When St. Paul went to Ephesus, Aquila and Priscilla went with him and remained there to do pioneer work whilst he visited Jerusalem. They shrank from the responsibility, and wanted the Apostle to remain (Ac 18-"). But he urged them to stay, promising to return. So the initial work in Ephesus was done by Aquila and Priscilla. They tried to prepare the ground before St. Paul returned, and to sow the seed of Christian teach- ing as far as they were able. During this time Apollos [q.v.) came to Ephesus, with his imperfect apprehension of Christianity. Aquila and Priscilla admired his learning and his earnestness ; and, re- cognizing that such a man must either be a strong supporter of the cause or an influential opponent, they did their best to instruct him more carefully (Ac 18-^). Subsequent events throw doubt on the ability of this couple, who were themselves recent converts, to educate the eloquent Alexandrian in the Pauline interpretation of the gospel. Would not his presence overshadow Aquila and Priscilla, tending to make their work more ditticult? The elementary and even chaotic state of things in Ephesus at this period is shown by the incident of the twelve men ' knowing only the baptism of John ' whom St. Paul found when he returned to the city (Ac 19^^'). As nothing is said about the baptism of Apollos, and as the twelve men ' had not heard whether the Holy Spirit was given,' it seems unlikelj' that there had been any Christian baptism in Ephesus before St. Paul came to super- intend the work. Nevertheless, Aquila and Pris- cilla seem to have fulfilled their mission with skill and courage ; and, when a Church was gathered, the members met in their house (1 Co 16^^). This may explain their presence in Rome when the Epistle to the Romans was -written. As St. Paul left them in Ephesus to do pioneering work, so he seems to have sent them to Rome to prepare the way for his coming there. The decree of expul- sion was not enforced permanently ; their con- nexion with a leading Roman family made it more possible for them to return to Rome than for Jews with no influence ; whilst their know- ledge of the city, their social standing, as well aa their experience in Corinth and in Ephesus, with their devotion to himself, fitted them pre-eminently for such work as St. Paul contemplated.
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AEABIA
ARABIA
The recognition of the social position of this devoted couple, and of their valuable pioneering work, invests them with special interest as having assisted St. Paul in his missionary labours in a unique way. Their devotion to the Apostle was signalized in some remarkable fashion, apparently when he was in danger. His description of them as ' my fellow-workers in Christ Jesus, who for my life laid dovra their own necks ; unto whom not only I give thanks but also all the churches of the Gentiles' (Ro 16^^), sets them side by side with the Apostle. They have laboured along with him in a pre-eminent manner, and have attested their worth as independent workers (cf. Weizsacker, i. 394). ' They furnish the most beautiful example known to us in the Apostolic Age of the power for good that could be exerted by a husband and M'ife working in unison for the advancement of the Gospel' (McGitfert, 428).
The references to Aquila and Priscilla have been used as arguments against the historicity of parts of Acts and in favour of treating Ro 16 as not part of that Epistle. But the two reasons relied on are not strong enough to carry the conclusions. It is supposed that both were Jews (so Weizsacker, McGiffert ; cf. Lightfoot on Fhil.*, 1878, p. 16)— though Priscilla was probably a Roman ; and their migratory life is fully explained if they were people of means, who became enthusiastic helpers in St. Paul's missionary labours, and whom he selected to do pioneering work in Ephesus and in Rome. In particular their return to Ephesus at a later period (2 Ti 4^^) is quite comprehensible. Not only would they have trade connexions with the city, but also their presence would be specially welcome because they had been actually the founders of the Church.
Aquila and Priscilla have been selected by some scholars as likely authors of ' Hebrews.' Harnack has argued strongly for this suggestion, and Rendel Harris favours it. M. Dods says : ' All that we know of Aquila seems to tit the conditions as well as any name that has been suggested ' (Com. on 'Hebrews ' [EGTl 234). It has to be said, however, that the suggestion implies a closer intimacy with Judaism than seems likely in their case. The influence of the Roman wife probably preponderated over the Jewish influence of the husband. They were not Christians of the Judaistic type, but cordial workers on Pauline lines among Gentiles. At the same time, the discussion of a Jew's difficulties by such a vigorous mind as Priscilla possessed may have qualified Aquila to write ' Hebrews ' with his wife's help. It is a question, however, whether their authorship would harmonize with the inde- pendent use of Pauline thoughts characteristic of the Epistle (cf. Expositor, 8th ser., v. 371 ff.).
LiTERATtTRB.— Artt. in HDB on ' Aquila,' ' Priscilla,' ' Corinth,' 'Corinthians'; in JSJSi (by Schmiedel) on ' Acts' and 'Aquila' ; ind in SchafF-Herzog on 'Aquila'; Sanday - Headlam, Rornans^, Edinburgh, 1902, Introd. § 3, and p. xl, also pp. 418- 420 ; W. M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Homan Citizen, London, 1S95, pp. 253 ff., 267 ff. ; A. Harnack, Ex- panaion of Christianity-, do. 1908, i. 75 and 79 ; C. v. Weizsacker, The Apostolic Age, 1.2 [do. 1897] 307 ff.; O. Pfleiderer, Primitive Christianity, i. [do. 1906] 246 ; A. C. McGiffert, Apostolic A qe, Edinburgh, 1897, pp. 273, 427 f.; EGT, ' Hebrews,' Introd. p. 228, 'Acts of Apostles,' p. 383, 'Romans,' pp. 560, 718f. J. E. ROBERTS.