Bible Spotlight: Who Was Priscilla?

Whether you’re trying something new, enduring the grind of the everyday, or facing something you never imagined would come your way, life can be overwhelming and sometimes even scary. When that happens, how do you live brave? How do you learn to become a woman of courage? Who do you turn to as examples or mentors?

The new Women of Courage devotional by Mary Carver highlights women of the Bible who have been there, trusted God, and seen His faithfulness! Here's a taste of the devotional, breaking down the strength of Priscilla, a Bible character from the Book of Acts, Romans, and II Timothy!

Let's meet Priscilla!

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Priscilla was a great leader in the early church. She and her husband, Aquila, hosted a church in their home in Ephesus. However, she and Aquila did not originally set out to be leaders of a church. Priscilla and Aquila traveled from their home in Italy to Corinth when Jews were forced to leave Rome, only meeting Paul because they held the same occupation as tentmakers. Later, Paul stayed in their home while he was in Corinth. 

Working side by side with them, Paul recognized the work ethic of Aquila and Priscilla. Perhaps more importantly, he recognized their gift for hospitality after staying in their home. Therefore, it made sense that when Paul went to Ephesus, Priscilla and Aquila accompanied him and helped him begin a church there.

While Paul continued to travel and spread the gospel, Priscilla and Aquila remained in Ephesus and grew the church there. During this time Priscilla and her husband heard the teachings of a new preacher named Apollos. Though Apollos knew about Jesus, and taught about him accurately, he had only been introduced to “John’s baptism,” which likely means he did not understand the Holy Spirit’s role in the gospel message or in the lives of believers – making his message incomplete and incorrect. When they realized this, Priscilla and Aquila had a choice.

They could criticize and mock him publicly, pointing out the ways in which Apollos was wrong. They could ignore him, assuming that someone else’s ministry wasn’t their business. They could walk away, insecure or resentful that their gifts of hospitality and service paled in comparison to the more showy gifts of preaching and teaching. Or they could treat him as a beloved brother in the faith, pull him aside, and teach him “the way of God more accurately.” (Acts 18:26).

As we see in Scripture, Priscilla and Aquila met with Apollos in private and helped him grasp a greater understanding of Jesus and his gospel message. Though she wasn’t the renowned orator in the story, Priscilla played a vital role in spreading the Good News and expanding the early church. This small act ended up bearing much fruit, for as Apollos moved on to preach elsewhere, he ended up helping many believers in their faith, and proving in public that Jesus was truly the Messiah. 

Are you frustrated by the role you’ve been assigned – in the church, in your workplace, in your family or your community? Do your gifts feel insignificant compared to the flashy gifts of others? Does your work feel repetitive or worthless in the grand scheme of your life or your world? Do you simply assume your role is limited to your job instead of seeing yourself as a representative of the Lord wherever you are?  Oh, friend, trust God’s plans for you! Just as Paul reminded the church in Corinth, the church is one body made of many parts – and we need every single one of those parts. You are needed. 

Indeed, the body is not one part but many. If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God has arranged each one of the parts in the body just as he wanted. (1 Corinthians 12:14-18)

Priscilla saw beyond her role as a mere tent maker and took hold of her ability to help other believers grow in their knowledge of God. You can do this very thing as well. Look for ways God is asking you to invest in the lives of others around you, and help them better know the Lord. You have no idea who you might be affecting, and how many others they may end up influencing with the words you’ve shared.  

Priscilla’s actions may seem small, but her faithfulness helped Paul, the greatest missionary of all time, spread the good news. She even influenced and taught leaders of the early church. No matter how small our actions may seem, or how insignificant we assume our “tent-making” role is, we simply cannot imagine all the ways God will use our leadership and faithfulness for His kingdom.

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Order Women of Courage: A 40-Day Devotional by Mary Carver today! It features 40 brave women—some well-known (like Ruth, Elizabeth, Mary, and Martha) and some lesser-known (such as Shiprah, Puah, Lois, and Eunice). This devotional will walk with you through the hardest days and leave you with the courage you need to lead, to love, to trust, and to turn to God in every situation. And Lord knows we could all use some of that wisdom!