Priscilla and Aquila

The evening air carried the scent of salt from the nearby Aegean Sea as Luke made his way through the narrow streets of Corinth. The sun was setting, casting long shadows between the buildings of the bustling port city. He had received word that Paul was staying with a couple named Aquila and Priscilla, recent arrivals from Rome who had established a tentmaking workshop near the city’s western quarter.

As Luke approached the modest dwelling, he could hear the steady rhythm of work coming from within – the sound of leather being cut and stitched, punctuated by quiet conversation. He knocked on the wooden door frame, and a moment later, was greeted by a woman with kind eyes and work-worn hands.

“You must be Luke,” Priscilla said warmly. “Paul told us to expect you. Please, come in.”

The interior was simple but well-organized, with various tools of the tentmaking trade arranged neatly along the walls. In the corner, Paul sat cross-legged on a mat, his fingers working deftly at a piece of leather while he spoke with Aquila. Both men looked up as Luke entered.

“Luke!” Paul’s face brightened with genuine joy as he set aside his work and rose to embrace his friend. “The Lord has blessed us with your presence. Come, sit with us.”

After exchanging greetings, Luke settled onto a cushion while Priscilla brought them cups of watered wine. The physician’s observant eyes noted the signs of recent travel and hardship on his friends’ faces, particularly those of Aquila and Priscilla.

“I heard about the emperor’s edict,” Luke said quietly, looking at the couple. “How many of our brothers and sisters were forced to leave Rome?”

Aquila’s expression grew somber. “Many. Claudius gave no warning – simply ordered all Jews to leave the city. The streets were chaos as families tried to gather what they could carry and find somewhere to go.”

Paul leaned forward, his brow furrowed with concern. “Tell us more about what happened. We’ve heard different accounts, but you were there.”

Priscilla exchanged a glance with her husband before speaking. “It began with tensions in the synagogues. As more and more people came to believe in Jesus as the Messiah, there were… disagreements. Sometimes heated ones.”

“The Roman authorities took notice,” Aquila continued. “They care little for the substance of our debates, but they care very much about public order. When they heard the name ‘Chrestus’ being argued about in the synagogues, they assumed it was some sort of political agitator causing unrest.”

Luke shook his head. “So they misunderstood completely – thinking the disputes about the Christos were about a present troublemaker rather than the Messiah.”

“Exactly,” Paul said, his voice heavy with frustration. “And now our brothers and sisters suffer for that ignorance. But perhaps…” he paused, looking thoughtful, “perhaps the Lord will use even this for His purposes. Already we see how the scattering of believers from Rome carries the gospel to new places.”

“Like yourselves,” Luke observed, gesturing to Aquila and Priscilla. “You’ve established not just a business here in Corinth, but a gathering of believers in your home.”

Priscilla smiled. “The Lord provides. When we first arrived here, we were uncertain of everything except our faith. Finding Paul was like finding a brother we didn’t know we had.”

“Tell me,” Luke said, pulling out a small writing tablet, “when exactly did the troubles in Rome begin? I want to record these events accurately.”

Paul watched his friend with knowing eyes. “Already thinking of how to tell the story, aren’t you, beloved physician?”

“These things should be remembered,” Luke replied. “Future generations will need to understand how the gospel spread, and how the early church faced its challenges.”

Aquila leaned back, gathering his thoughts. “The tensions had been building for some time, but the real troubles began about a year ago. There was a prominent rabbi who came to believe in Jesus, and his conversion split the community. Half his congregation followed him in accepting Jesus as Messiah, while the others…”

“Were less accepting?” Luke suggested diplomatically.

“There were accusations of blasphemy, of course,” Priscilla added. “But what truly concerned the Roman authorities were the public arguments, the disruption of commerce when large crowds would gather to debate in the streets.”

Paul’s expression was thoughtful. “It reminds me of what happened in Thessalonica – the authorities there accused us of ’turning the world upside down.’ They don’t understand that the gospel must challenge our old ways of thinking and living.”

“But unlike in Thessalonica,” Luke noted, “in Rome they didn’t distinguish between believers in Jesus and other Jews. They expelled everyone.”

“Yes,” Aquila confirmed. “Claudius didn’t care to understand the theological disputes. To him, it was simply Jews causing unrest, so all Jews had to go.”

Paul stood and began to pace, his sandals scraping against the packed earth floor. “And yet, look at how God works! Here you are in Corinth, strengthening the church. In every city where our scattered brothers and sisters have gone, new communities of faith take root.”

Luke’s stylus moved quickly across his tablet. “How many would you estimate were forced to leave Rome?”

Priscilla considered the question. “Thousands, certainly. Rome had the largest Jewish community outside of Judea. Not all could afford to travel far – many simply moved to nearby cities in Italy. But others, like us, saw it as an opportunity to start fresh in places where we knew the gospel was beginning to spread.”

“And how has the church in Rome fared since the expulsion?” Luke asked.

Paul interjected, “From what I hear, some believers remain – those who are Gentiles, of course, since the edict only applied to Jews. They continue to meet in homes, keeping the faith alive in the capital.”

“Though it grieves us to be separated from them,” Aquila added.

Luke noticed Paul’s expression shift, becoming more intense. “What are you thinking, Paul?”

“I’m thinking about how the enemy means these things for evil, but God means them for good. Just as Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, yet God used that to save many lives, so too this expulsion…” Paul’s voice grew passionate. “Think of it! The gospel spreading through Italy as our brothers and sisters seek new homes. The church in Rome learning to stand on its own, even without its Jewish founders. And here in Corinth, your arrival,” he nodded to Aquila and Priscilla, “strengthens our work immeasurably.”

“You truly see God’s hand in all of this?” Luke asked, though his tone suggested he already knew Paul’s answer.

“How can I not?” Paul replied. “Remember what I wrote to the believers in Rome – ‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.’”

Priscilla reached for her husband’s hand. “When we first heard the edict, we were devastated. Everything we had built in Rome – our business, our home, our community – gone in an instant. But now…”

“Now you see it differently?” Luke prompted gently.

“Now we see how God had prepared a place for us here,” Aquila finished. “A place where we could serve Him in new ways.”

Paul stopped his pacing and sat down again. “Luke, you should record something else in your account – how the expulsion reveals both the weakness and the strength of our faith.”

“What do you mean?”

“The weakness is shown in how disputes among believers contributed to this situation. We must learn to handle our disagreements with more wisdom, remembering that the world watches how we treat one another.” Paul’s voice grew softer. “But the strength is shown in how our brothers and sisters have responded to this trial – not with bitterness, but with resilience and faith.”

Luke nodded, still writing. “And what of the future? Do you think the believers will ever be able to return to Rome?”

“Edicts can be reversed,” Aquila said. “Emperors change. But whether we return or not, the church will continue to grow there. The gospel cannot be expelled.”

“That’s worth recording,” Paul said with a smile. “The gospel cannot be expelled.” He turned to Luke with sudden intensity. “But there’s something else you must understand about what happened in Rome, something crucial for your account.”

Luke looked up from his tablet. “What’s that?”

“This expulsion… it reveals a pattern we’re seeing everywhere. The gospel enters a city, and it causes division – not because that’s our intent, but because the truth of Jesus demands a response. People must either accept or reject it. This leads to tension, especially within the synagogues. Then the authorities, who care nothing for spiritual matters, see only the disruption and react with force.”

“As they did in Jerusalem,” Luke noted. “And in Antioch, and Philippi…”

“Exactly,” Paul continued. “But in each case, persecution only serves to spread the gospel further. The believers in Jerusalem were scattered, and they preached wherever they went. Now the same happens with Rome. Don’t you see? This is how the Lord works – using even the opposition of worldly powers to accomplish His purposes.”

Priscilla rose to refill their cups. “Tell us, Paul – you who were once Saul, who once pursued the church with Rome’s authority behind you – what do you think when you see Rome now turning its power against the Jews because of disputes about the Messiah?”

Paul was quiet for a long moment. “I see the irony, of course. And I feel the weight of it. But mostly, I see how God’s wisdom makes foolish the wisdom of this world. Rome thinks it can solve the ‘problem’ of the gospel through force – just as I once did. But the more they try to contain it, the more it spreads.”

“Like trying to contain the wind,” Luke murmured, noting down Paul’s words.

“Yes! Exactly like that,” Paul exclaimed. “The Spirit blows where it wishes, and Rome might as well try to control the wind as stop the spread of the gospel.”

The conversation continued late into the night, with Luke carefully recording the details of the expulsion and its aftermath. They spoke of specific families who had been forced to leave Rome, of the different cities where they had resettled, of how the churches in those places had welcomed them. They discussed the practical challenges – how to maintain communication with the believers still in Rome, how to support those who had lost everything in the sudden exodus, how to establish new communities in their places of exile.

As the oil in the lamps began to run low, Paul returned to a theme that seemed to weigh heavily on his heart. “Luke, my friend, as you write about these events, make sure you communicate not just what happened, but what it means.”

“What does it mean, in your understanding?” Luke asked.

“It means that the gospel is unstoppable, not because of our strength, but because of God’s faithfulness. It means that what appears to be defeat can become victory in God’s hands. And it means that the church must learn from these experiences – both from our failures that contributed to the expulsion, and from our successes in responding to it with faith and love.”

Aquila nodded. “It also means that we must be wise as serpents and innocent as doves, as the Lord said. We must learn how to live our faith boldly while still being good citizens of wherever we find ourselves.”

“Unless the two come into conflict,” Paul added. “Then we must obey God rather than men, whatever the cost.”

“And what of the church in Rome?” Luke asked. “What do you see for its future?”

Paul’s eyes took on a distant look, as if seeing beyond the present moment. “Rome will remain crucial to the spread of the gospel. The very roads that Rome built to maintain its empire will serve to carry the good news throughout the world. And I believe…” he paused, choosing his words carefully, “I believe that one day, the church in Rome will be restored and will become a powerful witness for Christ.”

“You sound very certain of that,” Luke observed.

“I am. The Lord has put it on my heart to write to the believers there, to encourage them and to explain more fully the gospel I preach. Perhaps…” Paul glanced at his friends, “perhaps this expulsion will help them understand better what I need to write – how God’s plan includes both Jew and Gentile, and how even rejection and hardship serve His purposes.”

The night had grown late, and the sounds of the city had quieted outside. Luke looked down at his tablets, now filled with notes. “Thank you, all of you, for sharing these things with me. Your story – the expulsion, your journey here, how you’ve seen God work through it all – it helps complete the picture I’m trying to paint of how the gospel is spreading throughout the world.”

Priscilla began to clear away the cups. “Will you stay with us tonight, Luke? We have room, and it’s too late to return to your lodgings.”

“Thank you, yes,” Luke replied. “And perhaps tomorrow, you can tell me more about how the church here in Corinth is growing. I want to understand how the believers who were scattered from Rome are integrating with the local congregations.”

“Of course,” Aquila said. “Though I warn you – you may need more tablets!”