the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
Click here to join the effort!
Bible Encyclopedias
Aquila
Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature
or Aq´uila, a Jew with whom Paul became acquainted on his first visit to Corinth; a native of Pontus, and by occupation a tent-maker. He and his wife Priscilla had been obliged to leave Rome in consequence of an edict issued by the Emperor Claudius, by which all Jews were banished from Rome. Whether Aquila and Priscilla were at that time converts to the Christian faith cannot be positively determined; but at all events, they had embraced Christianity before Paul left Corinth; for we are informed that they accompanied him to Ephesus, and meeting there with Apollos, who 'knew only the baptism of John,' they 'instructed him in the way of God more perfectly' (Acts 18:25-26). From that time they appear to have been zealous promoters of the Christian cause. Paul styles them his 'helpers in Christ Jesus,' and intimates that they had exposed themselves to imminent danger on his account (Romans 16:3-4). When Paul wrote his epistle to the Romans they were at Rome; but some years after they returned to Ephesus, for Paul sends salutations to them in his Second Epistle to Timothy (2 Timothy 4:19). Their occupation as tent-makers probably rendered it necessary for them to keep a number of workmen constantly resident in their family, and to these (to such of them at least as had embraced the Christian faith) may refer the remarkable expression, 'the Church that is in their house.'
Public Domain.
Kitto, John, ed. Entry for 'Aquila'. "Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature". https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/kbe/a/aquila.html.
