Priscilla never appears in Scripture without her husband Aquila. They were tentmakers, Jews who had been forced out of Rome when Claudius expelled the Jews. In Corinth they met Paul, who shared their trade, and he lived and worked with them.
They moved with Paul to Ephesus. There they heard a gifted preacher named Apollos who did not yet have the full picture, and they took him aside and explained it to him. Paul says they risked their necks for him. Several times her name comes first, though Scripture does not say why.
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Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life
Name means
Diminutive of Prisca, from a Latin word for ancient or venerable
Home
Rome, then Corinth, then Ephesus, later Rome again
Role
Tentmaker, teacher, host of house churches, always with her husband Aquila
Read in
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Priscilla's story
Forced out of Rome
Beginning
Expelled from Rome
She and Aquila lose their home when Claudius orders all Jews out of Rome. They settle in Corinth.
High point
Paul moves in
Paul finds them, and because they share a trade, he stays and works with them.
High point
Teaching Apollos
In Ephesus they hear Apollos preach and take him aside to explain the way of God more accurately.
Ending
Fellow workers and hosts
Paul thanks them for risking their necks for him. A church meets in their house.
Starts as a displaced tradeswoman. Ends as a teacher and host the churches of the Gentiles thank.
Where Priscilla lived and went
Only places Scripture records. Softer, dotted pins are traditional or uncertain sites. Tap a pin for the passage.
HomeMinistryKey momentTraditional or uncertainPinch or use + to zoom. Tap a cluster to spread it out.
How Priscilla is wired
Why there's no type here
Scripture shows Priscilla only as part of a couple and never reveals her inner motives on her own.
Strengths & struggles
What's good in Priscilla
Hospitable wherever she lived. Able to teach with skill and tact. Willing to move for the gospel. Brave for others.
Where Priscilla struggles
Scripture records none.
What Priscilla wanted most
Scripture does not say. Her life shows a steady commitment to the gospel and to the people spreading it.
Priscilla taught Apollos “the way of God,” and that way is a person, Jesus.
She and Aquila risked their lives for Paul, a small picture of the one who laid down his life for his friends. When they corrected Apollos, they pointed him more clearly to Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” ().
Questions to sit with
1
Is there someone you could take aside and help, gently and in private?
2
How has losing a home or a plan opened a door you did not expect?
Study Priscilla with your group
Ready-to-lead group studies with discussion questions and a leader's note are on the way.
