Torch, Fall 1985

marvelous example of God's grace. After 18 months of working and living with Paul - and we can safely assume that the work involved more than making tents - Aquila and Priscilla left their home in Corinth to accompany Paul to Ephesus, the first stop on his journey back to Syria. They remained at Ephesus when Paul departed , and their ministry there was one of spiritual maturity and faithfulness as was evidenced by their encounter with Apollos . Apollos was an eloquent preacher . The fact that there was a faction of Corinthian believers which later claimed him as their leader (I Corinthians 1:12) may have been attributed to his polished style of preaching . Apollos was "mighty" in his presentation of the Scriptures . What he preached was truth , but incomplete – going only through the "baptism of John ." Our friends took Apollos home with them, perhaps not to embarrass him in public. Imagine his joy when these two lay people presented the Lord Jesus Christ to him: Christ, the fulfillment of all that he knew of the Scriptures. Imagine, too, what his ministry must have been after that occasion . Aquila and Priscilla had a ministry with the local church at Ephesus . When Paul wrote his letter to the Corinthians from Ephesus, he extended warm greetings in the Lord from Aquila and Priscilla and from the church that met in their home. They must have been loving, hospitable people. They apparently returned to Rome for a time. When Paul wrote his epistle from Corinth to the church at Rome, he sent greetings to Aquila and Priscilla who, in Rome as in Ephesus, had opened their home to the church. How fitting that in this great treatise on Christ ' s redemptive work on the cross , Paul recalls that these two risked their lives for him. The details are not given, but the deed merited the thanks of "all the churches of the Gentiles" (Romans 16:4) . Some Bible scholars think Romans 16 might be part of a Pauline epistle to the Ephesian church . If this is true, the implication would be that Aquila and Priscilla had not returned to Rome but remained in their ministry in Ephesus. In either case, they rendered a great ministry to Paul and to the local church. Several years later Paul , writing from the Mamertine dungeon in Rome, told the faithful Ephesian pastor , Timothy, to salute his devoted friends, Aquila and Priscilla, perhaps for the last time on earth (II Timothy 4:19) . At this point they were back in Ephesus. All this from only six New Testament passages! From their lives we can draw several applications for modem-day tentmakers. First of all, they were expatriates - that is , they were serving away from their native land . In this same vein, they were mobile. Natives of Pontus, Aquila and Priscilla were living in Rome at the time of their expulsion by a hostile government. They then made their home in Corinth, Ephesus , probably again in Rome, back to Ephesus, and possibly other places . They were willing to move about for the cause of Christ. They supported themselves on the field. It is not likely that they received any support other than from the work of their own hands . They were a team . One was not mentioned without the other. This is not to say that the tentmaker must be married but , if he is , the couple should be in one accord concerning the ministry and share in all aspects of it. They helped the missionary. They housed him, ~orked with him, relocated with him, carried on the work in his absence, even risked their lives for him. They were faithful, devoted friends . Would God ask any less of a modem-day tentmaker? They were involved in the local church . In Ephesus and probably at Rome , they invited the church to meet in their home . The modem-day tentmaker should be deeply involved with other believers, sharing not only the gospel , but himself. This surely involves being able to love and accept people of another culture . They corrected error . They had a mature faith and were alert to erroneous teaching. Although they were lay people, they gently but firmly corrected and taught a preacher who did not have the complete doctrine. A pastor should not be a novice , neither should the tentmaker. Ever deep in the Word, he should have a growing, maturing faith. He should be able to recognize error and correct it tactfully and lovingly . Aquila means "eagle." How appropriate that this sharp– eyed bird be associated with our "ensample." Aquila and Priscilla are God's examples for modem– day tentmakers to emulate. They were lay people, supporting themselves, yet actively engaged in the Lord's work on a foreign field . They were able to love, accept, and work with people of another culture . They could carry on the work in the absence of the missionary . They were servants. They were teachers. They were hospitable and selfless. They were ready to lay down their own lives for the brethren. In Christ' s Great Commission in Matthew 28: 19, "Go ye" carries the idea of "going" or "as ye go ." Aquila and Priscilla carried out the command to share the gospel "as they went." What a joy it will be to meet them in Heaven! Martha Baldwin is an associate editor and typesetter for TORCH magazine and serves in the Public Relations department at Cedar– ville College. She is a graduate of Iowa State University . Reprinted by perm1ss1on from The Tentmaker' s Journal, March-April 1984. 7