Wildflowers Week Four | Priscilla the Hollyhock Sample

One and the Same

I wish I could see flowers the way Georgia O'Keeffe saw them—as a magnified version of themselves in acute, colorful detail. She said, "When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else". During her lifetime, she made over 200 paintings. Just like an O'Keeffe original, Priscilla the hollyhock is magnificent to behold.

Priscilla and her husband, Aquila, are like the Siamese twins of the New Testament, since you never see one without the other. They walked together harmoniously as Christ made the two of them into one flesh. Side by side, they served the Lord to further the ministry of Paul the apostle. And as they traveled with Paul, their two hearts beat as one, remaining inseparable.

Hollyhocks grow in long spears with multiple blooms on each stalk, reaching heights of up to nine feet. You might say they grow better together, making an impressive show of their many flowers—just like Aquila and Priscilla did. These two also reached great heights as they joined Paul on his missionary journeys.

Of the seven times Scripture mentions them together, Priscilla receives top billing. Five times she is mentioned first, and the other two times, Aquila precedes his wife. Some commentators suggest that Priscilla "was the more energetic of the two, and perhaps had the stronger character." Others ponder whether Priscilla came to the faith prior to her husband and her virtuous conduct won him to the Lord. Still, others attribute her with having a great intellectual acumen or a more noble bloodline. No matter why she was more frequently listed first, we can see that Aquila was a confident, well-adjusted man who loved to see his wife receive the accolades of others. He admired her just as much as their peers did.

Read the verses below and answer the following questions:

"After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome)" (Acts 18:1-2).

Practical Observation

1. Where had Paul been and where did he go?

Corinth was established in 10,000 BC. The city was known for its great wealth, including bronze, pottery, and shipbuilding. Located on the Isthmus of Corinth between the Ionian Sea and the Aegean Sea, it served as the most important trade center between Rome and the east (adapted from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary [Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1986]).

2. Who was the first person Paul met? What was his background?

3. Who else did Paul meet? What was her relationship to Aquila?

4. In your own words, explain why this couple moved to Corinth.

Claudius was the Roman emperor from AD 41-54. His maternal grandfather was Mark Antony. He made a decree to deport all Jews from Rome, which explains why Aquila and Priscilla left Italy to live in Corinth in Greece. There were two expulsions of Jews from Rome before Claudius' reign.

5. Who was responsible for this mandate?

Personal Application

a. Paul did a great deal of moving. Make a list of the places you have traveled. Place a cross beside the places you shared the gospel or enjoyed Christian fellowship. Place a 0 next to the places you did not. Explain why you did or did not share the good news.

b. Priscilla and Aquila were victims of an unjust political decision. Describe a time when your life was affected by a bad political policy. How did it impact you?

c. Imagine meeting Aquila and Priscilla, a duo who strengthened the faith of others. Do you have someone like this in your life? Write about how they have strengthened your faith.