Aquila and Priscilla: A secure marriage
After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them. And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers (Acts 18:1-3, AV).
A young couple was invited to a diamond wedding celebration. During the evening, the young woman had the opportunity to speak to the elderly lady who had been married for 60 years. She said to her, “I can’t get over how long you’ve been married. Sixty years is over twice my lifetime, and I’ve been married for less than a year. Tell me, what do you have in common with your husband?” The old lady thought deeply for a while, then replied, “We were married on the same day!”
Aquila and Priscilla had a long and successful marriage and, unlike our diamond wedding friends, they shared so much. They provide us with an outstanding example of Christian marriage. We first meet them at the start of Acts 18 and learn how strong their relationship was and why the love it was based upon proved such a blessing to others. Today we hear a lot about marriage breakdown. It is disturbing that more and more Christian marriages are failing. In the Gospels, the Lord Jesus told the parable of the wise and foolish builders. One built his house on sand – a weak foundation! When the storm came, it collapsed. The other builder founded his home on a rock, and it withstood the storm. Marriage is like a building. It needs the right foundation and proper preparation.
Aquila and Priscilla’s marriage had the right foundation. That is why the persecution which they had suffered in Rome had not damaged their marriage or taken away the joy of their salvation. They experienced Emperor Claudius’ hatred of the Jews, and it had cost them their home and livelihood in Rome. Yet in Corinth, we find them not only happily re-establishing a home and their tent-making business, but inviting the Apostle Paul to live and work with them. It was a friendship which would last until Paul’s death.
So what were the foundations which made their marriage so robust and their care for others so outstanding? It was a marriage based upon knowledge. Not the most romantic factor, you might think. But let us look a little closer. Primarily, they knew God. Whenever we think about couples getting married, we tend to concentrate upon them knowing each other well enough to have the confidence to take the greatest act of faith people ever demonstrate towards each another. But as Christians, before we enter into such a relationship, it is vital to have a right relationship with God. Adam, the very first man to get married, helps us to understand this. He had a living relationship with God, in which he knew God as his Creator, Friend and Guide. God had given Adam responsibility and authority in Eden. It was only after he had experienced this stable relationship with God that he entered into the unique relationship he had with his wife Eve. Knowing God’s love and direction in his own life prepared him for his relationship with Eve. All this happened before sin entered the world.
Aquila and his wife Priscilla are characterised not by their words – we never hear them speak – but by their actions. The love of God stimulated these actions and was demonstrated so clearly in the love they had for each other. If that young woman I spoke about at the start had had the opportunity to ask Priscilla what she had in common with her husband Aquila, what would she have learned? She would have learnt, as we will, of the love and grace of God that filled Priscilla and Aquila’s hearts and marriage. It was a love that overcame their suffering, motivated their work, embraced their friends, welcomed people into their home, built up the people of God, and made these sacrifices with warm and tender hearts. They didn’t have things in common; they were one.
