Tentmaker, church leader
Aquila
AH-kwih-luh
A Jewish tentmaker from Pontus, expelled from Rome along with other Jews under a decree of the emperor Claudius, who settled in Corinth with his wife Priscilla, partnered with Paul, and helped correct the preacher Apollos's theology.
Life and work
Aquila was a Jew originally from Pontus, on the Black Sea, who had been living in Rome until the emperor Claudius ordered all Jews to leave the city; he and his wife Priscilla relocated to Corinth, where Paul met them and, sharing their trade as tentmakers, moved in and worked alongside them (Acts 18:1-3).
The couple later accompanied Paul to Ephesus, where they stayed on after he continued his journey (Acts 18:18-19). There they met Apollos, an eloquent Alexandrian Jew who preached accurately about Jesus but knew only the baptism of John — Aquila and Priscilla took him aside and 'explained to him the way of God more adequately' (Acts 18:24-26).
Paul refers to the couple warmly and consistently as trusted partners: 'Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me' (Romans 16:3-4), and a church met in their home, both in Ephesus (1 Corinthians 16:19) and apparently again after they returned to Rome (Romans 16:5). Paul's final greetings in 2 Timothy 4:19 also send regards to the couple, suggesting a friendship that lasted through years of ministry.
- Occupation
- Tentmaker
- Places
- Born in Pontus; lived in Rome until expelled, then Corinth, Ephesus, and likely Rome again later.
Extra-biblical evidence
Suetonius, Life of Claudius 25.4
Suetonius records that the emperor Claudius 'expelled the Jews from Rome, since they were constantly making disturbances because of the instigator Chrestus.' Most historians read 'Chrestus' as a garbled reference to Christ, meaning the expulsion likely arose from disputes within Rome's Jewish community over the emerging Christian movement.
Weight: Contemporary Roman historical writing (Suetonius wrote in the early 2nd century, drawing on earlier records) — independent, non-Christian confirmation of the expulsion event that Acts 18:2 also describes, though the 'Chrestus' identification with Christ is a scholarly inference, not stated outright.
Scripture references
- Acts 18:2 — Expelled from Rome under Claudius, settles in Corinth
- Acts 18:24-26 — Corrects Apollos's theology with Priscilla
- Romans 16:3-4 — Paul calls the couple co-workers who risked their lives for him
Further reading
More people
Capstone Bible is a free interactive study app — a map of every place in this library, a zoomable timeline of biblical and church history, the Bible text with every name in it linked to its article, reading plans and personal notes.
Open Capstone Bible