Topical Bible: Love to Man: Aquila

◄ Love to Man: Aquila ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

Aquila, a notable figure in the New Testament, exemplifies love to man through his actions and relationships, particularly in the early Christian community. He is often mentioned alongside his wife, Priscilla, and together they serve as a model of Christian hospitality, mentorship, and partnership in ministry.

Background and Context

Aquila was a Jew from Pontus, a region in modern-day Turkey. He and Priscilla are first introduced in the Book of Acts, where they are described as having recently come from Italy because Emperor Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome (Acts 18:2). This expulsion led them to Corinth, where they met the Apostle Paul.

Hospitality and Partnership

Aquila and Priscilla's love for others is evident in their hospitality. They opened their home to Paul, who stayed and worked with them, as they shared the same trade of tentmaking (Acts 18:3). Their willingness to host Paul not only provided him with a place to stay but also facilitated the spread of the Gospel in Corinth. This act of hospitality is a tangible expression of love and support for fellow believers and the mission of the Church.

Mentorship and Teaching

Aquila and Priscilla's love for others is further demonstrated in their mentorship of Apollos, an eloquent speaker and knowledgeable teacher of the Scriptures. When they heard him speaking boldly in the synagogue, they recognized his potential but also his need for a more complete understanding of "the way of God" (Acts 18:26). They took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. This act of mentorship reflects their commitment to nurturing and equipping others in their faith journey.

Support for the Early Church

Aquila and Priscilla's love for the early Christian community is also seen in their role as leaders and supporters of house churches. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, sends greetings to them and acknowledges the church that meets in their house (Romans 16:3-5). Their home served as a gathering place for believers, providing a space for worship, teaching, and fellowship. This commitment to the local church underscores their dedication to the growth and unity of the body of Christ.

Risk and Sacrifice

Paul also notes that Aquila and Priscilla risked their lives for him, an act of sacrificial love that earned them the gratitude of all the Gentile churches (Romans 16:4). While the specifics of this event are not detailed in Scripture, it highlights their willingness to put themselves in harm's way for the sake of the Gospel and their fellow believers.

Conclusion

Aquila's life, as portrayed in the New Testament, is a testament to the transformative power of love in action. Through hospitality, mentorship, support for the church, and personal sacrifice, Aquila, alongside Priscilla, demonstrates a profound love for others that is rooted in their faith and commitment to the mission of the early Church.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Romans 16:3,4
Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Priscilla and Aquila
... as to the hallowing effect of Christianity on domestic life and love. ... She seems to
have been 'the better man of the two'; and Aquila drops comparatively ...
/.../maclaren/romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/priscilla and aquila.htm

The Clementine Homilies
... Chapter III.--Recognition of Nicetas and Aquila. Chapter IV.--The Mother Must Not
Take Food with Her Son. The Reason Stated. ... Chapter VI.--The Love of Man. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/unknown/the clementine homilies/

Rom. xv. 8
... Which God grant that we may all attain, by the grace and love toward man of our
Lord Jesus Christ. ... [1637] Psalm 104:6. Where Aquila and Theodotion have ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xxviii rom xv 8.htm

Whether we are to Believe that Angels, who are of a Spiritual ...
... that God's ministers ought to blaze with love as with a ... My Spirit shall not always
strive with man, for that ... only the name" sons of God." And Aquila, whom the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 23 whether we are to.htm

Matt. I. 22, 23
... For thus shall we obtain both the one and the other, by the grace and love towards
man of our Lord Jesus Christ ... [235] ie, Aquila who flourished AD 128 ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily v matt i 22.htm

Texts Explained; Sixthly...
... Father Lord, as we do; and this He has so done from love to man, that we ... 85, where
he notices that this is the version of the Septuagint, Aquila's being The ...
/.../select works and letters or athanasius/chapter xix texts explained sixthly.htm

Vanished Hopes
... had not been surprised to see the man throw Amaryllis ... how nearly the natural law
of such love paralleled the ... of Costobarus, in company with Aquila, the Ephesian ...
/.../miller/the city of delight/chapter xxii vanished hopes.htm

Rom. xvi. 5
... and some by their precedence in time, but more than all, Priscilla and Aquila. ... come;
whereof may we all partake by the grace and love towards man, etc. ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xxxi rom xvi 5.htm

The Fulfilment
... I love where I should not love?" the Maccabee ... the Maccabee, Philadelphus!" he exclaimed
to the kneeling man. ... sin hath left of thy servant Aquila," the phantom ...
/.../miller/the city of delight/chapter xxiii the fulfilment.htm

Matt. xvi. 24
... and others again who had to rule over workshops, as Priscilla and Aquila. ... attain
unto the good things to come, by the grace and love towards man of our ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily lv matt xvi 24.htm