Aquila and Priscilla (Displacement)

Internal Struggle

Displacement

Aquila and Priscilla had been expelled from Rome by an imperial decree that removed all Jews from the city. They arrived in Corinth as refugees and set up their tent-making trade in a new city. Paul found them there and moved in because they shared the same trade. They traveled with him to Ephesus, stayed when he moved on, and turned their home into a church. Their story is one of people who were displaced repeatedly and built something significant in every place they landed.

What Happened?

Aquila and Priscilla were a Jewish couple who had been expelled from Rome under Claudius’s decree. They settled in Corinth where Paul found them, recognized their shared trade of tent-making, and stayed with them and worked alongside them. When Paul left for Ephesus, they went with him. Paul moved on but they stayed in Ephesus. There they heard an eloquent man named Apollos speaking accurately about Jesus but with an incomplete understanding. Rather than correcting him publicly, they invited him home and explained the way of God more accurately. Apollos went on to become one of the most effective communicators of the early church. Aquila and Priscilla are later mentioned as having a church in their home in Rome, suggesting they eventually returned (Acts 18; Romans 16:3-5; 1 Corinthians 16:19).

How Did Displacement Affect Aquila and Priscilla?

They had been uprooted from their home city by a political decree they had no control over
Rather than treating Corinth as temporary, they built a life and a working partnership there
Their home became a place of hospitality and ministry in every city they lived in
They risked their lives for Paul at some point, which he mentions but does not detail (Romans 16:4)
When they encountered someone who was gifted but incomplete in his understanding, they invested in him privately rather than correcting him publicly
They made a significant contribution to the early church without ever being named as teachers or apostles, operating primarily through hospitality, partnership, and private mentorship

The Turning Point

Aquila and Priscilla’s defining moment is the way they handled Apollos (Acts 18:26). He was eloquent, knowledgeable, and publicly effective. He was also missing something important. They did not stand up and correct him in the synagogue. They took him aside and explained things more accurately in private. The result was that Apollos went on from that conversation to powerfully refute opponents of the faith in public, with the support of the believers who wrote letters of recommendation for him. They shaped one of the most significant voices in the early church through a private conversation in their home. That is the pattern of their entire ministry.

The Pattern That Led to Healing

Were displaced by forces outside their control and built something real in the new location
Opened their home consistently as the primary vehicle of their ministry
Partnered with people who were doing significant work rather than building their own platform
Corrected someone gifted in private rather than in public, which preserved his dignity and his effectiveness
Moved when the mission required it and stayed when it required that, without apparent attachment to either
Left a mark in the early church that is visible across multiple cities and multiple letters without ever seeking a title

Practical Steps for Facing Displacement

Build something real in the place you are rather than waiting until you are back in the place you came from
Open your home as the primary location of your ministry rather than looking for a platform
Correct gifted people privately rather than publicly, the goal is their improvement not your visibility
Partner with people doing significant work rather than trying to build something comparable alongside them
Hold your location loosely enough that you can move when the mission requires it
Let your contribution be measured by the impact of the people you invested in rather than by what carries your name
Notice that displacement is not the same as being excluded from meaningful work, it is often the beginning of it