Salute Prisca and Aquila, my helpers, in Christ Jesus
ασπασασθε πρισκαν πρισκιλλαν και ακυλαν τους συνεργους μου εν χριστω ιησου
7 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Luke also bears witness to their virtue when he says, “Paul stayed with them, for they were tentmakers by trade” (Acts 18:3). He also reports that Priscilla received Apollos and “explained to him the way of the Lord more accurately” (Acts 18:26). Yet however great these good deeds are, what Paul said is far greater. What does he say? First he calls them his fellow workers, showing that they shared with the Apostle unspeakable labors and dangers. Then he says that they
They helped me, he says, in word and teaching, and shared with me labors and dangers. Some have thought that these fellow workers assisted Paul in making tents (Acts 18:3).
They were Jews. Having believed, they became coworkers of the Apostle and even instructed others in the right faith, since they themselves had believed rightly. Apollos, for example, though instructed in the Scriptures, was lovingly instructed by them in the way of the Lord (cf. Acts 18:24-19:1). Therefore Paul calls them “coworkers in Christ Jesus.”
The woman mentioned after her surpassed even her. For Priscilla, or Prisca, since both names may be found in the books, and Aquila he calls fellow workers. He adds “in Christ Jesus,” lest anyone think he means fellowship in their craft, since they too were tentmakers (Acts 18:3). He also speaks of another great struggle.
Verses 3-4. “Greet Priscilla and Aquila.” They are mentioned in the book of Acts (Acts 18:2), when they left Rome because Emperor Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome. Now they had moved back there again.
Concerning many persons to whom the Apostle sends personal greetings, and of whom many were evidently known to him personally, history has preserved no information for us.
Judging by their names, one must say that they were chiefly persons from the Greco-Roman world. Yet perhaps some of them, being Jews, bore Greek and Latin names according to the custom of that time.
Concerning Aquila and Priscilla, it is known that they were pious Jewish spouses, expelled from Rome under the emperor Claudius.
For a time they lived in Corinth and Ephesus, 1 Cor 16:19. There the Apostle Paul always found a cordial reception from them and protection from enemies, Acts 18.
When they appeared again in Rome, as tested persons they boldly received Christians in their home for gatherings. This probably gave the Apostle occasion to speak of their house church.
According to the testimony of Saint Dimitry of Rostov, Aquila was appointed bishop by the Apostle Paul and sent back to the East. There he greatly helped Timothy.
In the Second Epistle to Timothy, Paul’s farewell greeting to Aquila is found, 2 Tim 4:19. His memory is blessed on July 14.
From the book of Acts, concerning Aquila and Priscilla, see Acts 18, it is known that Aquila was a Pontian by birth and lived in Rome with his wife.
From there they were expelled under Claudius, together with other Jews, and settled in Corinth. When Saint Paul came preaching to Corinth, he joined himself to them, lived with them, and worked with them making tents.
After the Church was established in Corinth, Saint Paul set out for Syria. He took Aquila and Priscilla with him, stopped on the way at Ephesus, and left them there.
They lived there during the whole time that Saint Paul went to Jerusalem and Antioch, and visited the Churches previously founded in Asia Minor. They remained there while he stayed in Ephesus.
Toward the end of that time, when he wrote the First Epistle to the Corinthians, the Apostle sent them greetings from Aquila and Priscilla. This means they were still there.
But about a year later, when he wrote this Epistle to the Romans from Corinth, he sends them greetings in Rome. This means they were already there.
They had returned after Claudius’s death together with other Jews. Among these were all those to whom Saint Paul sends greetings here.
The Apostle calls them his συνεργούς, fellow workers, because they helped him in the work of the gospel. Or, in general, they contributed to the conversion of the Gentiles, which Saint Paul regarded as his personal work.
Why did he not simply say, “my fellow workers,” but add, “in Christ Jesus”? It was so that no one would think he meant only their partnership in the craft, because they too were tentmakers, cf. Acts 18:3, says blessed Theodoret.
He speaks as though saying, “They helped me in word and teaching, and shared with me labors and dangers,” says blessed Theophylact.
An example of such cooperation is their guidance of Apollos toward a more perfect knowledge of the way of the Lord, or Christianity, see Acts 18:26. Of course, this was not the only example.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 10 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS