Naravist

Person in the New Testament

Priscilla

Priscilla: the tentmaker at Corinth who helps teach Apollos, also called Prisca

Portrait of Priscilla. An AI-generated artistic interpretation, not a historical likeness.

Portrait: an AI-generated artistic interpretation, not evidence of how Priscilla looked.

Who Priscilla is

She first appears at Corinth, where Paul finds a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome. Paul stays and works with them, since by their occupation they were tentmakers. When Paul leaves Corinth he sails into Syria with Priscilla and Aquila and leaves them at Ephesus. There, when Apollos begins to speak boldly in the synagogue, Aquila and Priscilla hear him, take him unto them, and expound unto him the way of God more perfectly. Romans greets Priscilla and Aquila as my helpers in Christ Jesus, says they have for my life laid down their own necks and that all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks for them, and greets the church that is in their house. First Corinthians passes on a greeting from Aquila and Priscilla with the church that is in their house. Second Timothy says, Salute Prisca and Aquila, using the shorter form of her name.

Cited passages: Acts 18:2, Acts 18:3, Acts 18:18, Acts 18:19, Acts 18:24, Acts 18:26, Romans 16:3, Romans 16:4, Romans 16:5, 1 Corinthians 16:19, 2 Timothy 4:19

Historical setting

The text names her in two forms, Priscilla in Acts, Romans and 1 Corinthians, and Prisca in the greeting in 2 Timothy. She is introduced as the wife of Aquila, and no parents, children or birthplace are given for her; Pontus is stated as Aquila's birthplace, not hers. The tentmaking is stated of the couple together. The order of the two names changes from passage to passage: Aquila first in Acts 18:2, Acts 18:26 and 1 Corinthians 16:19, and Priscilla first in Acts 18:18, Romans 16:3 and 2 Timothy 4:19. The teaching of Apollos is stated with both names as subjects of one sentence. Romans says they laid down their own necks for Paul's life without giving any account of the occasion. A church in their house is mentioned twice, in the greeting to Rome and in the greeting sent from Asia, and the text does not narrate the moves between those places.

Cited passages: Acts 18:2, Acts 18:3, Acts 18:18, Acts 18:26, Romans 16:3, Romans 16:4, Romans 16:5, 1 Corinthians 16:19, 2 Timothy 4:19

How the story is told

She is never named alone; in all six mentions her name sits beside Aquila's. Acts brings her in as part of a household and a shared craft, and then hands the couple the one piece of teaching the Ephesus scene requires, done privately, with no dispute reported. In the letters her name carries commendation rather than narrative: helper, a neck laid down, a church meeting in the house. The variation in which name comes first passes without any comment from the writers.

Cited passages: Acts 18:2, Acts 18:3, Acts 18:18, Acts 18:26, Romans 16:3, Romans 16:4, 1 Corinthians 16:19, 2 Timothy 4:19

Story moments

  1. Found at Corinth (Acts 18:2). Paul finds Aquila and his wife Priscilla, lately come from Italy.
  2. Working at the same craft (Acts 18:3). Paul stays and works with them because they are tentmakers.
  3. Sailing to Syria (Acts 18:18). Priscilla and Aquila leave Corinth with Paul and are left at Ephesus.
  4. Teaching Apollos (Acts 18:26). Aquila and Priscilla take Apollos aside and expound the way of God more perfectly.
  5. Greeted as a helper (Romans 16:3). Romans greets Priscilla and Aquila as helpers in Christ Jesus.
  6. Called Prisca (2 Timothy 4:19). A closing greeting uses the shorter form of her name.

Key passages

Acts 18:2

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.

Acts 18:18

And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.

Acts 18:26

And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.

Romans 16:3

Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:

1 Corinthians 16:19

The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

2 Timothy 4:19

Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.

King James Version. 6 indexed passages in total.

For reflection

Everything the text says about Priscilla, she is doing with someone else: working, sailing, teaching, hosting, greeting. What is worth noticing about a life recorded only in pairs?

Books Priscilla appears in

Related people

Names and references are adapted from STEPBible TIPNR. A person listed with a verse is named or indexed there; it does not mean they wrote or spoke it.