According to our best estimate of the calendar, it began on January 25, A.D 45. Christianity was in its infancy. The terrible Roman emperor Caligula had just been succeeded by Claudius. While Claudius made many favorable rulings for Jews and Christians, he forbade Jews and Christians from assembly in Rome. According to the Roman historian Suetonius, Claudius finally expelled all Jews and Christians from Rome.
One Christian couple expelled was Aquila and Priscilla. You probably do not know what it is like to be kicked out of a country, much less to be kicked out because you are a Christian. As Aquila and Priscilla left, they might well have lamented that “sometimes things don’t work out like you plan.”
The real problem is that we often conclude that because things don’t work out like we expect, things must be messed up. Listen to the rest of the story.
Aquila and Priscilla fled Rome and went to the city of Corinth where they set up shop as tentmakers (Acts 18:1-3). While at Corinth, a traveling evangelist named Paul came to Corinth. Since Paul shared the same occupation as Aquila and Priscilla, the Apostle stayed with them for nearly two years. When Paul left, Aquila and Priscilla went with him to Ephesus. In Ephesus they became church leaders and even hosted a house church in their home.
In Ephesus they came in contact with a mighty Jewish-Egyptian preacher named Apollos. The Holy Spirit tells us that he was “eloquent and mighty in the scriptures.” (Acts 18:24-26). The problem was that Apollos did not really know the truth about Jesus. Aquila and Priscilla taught Apollos the truth more fully and he because a great evangelist for Jesus.
Now look at the series of events
A Roman emperor expelled the Jews, including a couple named Aquila and Priscilla.
- Things didn’t work out like they expected. They expected to be Christian tentmakers in Rome, but God had other plans for them.
- God’s plan was for them to spend two years working and studying with the great Apostle Paul.
- God’s plan was for them to host the Ephesians church in their home.
- God’s plan was for them to convert one of the greatest preachers of all time.
That is not “messed up!” It was God’s plan! God also has a plan for your life.
Lonnie Davis