Priscilla, a prominent figure in the early church, exemplified a life of dedicated service and partnership in ministry alongside her husband, Aquila. The sermon highlights their collaborative work, from tent-making to instructing Apollos, and emphasizes Priscilla's significant contributions as a supportive wife, a hospitable hostess, and a faithful co-laborer with the Apostle Paul. Her life demonstrates the valuable roles women can and should play in advancing the gospel, showcasing a balance of submission, active participation, and sacrifice for the sake of Christ's work. The message concludes by encouraging believers to emulate Priscilla's selfless dedication and commitment to serving the Lord.
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Open it, please, to Acts chapter eighteen. One of the sisters was telling me last night, everybody brings their Bible here, but I have a habit of saying if you have your Bible, and probably if I didn't, there'd be somebody slip into the meeting that didn't have a Bible. So I say it anyway. We were having a class for some of the brethren to learn to speak and a class on scripture memory and personal evangelism. And whenever... One of the brothers got up to give his message. He was going to give his trial sermon. He started out by saying, if you have your Bible, and all the group burst out in laughter, they knew that he was mimicking me.
Acts chapter eighteen. You know, I hear some leaves still turning, so we'll wait just a moment. The brethren were encouraging me to take my coat off, and I thought of this. Years ago, when I first went to Chicago to go to school, I think I only had one coat. And I went to this one assembly, and they expected you to wear a coat and tie there. And so one of the brethren offered to go get me a coat if I didn't have a coat. I didn't tell them I just had that one coat. But anyway, they were really strict on having a coat and tie at that particular place. And it's nice to see you relax here.
and not to have to wear a coat and tie, but I feel comfortable, of course, this morning in this coat and tie that I have on. But I thought of that. I remember years ago when I went to Chicago, I'll have to divert here just a little minute to get your attention, but I grew up in a home where we didn't have that much of this world's good, but I didn't know it. I had enough to get along, so that was fine. And I saved my money and went up to Chicago. And the Lord provided for us, and I got there and got a job so that I could go to E. Mayas Bible School. But there was a gentleman there, some of you may have known him, Mr. Ben Tuniga.
He was supposed to meet me down at the bus station. I'd never been to Chicago in my life, and I didn't find him there when I got there, so I got on the phone and called him. And in his slow, deep draw, he said, well, he said, Frank, he said, you go outside and catch the Lake Street L and get off in Oak Park. Well, I didn't know the Lake Street L from Lake Street Z. I didn't know what he's talking about. And so he told me, he says, well, go outside and look up in the air and you'll see these trains running. Well, I went outside and the wind was blowing, as would be customary there, and I got some of that dust all in my face. I remember that.
got up on the tracks there to catch the L, you know, and I saw these different letters on them. So I talked to the lady at the window, and I asked her how I got to Oak Park. And she was so excited in helping me that she never did ask for any money. So there was one fellow over on the platform, and he said, catch this one, and I ran to catch it with this suitcase I had. I had one suitcase. and the thing pulled out, you know, they pull in and out. So he's hanging out the back door yelling, catch the one that says such and such honor. And so finally I got on the train. I got out to Oak Park and I remember that night we were having dinner and the kids had never heard anybody with a real hillbilly accent like I had.
They had never heard that before in their lives. So they gathered around, we were talking, and they laughed and laughed. And then I told them, I said, you know, it certainly is a wonderful transportation system you have in Chicago. It's free and all. They looked at me and said, it's free. So when I told them about that, they roared. They said, it's not free. They just got so excited. They didn't take your money. And I recall that Mr. Tuniga came up to my room. And most of my possessions consisted of one old suit that had belonged to a gentleman who had died, and they had died, D-Y-E-D, that suit blew.
That's what I owned. And I had a few other clothes, and I had some Bibles. And the main thing I had was a Bible. I had a brother who had been killed in the mines, and he left me a lot of his books. And he had been saved just before the accident that he had in mining. He was quite a student and he studied the Word, but he left me his books and among them was a family Bible, one of these very big old family Bibles. Well, I thought that was it, you know. So I had that in my suitcase and I had three or four other Bibles. Well, Ben Tuniger came in the room and he saw these Bibles. He didn't know what to say.
He says, you sure have the Word of God, don't you? That was the main thing I had when I went to school. Well, thank the Lord. I hope that's the main thing that I still have in reality. All right. Acts chapter eighteen. And I'm sure you're wondering, if you don't already know, who the little old woman is. Her name means literally little old woman. And some say that this also means ancient one. or one who is from long ago. This is, of course, none other than Priscilla. So we're going to read from Acts eighteen beginning with verse one. Acts eighteen verse one.
After these things Paul departed from Athens and came to Corinth. and found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome and came unto them. Because he was of the same craft, he abode with them and wrought for, by their occupation, they were tent-makers. Now skipping over to verse eighteen. And Paul, after this, carried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren and sailed since into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila, having shorn his head in Kincrea.
For he had a vow, and he came to Ephesus and left them there. But he himself entered into the synagogue and reasoned with a Jew. Down in verse twenty-four. And a certain Jew named Apollos, born of Alexandria, and eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in the spirit he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue, whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.
And when he was disposed to pass unto Achaia, the brethren rose, exhorting the disciples to receive him, who when he was come helped them much, which had believed, through grace. For he mightily convinced the... Jews and that publicly showing by the scripture that Jesus was the Christ. Now over to the very next book, the book of Romans, chapter sixteen. It is very interesting to note the occurrences at the end of books where the names of Priscilla and Aquila are mentioned. Acts sixteen, Romans sixteen, verse three, verse two.
Well, we'll skip down to verse three. Acts, Romans, verse three. Greek Priscilla and the Quilla, my helpers in Christ Jesus, who have for my life laid down their own necks, unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise, Greek the church that is in their house. Solute my well-beloved Eponitis, who is of the first roots of Echaea unto Christ. Now over to the very next book, First Corinthians chapter sixteen. You were wondering why I kept saying First Corinthians sixteen. There's a occurrence there also.
Verse nineteen, First Corinthians chapter sixteen, the last chapter of that book, verse nineteen. The churches of Asia, of course that's the province of Asia, not the continent. The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you, much in the Lord with the church that is in their house. Now notice here, this is at Ephesus. I know there's a little note at the end of this book, if your Bible is like most, and it'll say this was written to the Corinthians. from Philippi? Well, if you look up at verse eight, we believe it was really written from the city of Ephesus.
And of course, Priscilla and Aquila would have been there at that time, and there was a church in their house. Now over to the book of Second Timothy chapter four. Second Timothy chapter four for our last reading. Verse nineteen. Here again, Timothy is at Ephesus, we believe, and there is a mention of the names of Aquila and Priscilla. Verse nineteen of Second Corinthians, or Second Timothy, chapter four. Salute Prisca, that's Priscilla, and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.
Now, when one thinks of Priscilla and Aquila, it is very interesting that to note how frequently, as we have already perhaps noted in reading these texts, their names are brought to our attention. It's very easy really because there is not a lot of substance, not a lot of faith occupied with what they did to fail to realize the significant contributions of this Christian couple through the Lord's work. Very easy to fail to realize that. But when you read these remarkable remarks that Paul made as he complimented them and as he said things about them, just little states, you'll find that they were a real source of blessing to others in the history of the early church, Priscilla and Aquila.
And when we think of these two, it is easy, too. to zero in on one of them. You'll find that at times Priscilla's name is mentioned first. When it comes to one who was the head of the house, Aquila no doubt occupied that. And you'll find that in the books where his name is mentioned first in those places. There will be an emphasis on the fact that he was the head of the home. On the other hand, you'll find Priscilla sometimes mentioned first, which seems to indicate or at least many Bible teachers take it that way, that Priscilla was a very perceptive woman and that she might have been, like many godly Christian women, perhaps a little ahead of her husband in the perception of spiritual truths and even at times in talents which God had given to her.
But what one finds in the lives of these two people is a remarkable pattern which I think will illustrate for us what women can do in the Lord's work. Too often people will say, what can a woman do? And they'll either go to one extreme or the other. The Scripture presents a wonderful balance. In the Old Testament, there are some remarkable women whose names have become just synonymous with great achievements for the Lord. We think of Deborah, who was a judge, of Miriam, of Jail, of Hilda.
In the New Testament, there is Mary Magdalene, and there's Mary the mother of the Lord Jesus. There's Lydia. There's Darchus. There's Sintake, Lois. and of course others along with this woman, Priscilla. Too often when we are talking about the order and the practice in the local church, we perhaps get bogged down on certain ways and we fail to see that there are responsibilities along with roles for women, that there are many, many wonderful things that have been done and can be done, can be done under the right framework and can be done in a scriptural manner by women.
Here we have an example of a woman who was used to the Lord and a tremendous pattern is set before us. It is true that in the New Testament, there were no female apostles, there were no female evangelists, there were no female Bible teachers who taught men. That is completely contrary to the pattern of New Testament teaching that women would occupy any of those places. And some will pull a text out of context or give it as a special meaning. and try to somehow set aside the teachings of Scripture with regard to the role of the woman in the local assembly.
And they will tell us that today the Apostle Paul very specifically declared that in the church there is neither male nor female. And they will use that to somehow push the idea, to some way push the idea that women... are not to be distinguished from men as to the role. Now that is wrong. The Apostle Paul was in no way saying there is no difference between men and women. He was not saying that. That would have been stupid. And he was too wise for that, and the Spirit of God would not have prevented it either. There are certain characteristics and natural traits that men and women have, and they are different.
We all know that. And so he wasn't saying that. He was also not saying that their roles in the local church were synonymous. He wasn't saying that at all. In other places, the specific roles for women and for men are spelled out. What he, of course, was dealing with was something to do with equality. All of us are equal in Christ. We're all sinners saved by the grace of God. There is no difference between Jew or Greek, bond or free, male or female. We are all one in Christ. We are all saved by the matchless grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. And in the eyes of God, we are seen on equal basis, sinners saved by the grace of the Lord.
Now when we talk about a woman like Priscilla and we seek to use her life as a pattern and glean from her example certain truths, we must realize that there will also be some things where she will not completely picture for us all that we would like to see. Now what do I mean by that? Priscilla was married. Some women are not married. And so the application may not always fit entirely. She was with her husband, and they worked together in the things of the Lord. Some women are married, but their husbands are not saved.
Priscilla, as she is mentioned in the New Testament, was not only married and with her husband, but obviously, since she was with her husband, her husband was living. Some women have been married, but they are widows. Now, why do I say these things? Too often in local assemblies where there are activities where men make decisions and they discuss the affairs of the Lord's work, they are prone to keep these things to themselves, and when they go home, they will share with their families, with their wives certain information. But where a woman does not have a husband or where a woman has a husband who's not saved, there's a problem.
And if there is anything that we can say which will help in resolving that problem, it is simply this. There should be always in every local assembly a good system of communication. so that whenever there are decisions made, where men gather together and make decisions, those who are not married or who do not have someone from whom they can get that information will be somehow informed by the spiritual leaders so that there will be no problem of understanding. If information is to be disseminated, it shouldn't be disseminated by means of some coincidence.
it should be systematic and therefore the communication can be beneficial for the Lord. Now as we think of Priscilla and the specific example that she demonstrated, it seems to me very clearly that her own life itself was an example. Her living was an example. Priscilla here is seen as having a very bright testimony. Now, the testimony that she had, first of all, was obvious in the local assembly. You'll notice that in the book of Romans, whenever Paul wrote to the Romans, and evidently Aquila and Prophila had come from Rome to Corinth, somehow or other they had gone back.
Somewhere in there they had gone back. There is a church mentioned in their house at Rome. There will be a church mentioned in their house later at Ephesus. and they were apparently very active in the Lord's work. But the brethren in Rome knew about Aquila and Priscilla. She had a good testimony with the local assembly. And that's very, very important. Oh, how sad sometimes when a person is sort of a freelancer and you know them and they seem to be doing things for the Lord. And you go back home where they claim to be from and you ask about what nobody knows about. Why, if they're ever in town, they're never there at the local assembly. They have no ties and no roots, and there's been no example there.
That should never be. In the case of Priscilla, there was a good testimony in the local assembly, and I believe that that is extremely important, and that is something which we all should commend for the Scripture, that seems to commend it in this instance. In the case of Priscilla and Aquila, you'll find that both of them were openly accepted by Paul. Priscilla was very, very definitely accepted, and all of the help that she gave was accepted. Now, it is interesting to me that Paul commended Priscilla, and whenever he met Priscilla, it was at Cara.
The epistle... in which he says the most about women being silent in the local assembly happens to be the epistle that was written to who? The Corinthians, the believers at Corinth. And yet he has this ballot. Here is one who... plays the role or performs as God wants her to, and Paul can commend her, and he can say she and her husband have a tremendous testimony, that they are appreciated by all the churches of the Gentiles, that they actually risked their neck for my life for the sake of the gospel. There was this wonderful commendation.
And yet, when he writes to the believers at Corinth, there is in that the teaching that women are to be silent in the local assembly. You'll see a real balance. There is a role for the woman to play. In the local assembly, it's not a role of leadership. It's not a role of dominance. It's not there if it's to be done in the right way. And yet there is an important task. There are important tasks which women can perform for the Lord Jesus Christ. Along with this woman, Priscilla, having a good testimony with her local assembly, and of course being recognized by the Apostle Paul, being acknowledged to other believers and by other believers, because others, as Paul said, appreciated greatly this woman and her testimony, she actively supported her husband.
Not only was there this living example of her back at home and among the other believers, but there was the backing she gave to her husband. I like to think of it this way, that she didn't do what so many do as, well, we call it backing, and it's something else. In the case of Priscilla, she was with her husband, and in verse three of chapter eighteen, you'll see that they were of the same craft and fall abode with them and rot, for by their occupation they were tent makers. She worked together with her husband. She helped him. When I said backing, I certainly did not mean, as some people would say about backing, that the woman gets behind her husband and kicks him in and sees a pants.
is always telling him what to do. You know, that kind of thing. Wasn't that sort of activity. She was with him. She was by his side. She was ready to help. You see her there assisting. And you'll find her later also traveling with her husband. She was always, I believe, a woman who tried to follow the pattern of the Scripture. And of course, when we read the epistle to the Ephesians, you'll find that Paul puts in that particular epistle a section on the woman being in subjection to her own husband. And I would rather believe that this woman, Priscilla, knew by practice what that meant, and she demonstrated it.
She backed her husband up. In addition to... Being a woman who had a bright testimony and backed her husband up, she also co-labored with the Lord's servants. She was one who worked for the Lord. She made mutual sacrifices. In verse eighteen, and Paul, after this, carried there yet a good while, and then took leave of his brethren and sailed since unto Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. She was one who traveled and co-labored with God's servants in the work of the Lord. That's a wonderful commendation. She made a mutual effort.
It wasn't something that here was a woman who sat by and said, you know, I admire those who get out and preach the gospel. I admire those who do things for the Lord. Wasn't just that. She could say, I want to be helpful. I want to have a part. in getting the gospel out, in sharing the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. This was the Priscilla of the New Testament. Not only did she participate in these efforts, but obviously she made mutual sacrifices. Without going into the specifics of this, it is interesting to note the women in the New Testament who are commended for their mutual sacrifices.
By the way, if you've never sat down and looked at the end of the Book of Romans, sometimes sit there and mark the names of women who are commended in that book. It is interesting. At the end of the Book of Romans chapter sixteen, the names of women which are found there and they are commended for doing things for the Lord. It is very interesting. The writer of the Gospel of Mark and Luke's Gospel both commend women for the way they gave of their substance in the work of the Lord. When the Lord Jesus was here on earth, there were women who followed and gave very generously of their substance.
When we come to the book of Acts and Acts chapter eight, you'll find that it wasn't just men who were hauled off to jail. But the scripture says that men and women were taken and put in jail. Women went to jail because they trusted Christ and they were not ashamed of the gospel. Well, here is a woman of that kind of mode. She was willing to make mutual sacrifices for the Lord Jesus Christ. She moved from place to place in order to demonstrate that kind of zeal. We find her at Rall, we find her at Car, we find her at Ephesus, and I don't know where else she went, but the Apostle Paul seems to indicate that there were some effects of her ministry in other places, all the churches of the Gentiles.
And I take it that many others in other sections knew of this woman, Priscilla, and of her examples, and of course, the benefits of her ministry. You'll find that Priscilla very clearly, in addition to what we have said, shared in the hospitality of the Lord's servant. In verse three of chapter eighteen, Paul stayed in that home. How good it is to be able to visit with the large people when one is traveling and to be taken into a home and to share in hospitality. Sometimes, you know, when I see people who are willing to serve.
It touches me a bit because some of these people I know are people of considerable means. They're people who are respected by others. They're people who, in some instances, as families, are really in supervisory capacities over other people. But here comes a humble servant of the Lord, and they're ready to do things. And why do they do it? They do it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank God for that kind of a testimony. The other day we were eating here and having one of those eating meetings, and one of the brethren was sharing something about, I believe his daughter, how that she was working with some children who needed special attention, and she was very much concerned about these children because they had not been treated very nicely.
And her concern was a spiritual concern. She seemed to do this out of a deep interest and a commitment not only to their needs, but to honoring the Lord. Some years ago I read of a couple of Christian businessmen who were traveling somewhere in India. They visited a leper colony. And when they went to that leper colony, they saw this very young, attractive nurse. They watched her as she worked so carefully with those lepers. And as they watched those lepers and saw the effects of leprosy, really on the looks of those lepers, when they saw how they appeared, and they saw this young attractive nurse so graciously dealing with them, they waited for an opportunity.
And when they got that opportunity, one of them said to that young nurse, I wouldn't do what you're doing for a million dollars. And the young nurse responded, I wouldn't either, but I gladly do it for the love of Christ. Do you know something? I believe that that was the motivation behind Priscilla. And it seems to me that that's the motivation behind, that should be behind all of us as believers. And when I see Christian women who will do things for the Lord, who will serve tables, who will cook meals, who will just do things personally for God's servants or for the Lord's work, I find it to be touching to me, but also a rewarding thing to say these are interested in the work of the Lord, and they will certainly not go unnoticed or unrewarded.
You'll find too, along with the interest that they have here in Paul, there was also a concern for Apollos. For later in chapter eighteen, beginning with verse twenty four, Priscilla and Aquila have Apollos into their home. And they talk with him. They are interested in him. They are very hospitable people as they take others into their home and share with them in spiritual things. In addition to what we have said about Priscilla having a bright testimony, backing up her husband, collaborating with God's servants, displaying hospitality, we find that she was helpful with her husband in giving private instructions.
Now we aren't told a whole lot about these private instructions, but we are given one clear-cut example, and that is Apostle. Someone said to me one day, can you please explain to me how Priscilla did that? And I said, well, I believe she did it just like the Scripture seems to indicate that Apollos was in the home. She didn't get up on the podium and start preaching. She didn't do that. But as they were in the home discussing things... Obviously, Priscilla was a woman who knew the word of God. And with her husband together, in the right manner, they shared with Apollos. They directed him to the word of God.
And as they did that, they first, of course, perceived the error that Apollos had. And knowing the word, they accepted Apollos into their home. And in doing all of this, they showed him. where he was in error and they helped him. They were able to correct the error that he had. In doing these things, in having Apollos in the home and giving help, they gave of themselves in other times and they showed a very definite interest in other people. You know, one cannot be a real servant of the Lord if he is self-centered. To serve the Lord definitely demands that we lose somehow the priorities with which we are commonly born.
I, myself, and me and my, you know, everything is centered around me. The Lord Jesus Christ must become the center of our thinking. We must somehow be concerned with His work. The old saying that others should be first. before us that Jesus Christ should be ahead of them? Certainly is true when it comes to spiritual matters. The Lord Jesus must be first others, second thine myself last. Too often we know how to follow things the way they appear, and we can put on the pretense, but the reality isn't there. Yesterday I was talking with a brother about humility and pride. And I didn't get a chance to tell him.
I wanted to share something with him on this, because we had such a great time discussing, we had to take turns. The worst people to talk with are preachers, because you have to wait your turn, and usually you don't get it if you don't jump right in. If you've ever had many preachers in your home at one time, you know how hard it is to have a discussion. And some preachers, they want to give you the extra sermon. And by the way, you know who it's going to be hardest for in heaven. I've thought about this. I think it's going to be harder for preachers than anyone else. Do you know why that is? Preachers are so accustomed to talking to everybody else and everyone listening. Well, in heaven, they won't have to do all that preaching. And so they're going to have to listen to. And they're going to have to tone it down and do a lot of listening and become real good listeners.
But when it comes to the subject of pride and humility, as far as the Scriptures are concerned, we ourselves are to humble ourselves. If God humbles us, that's another matter. When the Bible talks about humbling ourselves, basically pride has to do with one putting himself on the throne. Whenever God is on the throne and self is de-throwned, there is humility. Whenever self is on the throne and God is not enshrined or enthroned, then of course that is not humility. That is pride. When God is not number one and we put ourselves there, then of course that is not what God wants.
Now, what happens, though, too often is that we can go through this pattern of knowing what people expect. You know, this is how humble people act. You always say, yes, sir, yes, ma'am. You always use a certain tone of voice. And someone comes along and they don't follow those rules. And they are just a little gruff, maybe a little blunt. And we say, you know, so-and-so is so proud, I just can't stand them. after we learn that personality a little better, we decide, you know, that person's not proud after all. I believe they're really humble. So often we look at the outward appearance knowing and yet not really acting the way that we should.
We know that we can't see the heart, but somehow we think that the heart is totally demonstrated by the outward appearance. And so a person goes through all of this thing of showing himself humble and we say that person is really humble but the other individual who doesn't do all that and have all of that show on the outside we say they're very proud we can't judge those things all of us have pride in our hearts we're that by nature and it is up to us to humble ourselves and to let the Lord Jesus be number one in our lives And in doing that will be what he wants us to be. Finally, in commenting on Priscilla, you'll find that she certainly assisted in giving and displaying hospitality for the local assembly.
And I'm not going to go into this because our time is gone, but you'll notice that there was a church in the house. I'll tell you something, if you've ever had a meeting in your house, you know that that's demanding. You ladies know that if you've had that. You have to clean up the house and you have to have it neat. And here comes a whole parade of people in and you're going to meet there. Well, Priscilla constantly seemed to have a church in her home. She was interested in believers and she received them into her home. how wonderful it is to see people who are received into a home. Last night we went into a home here, and it was great. It was just like heaven.
You thank God for that. That's the way it should be. You know, Spurgeon had a wonderful little statement about heaven. He said, Brethren, be great believers. A little faith will take a soul to heaven, but great faith will bring heaven to a soul. You know, while we're down here on earth, we can have heaven too as we fellowship because, you know, one day that fellowship is going to be perpetual and it will be endless. Well, here was a woman who received believers into the home. She allowed the church to meet there. There were regular meetings. These were permitted. And in all of this, we see a remarkable demonstration of what a woman can be.
and can do for the Lord and how His work can be prospered if one will simply submit herself to doing what God wants done. Now, I've never seen any problem with finding out what needs to be done. My problem is getting enough time to get it all done. And I think that's probably true if we look hard enough. Shall we close in prayer? I'm going to ask my father-in-law, Brother Kenneth Moore, if he will dismiss us with a word of prayer, please.