July 8: [Priscilla and Aquila, Coworkers of the Apostle Paul]

The Collect of the Day

Priscilla and Aquila

God of grace and might, who gave to your servants Aquila and Priscilla gifts of zeal and eloquence to make known the truth of the Gospel: Raise up, we pray, in every country, heralds and evangelists of your kingdom, so that the world may know the immeasurable riches of our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Priscilla and Aquila

God of grace and might, who didst plenteously endow thy servants Priscilla and Aquila with gifts of zeal and eloquence to make known the truth of the Gospel: Raise up, we pray thee, in every country, heralds and evangelists of thy kingdom, that the world may know the immeasurable riches of our Savior Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Acts 18:1–4, 18–21, 24–28
Psalm 119:33–40
Luke 24:28–35

When Paul came to Corinth (probably in the year 50), he met Priscilla and her husband Aquila. Like Paul, they were tentmakers by trade, and had just arrived from Rome, from which the Emperor Claudius had recently expelled the Jewish community. It is not clear whether Aquila and Priscilla were already Christians before meeting Paul, or were converted by his preaching. After eighteen months, the three of them went together to Ephesus, where Priscilla and Aquila remained while Paul continued to Antioch.

Soon after, a man named Apollos came to Ephesus, who had heard and believed a portion of the Christian message, and was promoting that belief with eloquent preaching, based on a thorough knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures. Aquila and Priscilla befriended him and explained the Gospel to him more fully, after which he continued to preach with even greater effectiveness.

Priscilla and Aquila were apparently in Rome when Paul wrote to that congregation, and in Ephesus with Timothy when Paul wrote his last letter to Timothy. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians from Ephesus, he joined their greetings with his own. Clearly they were dear to Paul, and were earnest and effective in spreading the Good News of Christ and His saving work.

Altogether, Aquila and Priscilla are mentioned six times in the New Testament (Acts 18:2, Acts 18:18-19, Acts 18:26; Romans 16:3; 1 Corinthians 16:19; 2 Timothy 4:19), and the observant reader may note that in half of these Aquila's name comes first, while in the other half, Priscilla's comes first, as if to emphasize that they are being mentioned on equal terms.

Lessons and Psalm

First Lesson

Psalm

³³Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes, *and I shall keep it to the end.

³⁴Give me understanding, and I shall keep your law; *I shall keep it with all my heart.

³⁵Make me go in the path of your commandments, *for that is my desire.

³⁶Incline my heart to your decrees *and not to unjust gain.

³⁷Turn my eyes from watching what is worthless; *give me life in your ways.

³⁸Fulfill your promise to your servant, *which you make to those who fear you.

³⁹Turn away the reproach which I dread, *because your judgments are good.

⁴⁰Behold, I long for your commandments; *in your righteousness preserve my life.

Gospel

¹After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. ²There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, ³and, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them, and they worked together—by trade they were tentmakers. ⁴Every sabbath he would argue in the synagogue and would try to convince Jews and Greeks. ¹⁸After staying there for a considerable time, Paul said farewell to the believers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut, for he was under a vow. ¹⁹When they reached Ephesus, he left them there, but first he himself went into the synagogue and had a discussion with the Jews. ²⁰When they asked him to stay longer, he declined; ²¹but on taking leave of them, he said, “I will return to you, if God wills.” Then he set sail from Ephesus. ²⁴Now there came to Ephesus a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria. He was an eloquent man, well-versed in the scriptures. ²⁵He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord; and he spoke with burning enthusiasm and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. ²⁶He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the Way of God to him more accurately. ²⁷And when he wished to cross over to Achaia, the believers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. On his arrival he greatly helped those who through grace had become believers, ²⁸for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the scriptures that the Messiah is Jesus.