[Prisca and Aquila] who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well.
Romans 16:4 ESV
We have no record of where or how they put themselves in mortal danger for Paul, but this could be related to the riot instigated by Demetrius the silversmith in Ephesus as described in Acts 19:23-41.
If Prisca and Aquila already owned a home in Ephesus and were well known there, they might have had some hand in quieting and dispersing the protestors or in sheltering Paul from them. If this is the incident that he references, then Paul might have omitted the specifics to protect whatever economic and property interests they maintained in Ephesus.
Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus...
Romans 16:3 ESV
Priscilla and Aquila were a wife and husband missionary team who often worked alongside Paul. Aquila was a Jew from the region of Pontus on the southern coast of the Black Sea. He and Priscilla had been residents of Rome at the time Claudius expelled the Jews, but lived for some years in Corinth where they met Paul on one of his earlier missionary journeys. They may have initially become acquainted because of their common trade as tentmakers.
They later left Corinth with Paul but stayed in Ephesus where they seem to have owned a second home (see v4) and began hosting the local assembly. See Acts 18. Sometime between AD 54, when Claudius died, and AD 57, when Paul wrote the letter to the Romans, they returned to Rome.
They appear to have been wealthy and connected, which makes me think they were most likely engaged more in the Mediterranean textile trade than in the hands-on process of making tents.
Although Paul doesn’t say where he was when he wrote Romans, there are substantial clues to indicate that he was in Corinth.
✏️In 15:25-27, Paul mentions that he has just collected donations from the assemblies in Macedonia and Achaia and intends to deliver them to the believers Jerusalem. Corinth was the capital of Achaia.
✏️In 16:23, Paul says that he has been staying at the home of Gaius who also hosted the local assembly. The same name is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1:14 as a resident of Corinth.
✏️Also in 16:23, Paul sends greetings from “Erastus, the city treasurer”. A paving stone near the theater in Corinth and dating to the first century bears an inscription that reads “Erastus in return for his aedileship [position as magistrate—AP] laid [the pavement] at his own expense”.
✏️In 16:1, Paul introduces Phoebe, a deaconess of the assembly at Cenchrea, which was only a few miles from Corinth.
THE GARMENTS OF THE SOUL | #thoughts
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Day 39 of counting the omer. the number 39 is said to represent spiritual strength and resilience. In times of hardship and suffering, we can look to the example of YESHUA, who endured 39 lashes during his crucifixion. This number represents the pain and suffering that YESHUA endured for our salvation but also his steadfast strength and resilience in the face of adversity.
WORD FOR TODAY ”Learning to trust”: Psa 9:9 The LORD also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, A stronghold in times of trouble; Psa 9:10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.
WISDOM FOR TODAY: Ecc 8:12 Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life, still I know that it will be well for those who fear God, who fear Him openly. Ecc 8:13 But it will not be well for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God.
www.BGMCTV.org
Celebrate Erev Shabbath with
Sabbath Keepers Fellowship!
Every Sabbath Eve at 8:30pm Central Time we will host an informal get-together on our YouTube channel to bring-in and honor the seventh-day rest. We will have:
- A short Sabbath eve prayer service
- Greetings to all present
- Highlights of the weekly Torah parasha with some commentary
- Followed by live music and discussion with whomever wishes to bring it.
His yoke is easy and the burden light! Join us for some simple celebration and fellowship to end your week. The entirety of the service should be about 1.5 hours long. If you play an instrument or sing, contact the service admin to join in. If you don’t, just listen as others do their best to honor our Creator on His holy day.
Discover the latest meeting at:
https://www.youtube.com/@sabbathkeepersfellowship