV)
Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. Greet also the church in their house.

2 Corinthians 5:15 (ESV)
And he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

Colossians 3:23-24 (ESV)
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

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Observation Questions

1. What specific actions did Priscilla and Aquila take to support Paul and the early church, according to Acts 18 and Romans 16?
2. How does Paul describe the purpose of Christ’s death in 2 Corinthians 5:15, and how does this connect to the idea that "life is not personal property"?
3. What practical examples from the sermon illustrate how Priscilla and Aquila used their home for ministry? (See [56:38])

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Interpretation Questions

1. Why might Paul emphasize that Priscilla and Aquila "risked their necks" for him, and what does this reveal about their view of ownership over their lives?
2. How does Colossians 3:23-24 redefine the purpose of work, and how might this have influenced Priscilla and Aquila’s tentmaking business?
3. The sermon mentions that Priscilla and Aquila corrected Apollos privately rather than publicly. Why is this approach significant for mentoring others? (See [50:57])

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Application Questions

1. What is one area of your life (time, relationships, possessions) where you struggle to live as though it’s "not your own"? What step could you take this week to surrender it to Christ?
2. How could your home or living space become a place for intentional hospitality or ministry? Name one person or group you could invite over in the next month.
3. Think about your workplace or daily tasks: what would it look like to approach your work "as for the Lord" (Colossians 3:23) instead of just for personal gain?
4. Is there someone in your life (a coworker, friend, or younger believer) who could benefit from gentle, private guidance like Priscilla and Aquila gave Apollos? How might you initiate that conversation?
5. The sermon highlights that Priscilla and Aquila’s marriage was marked by shared purpose, not competition. How can your closest relationships reflect a focus on glorifying God together? (See [01:08:55])