Priscilla

 “Welcome!” Priscilla said to those who had come to learn about Jesus. “Come in and make yourselves at home!” She and her husband, Aquila, were tent makers who taught their guests about Jesus Christ. Anyone who wanted to hear the Good News was welcome in their home.

But times became difficult. Someone shouted, “Emperor Claudius has ordered all Jews to leave Rome!”

Aquila calmed their guests. “Obey the law. Be at peace.”

“All you’ve worked for, your beautiful home! What will you do?”

“We’re going to the city of Corinth.”

Priscilla was not worried. “The Lord will provide all we need.” She laughed. “Besides, the emperor is helping Jesus! We would have stayed here forever, but now we’ll have the opportunity to share the Good News with people in other places!”

And so they moved to Corinth. One day, a man came to their door. “I’ve heard you are Christians. I am Paul.”

“Paul!” Priscilla opened the door wide. “We’ve heard that the Lord appeared to you on the road to Damascus! Come in and tell us about it!”

“I’m looking for a place to live while I’m here in Corinth.”

“Live with us!” Priscilla and Aquila said. 

“The trouble that comes my way may fall upon you also,” Paul warned. 

“Let trouble come. We are your brother and sister in Christ. We'll help one another.” Paul was also a tent maker. When he was not preaching at one of the synagogues, he worked with his new friends in their business. And he helped teach the many people Priscilla and Aquila invited into their home. 

One day Paul told them, “The Lord has called me to the city of Ephesus.”

“We will go with you!” So they all settled there.

Priscilla and Aquila continued to have a church in their new home, and Paul continued to preach. When the Lord called Paul away to another city, Priscilla and Aquila knew it was time to stay behind. Many of their friends were new Christians who had much to learn. 

“Have you heard Apollos?” one asked. “He preaches about Jesus too, but he doesn’t teach as you and Aquila do.”

Priscilla and Aquila went hear Apollos. He was a wonderful speaker, and a huge crowd had gathered to hear him. “He knows only part of the truth about Jesus,” Aquila said. “He doesn’t know about Jesus’s life after John baptized him. He doesn’t know about the Holy Spirit!”

Priscilla knew that her husband was right. “Let’s invite this young preacher to live with us. Then we can teach him so that he can teach others.”

Apollos had heard of them and gladly agreed to be a guest in their home. While Priscilla and Aquila made tents, they taught Apollos everything they knew about Jesus. Apollos was eager to listen. 

“Jesus taught many people about God, his heavenly Father. He healed many people too. Then soldiers put him on a cross, and he died. But he came back to life! And he returned to heaven.” Priscilla told Apollos. 

Aquila explained, “The Holy Spirit is the helper Jesus spoke of. The Holy Spirit is the One God the Father sent to live inside us so that we can understand the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit is our teacher and counselor.”

Apollos went out and taught hundreds of people what Priscilla and Aquila had taught him. Then many more believed in Jesus and thanked God for the Holy Spirit he gave them. 

 

 

Priscilla and her husband were glad to let Paul stay with them. What do you think they talked about while they worked on their tents? What might they have prayed about? What might Paul have told them about Jesus? When they moved to Ephesus, how did they help Apollos? What could have happened if they had not taught Apollos about Jesus and the Holy Spirit?

 

Before you can tell others about Jesus, you need to learn about him yourself. How can you be sure you know everything you need to know about Jesus? How can you help someone else know all the important things about Jesus?