Women: Priscilla (Prisca)
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Priscilla, also known as Prisca, is a prominent figure in the New Testament, recognized for her significant role in the early Christian church. She is often mentioned alongside her husband, Aquila, and together they are depicted as a devoted Christian couple who played a crucial part in the spread of the Gospel.

Biblical References and Background

Priscilla is first introduced in the Book of Acts. She and her husband, Aquila, were Jewish Christians who had been expelled from Rome by the edict of Emperor Claudius. They settled in Corinth, where they met the Apostle Paul. Acts 18:2-3 states, "There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to visit them, and he stayed and worked with them because they were tentmakers by trade, just as he was."

Priscilla and Aquila are noted for their hospitality and dedication to the ministry. They opened their home to Paul, providing him with a place to stay and work. Their home became a center for Christian teaching and fellowship, demonstrating their commitment to the early church.

Ministry and Influence

Priscilla's influence is further highlighted in her role as a teacher and mentor. In Acts 18:24-26, Priscilla and Aquila encounter Apollos, an eloquent speaker and knowledgeable teacher of the Scriptures, but who only knew the baptism of John. "When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him in and explained to him the way of God more accurately" (Acts 18:26). This passage underscores Priscilla's theological understanding and her ability to instruct others in the faith.

Priscilla and Aquila are also mentioned in Paul's letters, indicating their continued involvement in the early church. In Romans 16:3-4, Paul writes, "Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who have risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them." This commendation highlights their dedication and the high regard in which they were held by Paul and the broader Christian community.

Legacy and Significance

Priscilla's legacy is one of faithful service, hospitality, and teaching. Her partnership with Aquila exemplifies a model of Christian marriage and ministry, where both husband and wife are actively engaged in the work of the Gospel. Priscilla's role as a teacher to Apollos also challenges traditional gender roles of the time, showcasing her as a capable and respected leader within the church.

Priscilla's story is a testament to the vital contributions of women in the early Christian movement. Her life and ministry continue to inspire believers to serve with dedication, courage, and a deep commitment to the truth of the Gospel. Through her example, Priscilla remains a significant figure in the history of Christianity, embodying the transformative power of faith and the importance of partnership in ministry.
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Acts 18:26
And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him to them, and expounded to him the way of God more perfectly.
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Library

The Circumstances Related of Montanus and his False Prophets.
... [1584] hos hagi& 251; pneumati kai prophetiko charismati. [1585] Maximilla and
Priscilla, or Prisca (mentioned in chap. 14). They were married women, who left ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter xvi the circumstances related of.htm

Deacons and Deaconesses.
... It opened to pious women and virgins, and chiefly to widows, a most ... the port of Corinth,
and it is more than probable that Prisca (Priscilla), Mary, Tryphaena ...
/.../history of the christian church volume i/section 62 deacons and deaconesses.htm

Saint Helena and the Time of Constantine
... Of Priscilla and Maximilla, Dr. McGiffert says: "They were regarded ... Among its conquests
were men and women of high ... Prisca and Valeria, the wife and daughter of ...
/.../brittain/women of early christianity/iv saint helena and the.htm

Christian Churches.
... Prisca were all buried in the Cemetery of Priscilla on the ... in 1776 in the house of
Aquila and Prisca, they would ... as the fourth or Romana was for women, and the ...
/.../lanciani/pagan and christian rome/chapter iii christian churches.htm

Christianity in Rome.
... were sent to the Ghetto to drive men, women, and children into ... The name of his wife,
Priscilla (the diminutive form of Prisca), " probably indicates ...
/.../history of the christian church volume i/section 36 christianity in rome.htm

Letter clxxxviii. (Canonica Prima. )
... Father and the Son and Montanus or Priscilla? ... Yet, in relation with women, very strict
expressions ... tacito nomine invehitur, quod adversus prisca consulta post ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/letter clxxxviii canonica prima.htm

Pagan Cemeteries.
... so great is the crowd, especially of women, attracted by ... The tomb of Priscilla, wife
of Abascantus, a favorite freedman of ... DM IVLIA.LLPRISCA VIX.ANN.XXVI.MIDI Q ...
/.../lanciani/pagan and christian rome/chapter vi pagan cemeteries.htm

The Church History of Eusebius. Index of Subjects.
The life of constantine. <. ...
/.../pamphilius/the life of constantine/the church history of eusebius.htm

Resources
Why do women have such a small role in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What does the Bible say about women leaders in government? Should a woman be President? | GotQuestions.org

What roles can women fill in ministry? | GotQuestions.org

Women: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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Women: Athaliah, in Destroying the Royal Household and Usurping the Throne

Women: Bath-Sheba, in Her Adultery, in Becoming the Wife of Her Husband's Murderer

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Women: Converted by Preaching of Paul

Women: Cooked

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Women: Difference in Ceremonies Made Between Male and Female Children

Women: Dinah, in Her Fornication

Women: Domestic Duties of

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Women: First to Whom the Risen Lord Appeared

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Women: Jezebel, in Her Persecution of Elijah

Women: Job's Wife, in Suggesting to Him That he Curse God and Die

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Women: Kept Vineyards

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Women: Leah, in Her Imitation of Rachel in the Matter of Children

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Women: Phoebe

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Women: Priscilla (Prisca)

Women: Promise To

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Women: Punishment for Seducing, when not Betrothed

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Women: Purifications of After Childbirth

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Women: Rebekah, in Her Partiality for Jacob, and Her Sharp Practice to Secure for Him Isaac's Blessing

Women: Religious Privileges of, Among Early Christians

Women: Required to Attend to the Reading of the Law of Moses

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Women: Sapphira, in Her Blasphemous Falsehood

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Women: Silly, and Easily Led Into Error

Women: Social Status of in Persia

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Women: Tamar, in Her Adultery

Women: Tended Flocks and Herds

Women: The Cannibalistic Mothers of Samaria

Women: The Daughter of Herodias, in Her Complicity With Her Mother in Securing the Death of John the Baptist

Women: The Daughters of Lot, in Their Incestuous Lust

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Women: The Shunammite Woman, Who Gave Hospitality to Elisha

Women: The Sodomites of the Southern Kingdom (Judah)

Women: The Widow Who Put Her Two Mite (Small Coins, Greek: Leptas) Into the Treasury

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Women: Took Part in Ancient Worship

Women: Treated With Cruelty in War

Women: Unclassified Scriptures Relating To

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Women: Veiled the Face

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Related Terms

Women-servants (21 Occurrences)

Women's (9 Occurrences)

Bond-women (3 Occurrences)

Women-children (1 Occurrence)

Women-concubines (1 Occurrence)

Singing-women (3 Occurrences)

Servant-women (2 Occurrences)

Zimri (16 Occurrences)

Vashti (10 Occurrences)

Virgins (33 Occurrences)

Custody (27 Occurrences)

Singing (65 Occurrences)

Bracelet (5 Occurrences)

Concubines (18 Occurrences)

Cosmetics (3 Occurrences)

Ahasu-e'rus (30 Occurrences)

Singing-men (3 Occurrences)

Sucklings (18 Occurrences)

Submissive (12 Occurrences)

Polygamy

Veil (67 Occurrences)

Xerxes (24 Occurrences)

Company (287 Occurrences)

Younger (39 Occurrences)

Young (3454 Occurrences)

Kerchief

Babylon's (11 Occurrences)

Babies (16 Occurrences)

Baby (23 Occurrences)

Besides (178 Occurrences)

Bond-men (16 Occurrences)

Careless (10 Occurrences)

Changeth (10 Occurrences)

Citadel (20 Occurrences)

Complacent (5 Occurrences)

Crowded (10 Occurrences)

Amongst (47 Occurrences)

Alas (62 Occurrences)

Ahasuerus (28 Occurrences)

Adorn (13 Occurrences)

Sepulcher (48 Occurrences)

Susa (20 Occurrences)

Spinning

Salome (2 Occurrences)

Spared (45 Occurrences)

Strange (234 Occurrences)

Pregnant (33 Occurrences)

Beholding (45 Occurrences)

Sepulchre (57 Occurrences)

Philippians (2 Occurrences)

Chamberlain (14 Occurrences)

Playing (37 Occurrences)

Castle (26 Occurrences)

Stirred (64 Occurrences)

Breast (71 Occurrences)

Confident (42 Occurrences)

Beautiful (152 Occurrences)

Blessed (338 Occurrences)

Capital (29 Occurrences)

Afar (98 Occurrences)

Sex (51 Occurrences)

Apparel (38 Occurrences)

Prey (105 Occurrences)

Ahikam (20 Occurrences)

Plunder (118 Occurrences)

Crushing (93 Occurrences)

Keeper (72 Occurrences)

Homes (43 Occurrences)

Aged (63 Occurrences)

Bread (433 Occurrences)

Perfumes (69 Occurrences)

Kinds (110 Occurrences)

Believed (135 Occurrences)

Bone (35 Occurrences)

Prisoners (170 Occurrences)

Plundered (44 Occurrences)

Beauty (98 Occurrences)

3000 (3 Occurrences)

7337 (2 Occurrences)

Women: Potiphar's Wife, in Her Lascivious Lust and Slander Against Joseph
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