FaithAgent DevoDecks β Study Guide
Priscilla & Aquila
Mentors in the Shadows β A Study Guide & Worksheet
Based on Acts 18, Romans 16, 1 Corinthians 16 | For personal study,
small groups, couples, and discipleship
π Study Guide Overview
Source: Acts 18; Romans 16:3-5; 1
Corinthians 16:19; 2 Timothy 4:19
Theme: Partnership, mentorship,
hospitality, quiet faithfulness
Audience: Couples, men's & women's groups,
discipleship, personal study
Sessions: 12 stages (2β4 week study)
Priscilla and Aquila are the most frequently mentioned couple in the New Testament β yet
not a single word they said is recorded. They were exiled from Rome, ran a tentmaking business, co-labored
with Paul, mentored Apollos, hosted house churches in three cities, and risked their lives for the gospel.
Their story demolishes the lie that ministry requires a platform. They changed the world from their living
room. This study guide walks through 12 stages of their story with scripture, reflection prompts, and action
steps designed to move you from passive reading to radical co-laboring.
"Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not
only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them."
β Romans 16:3-4
In AD 49, Emperor Claudius expelled all Jews from Rome. The Roman historian
Suetonius records "disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus" β almost certainly disputes about
Christ in the Jewish community. Priscilla and Aquila lost everything: their home, their business,
their community. But God used imperial politics to plant them exactly where Paul needed co-laborers.
What looked like punishment was positioning.
Acts 18:2"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
Jews to leave Rome."
Romans 8:28"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."
π Pray
"Father, I confess I have resented the disruptions in my life. I renounce the lie that displacement
means abandonment. You are the God who positions His people through exile. I trust Your relocation,
even when I don't understand it (Romans 8:28)."
πͺ Reflect
"What 'exile' have you experienced β a job loss, a move, a closed door β that you can now see was
divine repositioning? If you're in the middle of one, what might God be positioning you for?"
β‘ Act
"Write down one disruption in your life that you've been resisting. Reframe it as a divine
appointment. Ask God: 'Who are You sending me to in this new place?' (Jeremiah 29:7)."
Paul found Priscilla and Aquila because they shared a trade: tentmaking. Their
workshop became the first point of connection, and their labor funded the mission. In the first century,
tentmakers were essential β they supplied the infrastructure for commerce and travel. Priscilla and
Aquila didn't quit their jobs to do ministry. Their job was the ministry.
Acts 18:3"Because he was a tentmaker as they were, he
stayed and worked with them."
Colossians 3:23"Whatever you do, work at it with all your
heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters."
π Pray
"Lord, I confess that I've separated my faith from my work. I renounce the lie that ministry only
happens in a church building. Consecrate my workplace as a tentmaking platform for Your kingdom
(Colossians 3:23)."
πͺ Reflect
"Is your job just a paycheck, or is it a mission platform? Who has God placed next to you at work
who needs what you carry? How could your skills fund or fuel the gospel?"
β‘ Act
"Identify one way your professional skills could serve the gospel this month. Volunteer a skill,
fund a missionary, or start a workplace prayer meeting (1 Peter 4:10)."
When Paul later wrote to the Romans, he didn't call Priscilla and Aquila his
"audience" or "supporters." He called them his "co-workers" β synergoi in Greek. Same title he gave
Timothy and Titus. They weren't spectators. They were co-laborers walking beside an apostle.
Romans 16:3"Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in
Christ Jesus."
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10"Two are better than one, because they
have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up."
π Pray
"Father, I confess I've been a spectator more than a co-laborer. I renounce the consumer mindset
that sits in the pew and waits to be fed. Show me who to walk beside and work with (Ecclesiastes
4:9-10)."
πͺ Reflect
"Who are you walking beside right now β not just attending church with, but actually co-laboring
with? Are you a consumer of church or a builder of it?"
β‘ Act
"Approach a pastor or ministry leader this week and say: 'How can I serve alongside you?' Not as a
consumer. As a co-laborer. (Philippians 2:25)."
When Apollos arrived in Ephesus preaching with fire but incomplete theology,
Priscilla and Aquila didn't dismiss him. They didn't correct him publicly or report him to leadership.
They saw a diamond that needed cutting β someone with extraordinary potential who just needed
refinement.
Acts 18:24-25"Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of
Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He
had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor."
Proverbs 20:15"Gold there is, and rubies in abundance,
but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel."
π Pray
"God, give me eyes to see gold in people instead of gaps. I confess my first instinct is to judge
and critique rather than to invest and encourage. Make me a mentor, not a critic (Proverbs 20:15)."
πͺ Reflect
"Who is the 'Apollos' in your world β someone gifted but rough-edged? Are you investing in them
or ignoring them? Do you see their potential or just their problems?"
β‘ Act
"Identify one person with raw potential and invest in them this week β a conversation, a meal, a
book recommendation. Be specific. Write their name here: ________________"
They "took him aside" β privately β and "explained to him the way of God more
adequately." No public confrontation. No social media callout. No theological hit job. Just a meal, a
conversation, and the truth delivered with love. This is the biblical model: correct privately, honor
publicly.
Acts 18:26"When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they
invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately."
Galatians 6:1"Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught
in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently."
π Pray
"Lord, I repent of cutting people down instead of building them up. I renounce the spirit of
criticism that disguises itself as discernment. Teach me to correct the way Priscilla and Aquila
did β privately, gently, over a meal (Galatians 6:1)."
πͺ Reflect
"When was the last time you corrected someone β and how did you do it? Was it private and
restorative, or public and destructive? Is there a conversation you need to have?"
β‘ Act
"If you need to have a corrective conversation, do it over a meal this week. Not a text. Not an
email. Face to face, bread on the table, truth in love (Matthew 18:15)."
Apollos was already "a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures"
who "spoke with great fervor." He had credentials, skill, and passion. But when a couple of tentmakers
took him aside, he didn't bristle. He didn't say "Do you know who I am?" He sat, he listened, and
he let himself be refined. That posture changed everything.
Proverbs 12:1"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but whoever hates correction is stupid."
James 1:19"Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to
speak and slow to become angry."
π Pray
"God, I confess that my pride has made me unteachable. I renounce the lie that my experience,
education, or anointing means I've arrived. Keep me moldable. Keep me humble. Keep me hungry to
learn from anyone β even tentmakers (Proverbs 12:1)."
πͺ Reflect
"When was the last time you were genuinely corrected β and how did you respond? Are you the kind of
person people feel safe enough to give honest feedback to?"
β‘ Act
"Ask one trusted person this week: 'Is there anything in my life you've wanted to say but haven't?'
Then just listen. Don't defend. Don't explain. Just receive it (James 1:19)."
"They never said a single recorded word in Scripture. Yet Paul called them his
co-laborers."
β The paradox of quiet faithfulness
Priscilla and Aquila are mentioned six times in the New Testament, but not once
are they quoted. No sermon. No prophecy. No teaching passage. They are the most frequently mentioned
couple β and completely silent. Yet Paul says "all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them."
Their faithfulness was quiet, consistent, and strategic.
Romans 16:4"Not only I but all the churches of the
Gentiles are grateful to them."
Matthew 6:6"But when you pray, go into your room, close
the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret,
will reward you."
π Pray
"Father, I confess I have chased visibility when You've called me to faithfulness. I renounce the
need for recognition. Teach me to serve in the shadows like Priscilla and Aquila β knowing that You
see what is done in secret (Matthew 6:6)."
πͺ Reflect
"How much of your serving is motivated by being seen? Would you still do what you do if no one ever
knew? What does 'faithful in the shadows' look like in your life right now?"
β‘ Act
"Do one act of service this week that no one will ever know about. Anonymous giving,
behind-the-scenes
work, silent prayer for someone. Let the Father reward in secret (Matthew 6:4)."
Every time Priscilla and Aquila are mentioned, they're mentioned together. Never
one without the other. They traveled together, worked together, hosted together, taught together, and
risked together. Their marriage wasn't two parallel lives under one roof β it was a joint mission with
a shared calling. Paul even lists Priscilla first in four of six mentions.
Ecclesiastes 4:12"Though one may be overpowered, two can
defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."
Genesis 2:18"The LORD God said, 'It is not good for the
man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.'"
π Pray
"Lord, I confess my marriage (or future marriage) has been about parallel living, not shared mission.
I renounce the lie that says faith is a private matter. Align us as a team β one purpose, one
calling, one mission (Ecclesiastes 4:12)."
πͺ Reflect
"Are you and your spouse (or closest partner) on the same mission? Do you pray together, serve
together, and dream together β or are you running two separate lives under one roof?"
β‘ Act
"Sit down with your spouse (or close partner) and write a shared mission statement together this
week. What is God calling you to do as a team? Write it below:"
Priscilla and Aquila hosted house churches in three cities. They hosted Paul.
They mentored Apollos in their home. Their dining table was more powerful than any pulpit. In the
first century, homes were the infrastructure of the gospel β and theirs was one of the most
strategically used homes in history.
Romans 12:13"Share with the Lord's people who are in need.
Practice hospitality."
Hebrews 13:2"Do not forget to show hospitality to
strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it."
π Pray
"God, I confess I've treated my home as a fortress of privacy instead of a basecamp for ministry.
I hand You the keys. Use my table, my guest room, my living room for Your purposes. My home is
Yours (Romans 12:13)."
πͺ Reflect
"When was the last time you opened your home for ministry β not entertainment? Is your home a
fortress or a basecamp? What would change if you treated your dining table as an altar?"
β‘ Act
"Open your home this week for one intentional gathering β a prayer meeting, a meal with a new
believer, or a study of Acts 18. No perfection required. Just an open door and an open Bible."
Paul's tribute in Romans 16:3-4 contains a detail that deserves its own spotlight:
"who risked their own necks for my life." The Greek word "hypetithΔsan" means they literally laid their
necks under the blade. The most likely scenario is during the riot in Ephesus (Acts 19). They positioned
themselves between danger and their brother. Faith without danger is just philosophy.
Romans 16:3-4"Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in
Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me."
John 15:13"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down
one's life for one's friends."
π Pray
"Father, I confess I have chosen safety over solidarity. I renounce the comfort-first faith that
avoids risk. Give me the courage of Priscilla and Aquila β the willingness to put my neck on the
line for the gospel and for my brothers and sisters (John 15:13)."
πͺ Reflect
"Has your faith ever cost you anything dangerous β not just inconvenient? Is there someone who
needs you to stand with them right now?"
β‘ Act
"Identify one person under pressure, facing opposition, or standing alone. Reach out and say: 'I'm
with you. How can I stand in the gap?' Put skin in the game β time, money, presence."
Priscilla and Aquila hosted house churches in Corinth, Ephesus, and Rome. Every
time they moved β whether by choice or by force β the church moved with them. They didn't wait for
a building or denomination's permission. They opened their home, broke bread, taught the Word, and
the church was born.
1 Corinthians 16:19"Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly
in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house."
Acts 2:46-47"Every day they continued to meet together in
the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere
hearts."
π Pray
"Lord, I confess I've reduced 'church' to a building I attend rather than a community I carry. Make
me a mobile basecamp for Your kingdom β wherever I go, the church goes with me (Acts 2:46-47)."
πͺ Reflect
"If your church building was gone tomorrow, would your faith survive? Do you carry the church with
you β or only experience it on Sundays?"
β‘ Act
"Invite 2-3 friends for prayer, worship, and Scripture this week β no program, no agenda. Open
your Bible, pray aloud, break bread, and let the Holy Spirit lead. This is church (Matthew
18:20)."
After Priscilla and Aquila mentored Apollos, he went on to become a pillar in
the churches of Corinth and Achaia. Paul later wrote "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it." One
mentoring moment created generational impact. That's multiplication β not addition. The kingdom grows
through faithful investments in faithful people.
1 Corinthians 3:6"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it,
but God has been making it grow."
2 Timothy 2:2"And the things you have heard me say in the
presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach
others."
π Pray
"Father, I confess I've been focused on my own growth instead of multiplying into others. Make me
a 2 Timothy 2:2 believer β investing in faithful people who will invest in others."
πͺ Reflect
"Who are you pouring into β not just teaching, but investing in? If you were removed from ministry
tomorrow, would the work continue without you? Is your legacy addition or multiplication?"
β‘ Act
"Identify one person to mentor this month. Meet with them weekly. Share what God has taught you.
Teach them to teach others. Start the 2 Timothy 2:2 chain. Write their name:
________________"
βοΈ My Commitment β Mentors in the Shadows
Having studied the life of Priscilla and Aquila, I commit to live as they did β faithful in the shadows,
strategic in hospitality, willing to risk everything for the gospel, and relentless in investing in
others. I will use my home as a basecamp, my work as a mission platform, and my relationships as
opportunities for multiplication. I don't need a microphone. I need a mission.
π Personal Notes & Prayers