Kingdom Expansion: Acts 18

The Kingdom expands as people serve in the power of the Spirit. In Acts 18 we catch a glimpse of two such people, a husband and wife team.

Apollos went on to have a wide ministry, all because Aquila and Priscilla discipled him. They were less well known than Apollos but in Romans 16:3-4 Paul makes clear they were part of his apostolic team.

As we read scripture we need to start with the literal meaning … but that means leaving behind our modern assumptions, trying to understand what it meant to people when it was written.

Romans 16:3 seems simple enough but it was a radical challenge to the assumptions of Jewish, Roman and Greek cultures at the time. Paul actually had a woman on his team, and, even more radical, he names her first! Paul not only recognises Prisca/Priscilla as having a ministry but implies it was a more prominent ministry than her husband’s.

This would have rocked the worldview of most people 2,000 years ago.

Women were supposed to get married, have children and run the household … not teach! In fact they were not allowed to be educated in Jewish contexts and only daughters of aristocrats could expect to be educated in Roman and Greek culture. This is as radical as Mary sitting with the others to hear Jesus teach while Martha did what was expected (Luke 10:38-42).

Nowadays we think it normal that a couple might serve together in ministry. Catherine and I have been blessed to do so and discovered two key things about how we do this.

First, praying together is essential We start and finish the day praying together. We pray at mealtimes and usually break bread together at least once each day to remind ourselves of the Big Picture of salvation and new creation. We have always made it a habit to pray conversationally, turning from conversation with each other to conversation with the Lord and back again naturally. So when the pressure is on in the work of service there is a well to draw from and a habit of taking everything to God together.

Second, respecting our differences and giving space to the other. Sometimes Catherine’s role has been more prominent and other times mine has. But a couple who rely on, and promote, each other’s strengths can work together fruitfully.

People in New Testament times had their worldviews challenged by the way Jesus and the first apostles treated people equally, whether men and women, slaves or free, Jew or Gentile.

We need to let our worldviews be challenged too.

Maybe we assume married couples make better leaders and ministers because they can serve together. But Paul was single and advocated singleness (1 Cor 7:7); and for the first five or six hundred years of the church single women were regarded as pursuing a higher calling than those who were married.

The issue is not whether someone is married or single but whether we are living righteously in community, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ (Eph 5:21).

So let’s allow the Spirit to challenge our worldviews and release people, single and married, into their callings.

By Chris Horton