Together

The first time we meet Aquila, and his wife Priscilla, is in Acts 18:1-3:

“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.”

The little word“with” is an important word. Even the preposition is a revelation. This is not the story of a man named Aquila or the story of a woman named Priscilla. It is the story of Aquila and Priscilla - together.

God is the One who puts husbands and wives together. However you and your spouse were brought together circumstantially, you must begin to see how God providentially worked to bring you to this moment. God gave Eve to Adam and Adam to Eve.

Marriage Math

“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). The divine math of marriage: 1+1=1. This is higher math because God’s ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Only God can take one man and one woman and make them one, but that is His desire.

He is the God of perfect oneness, and He alone can cause a husband and wife to be one in spirit, one in soul, and one in body (Ephesians 5:31).

When God puts people together it is always to accomplish His purpose through them and to give His best to them. This is the reason for marriage: that we can accomplish more for the good of one another and the glory of God together than we could apart.

Aquila and Priscilla were not just together in geographical location or daily labor; they were together in all of life. Every time they are mentioned in Scripture, they are mentioned together (Acts 18:2, 18, 26; Romans 16:3; 1 Corinthians 16:19; 2 Timothy 4:19 - take the time to mark these in your Bible!).

When someone thinks of a husband or wife, they should also think of that person’s spouse. They are not two, they are one. Matthew 19:4-6 records Jesus’ words on this subject:

“And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”

The most important oneness is not physical but spiritual. For this to be true, both husband and wife must know the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior (Galatians 3:28). True oneness is only found in Christ. To learn more about knowing Christ as your personal Savior, take the time to read the Enjoying The Journey section at the end of this plan (Day 10). Settle your most important relationship first.

Togetherness did not mean that Aquila and Priscilla always agreed on everything. If you have been married for any length of time, you know that is impossible! Instead, it means that they were both living in agreement with God. Only as we are in step with the Lord can we stay in step with each other. The nearer we get to God individually, the closer we grow to one another in marriage.

The Foundation of Friendship

This is one of the greatest descriptions of true friendship in the Bible. Why is this important in marriage? Every good relationship must be built on the foundation of friendship. Romance ebbs and flows, but friendship grows and grows.Your greatest friendships should begin with family. Jesus taught the essentials of friendship to those He brought into the Father’s family (John 15:13-15), and we must learn it too.

What a beautiful thing it is to see a real partnership in marriage! But here is the key:“a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” We move from one person alone to two together, to a threefold cord. In the ancient world, the three-ply cord was a proverb used to suggest strength. It is not enough to have the man and the woman; we must be woven together in Christ!

The third is actually the First, the One who brings true strength to any marriage is the Lord. We need one another, and we both need Jesus. In this way, every family member is really a “dependent” - all depending on Christ.

Conversations About Christ

True oneness requires communication.“Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3). God makes each person and each couple unique.

Husbands and wives must view each other as completers, not competitors. The right perspective is vital for marriage to thrive. God gives the wife to the husband as“an help meet for him” (Genesis 2:20). He knows what each of us needs, and marriage is the place where Christian husbands and wives can become everything God has create them to be. A husband must know his wife (1 Peter 3:7), and learn to appreciate the way God made her for him. A wife must remember to respect her husband and follow him as he follows Christ (Ephesians 5:22, 33).

One thing we know is that this husband and wife operated as a team united in Christ. Aquila and Priscilla are a picture of God’s ideal: a couple serving the Lord together.