February 5, 2025 • 61 mins
Ever wondered about the biblical power couple who risked everything for their faith? Dive into the inspiring story of Priscilla and Aquila with us now!
#PowerCouples #DynamicDuos #FromTheBible #ChristianPodcasts #CheerUpPodcast #CheriSwalwell #KaraRHunt
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Hi and welcome to the Cheer Up Podcast.
I am your host, Kara R Hunt,and with me is the beautiful and
sunshiny Sherry Swalwell.
How are you doing today, Sherry?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I am doing great.
It is actually kind of chillyhere on this sunny September
morning.
What's it like over there?
Sunny, sunny, very sunny, very,very sunny.
(00:57):
I think I need to switch overto my hot coffee again and quit
drinking the cold coffee fromthe summer, although I started
making it from home and I'mreally proud of myself because
now I can have the decaf icedcoffee instead of that's.
The one thing that makes me sadis that out in public I can't
seem to get decaf iced coffee.
I can get decaf lattes, but thenthey have all kinds of sugar
and stuff in them, but I can'tget decaf iced coffee, so I
(01:19):
started making it at home and,man, it's pretty good making it
at home and man, it's prettygood.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
See there, it's like when you make your own um um
spaghetti sauces or you know umthings like that, or homegrown
tomatoes, um so many timesthey're so much better than
store-bought.
And I just think it's nothingknocking against the stores
because heaven knows we needthem.
I think it's just just becauseit's straight from form to table
.
Or, in your case, it's straightfrom your refrigerator kit to
(01:50):
the coffee maker.
You know it doesn't have to gothrough like a third, fourth,
five-person process to get toyou.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Exactly One other thing that we started making at
home, which I still love eatingout, but we just can't do it all
the time as a family of five.
But Qdoba we've started makinglike burritos, like they do.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Oh yes.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
So good I could eat a burrito every single day.
Probably wouldn't be well,they're pretty healthy and I
started even doing them just asbowls about the bread so good.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Absolutely.
And oh, the bowls are reallyreally good too.
And yeah, sometimes you have tomake them at home, especially
like because when you go out, inmy case it's usually like white
flour tortillas or you know, orbowls and stuff like that, and
I really try to stay away fromgrains, so I like more like
almond flour tortillas orsomething like that.
(02:49):
That's no grain.
And so I had to start making myown nachos at home with
grain-free tortilla chips.
Now, I don't make thegrain-free tortilla chips, it's
just that there's a brand outthere that makes things like
that that you can use.
But I started making my owningredients at home and boy are
(03:09):
they so good.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
They are.
I could eat Mexican everysingle night.
Seriously, mexican and Chinese.
I love both of those.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
And I also love the grilled.
We love the grilled and I'm agrilled girl and I'm also a
smoked girl and, like you, Ilove Asian food.
Well, no, Chinese food, I loveItalian would be my second.
And Mexican is definitely rightthere next to Italian food and
(03:39):
I'll be right there next toItalian food.
I said Chinese food instead ofAsian food because my husband's
a big fan of Thai food and a lotof people I know are.
I think it's just a little bittoo much for me, for my taste.
(04:00):
You know what I'm saying and Ilove spices, but, boy, Indian
and Thai food have a lot.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
See, I want to try that, but I have a family that
doesn't do well with spices, soI would have to make it just for
myself, and I'm too lazy.
I'm too lazy to do stuff likethat for myself because we have
so many food allergies in ourfamily that I don't like being a
short order cook.
I'd rather have everything.
(04:28):
I can have than make 5,000different things.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Right, yes, and I have had Indian food before, and
not all of it, and I can't evensay I don't this is some of the
spices they use.
That I'm just not a fan of.
I shouldn't say they use.
That's prevalent in Indiancooking and I think someone told
me curry is prevalent in like alot of Thai.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
And I think they said it's prevalent in like a lot of
Thai and Indian cooking.
I think someone told me theother day and I'm like maybe
that's what it is you know, thatI'm just not a fan of, because
I remember I had balsam currylike I don't know years, years
ago, and I tried adding it to myfood and I was just like, yeah,
no for me, you know, because Iwas like I and I love spices,
(05:18):
but for some reason I'm not afan of this one, so that could
just be why right that I'm not afan of it.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
You're so right, kara .
On Sunday I went out to eatwith my husband it was just him
and me and I saw a sign and itsaid sweet corn and I was so
excited.
But I think they thought I saidstreet corn and I was like,
okay, I'm willing to try thestreet corn.
It was not my favorite.
There was a spice in there,like you said, and I kept trying
(05:49):
to try it and be like, okay,well, maybe, maybe it's an
acquired taste.
I could only do like threebites and then I was like I just
I don't know what that spicewas.
But yeah, there's like justsomething about certain spices
that either they're acquired andit takes a while to get used to
them or we just never will.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
I know, yeah, and so I think that's just what it is
is that particular spice?
Because, like I said, I think Ihad it in my pantry and I had
to throw it out after two orthree years because I just
couldn't get myself to use it.
And with curry, myself to useit, and with curry.
And then someone mentioned thatto me too about because my
(06:33):
husband, my mom and a lot ofpeople I know love licorice and
I'm all for it with red licorice, but I am not a fan of black
licorice.
And someone was like, well, whyaren't you?
Speaker 2 (06:38):
And I'm like I have no idea, I just don't like the
flavor of it.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
And then I had another particular cookie.
It was some type of Italiancookie and I can't remember the
name of it.
And then I had anotherparticular cookie it was some
type of Italian cookie and Ican't remember the name of it
and I'm like wow, this makes me,reminds me of, like black
licorice.
And I think a friend of minesaid oh, so it's the anise you
don't like and the spice, yes,she's like.
Oh, you're just not a fan ofthe of a nice and I hope I'm
(07:03):
pronouncing it right and I'mlike what she's like?
Yeah, that's, that's the, the,the spices that are prevalent in
, like you know, the licorice,these particular Italian cookies
, these you know, and she's Ithink she was named some other
stuff, and I'm like you're right.
I don't like any of that stuff,you know, so sometimes it could
(07:23):
just be one particular thing.
So I'm not a fan of like thatanise flavoring or that anise
spice.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
You know, and I think I'm pronouncing it correctly-
I'm sorry go ahead.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
I don't know if I do it right either, but that's how
I pronounce it.
Oh okay, I like to get used tothat anise flavor because when I
was breastfeeding one of ourkids, I didn't make enough milk
and so I had to drink thismother's milk tea and it tasted
just like black licorice and atfirst I was like, oh my word, I
have to drink this for likemonths.
(07:58):
But I loved it, and now I evensaid to my husband I joked
around with him afterwards I'mlike, can I keep drinking this
even though I'm notbreastfeeding?
Speaker 1 (08:09):
it.
So you acquired the taste forthe anise.
I did yeah, because, you'reright, a lot of teas have that
flavor of spice in it.
Yeah, and it is.
So I'm like, well, look, it wasyou and not me, because I
(08:30):
probably would have been like,okay, I can't drink this.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Well, it took me a long time.
I remember the first few timesI would have the same cup of tea
all day long.
I was nursing it because I'mlike, oh, I just can't do this.
But then I got to the pointwhere I really, really liked it.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Yeah, you kept at it and I guess you just kind of
acquired it.
And sometimes with me I'm justlike but you know what?
People tell me that aboutcoconut water?
They're like Kara, oh my gosh,I know how good coconut water is
for you and I know how much youlove it and you just always
talk about the benefits of it,but I can't get it down, I gag,
(09:09):
and I have heard that so manytimes from friends and family
and I'm like, yeah, you know,you do have that kind of gag
reflex at first, but thenafterwards you know what, like
you said, you keep at it, right,and you sort of have like an
acquired taste for it.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
I'm glad you said that because that's next on my
list to start adding into myhealth regimen.
So I'm glad you told me thatbecause I probably would have
taken a sip or two of it andgone.
Yeah, not for me.
But now that I have an acquiredtaste, I can get there?
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Yeah, because another friend of mine we were talking
and she was pretty much sayingthe same thing.
She's like oh my gosh, kara, Iknow I hear so much about the
benefits of coconut water, howit's just so good for you, she's
like, but I can't, I cannot getpast you know that first thing.
And I down it by the day, likeI probably go through a liter or
(10:06):
half a gallon of coconut watera day.
It's just so, along with otherwater, just but the health
benefits of it and actually ithydrates, it quenches my thirst,
I think, more than just regularwater and it has all these
crazy benefits, right andeverything else.
But and my sister's the sameway but someone at church said,
because she drinks coconut watertoo, she was like you know,
(10:29):
people don't.
She was saying people canalways add ginger to it.
Some people add ginger to helpwith the flavor and they kind of
shake it up in a coconut waterthey add lemon or grapes.
I've heard they take and change, you know.
So they're like you know,there's ways you can flavor it
if you just can't, you know,really tolerate it, you know,
(10:54):
and everything else.
And I'm like, but yeah, I waslike at first.
I was like, oh look, my doctorwants me to drink this.
This was a couple of years agowhen she my she was.
She was the one who got mestarted on it, because even I
was like drinking water andstuff.
It just seemed like I still wasbeing dehydrated.
And she was talking about how,when they were overseas and you
(11:15):
know, doing medical missions andstuff over there, that they
actually put it in IVs becausethey don't have access to like
intravenous fluid over there.
They would use coconut water.
Yeah, because they don't haveaccess to intravenous fluid over
there, they use coconut water.
Yeah, and apparently a lot ofdoctors do that in certain
countries where they don't havethat.
She was like that's how healthyit is for your body.
And at first I was like, oh,what?
No, oh my goodness, no, I can'tdo this.
(11:37):
And that was what, maybe 15years ago.
So I've acquired a taste for itand I think they've gotten
better at it.
So I've acquired a taste for itand I think they've gotten
better at it.
You know and I try to drink aspure as I can I get organic
coconut water.
Costco carries that and it'sjust the water straight from a
young green coconut.
That's basically what it is.
(11:57):
Oh nice, yeah.
So if you're in a tropical areaand you have like coconuts, all
around you you could get one andI guess, if you could open it,
just stick a straw in it, youknow, and there's your coconut
water, you know.
But yeah, it's from the coconutmilk and flakes and that comes
(12:19):
from a mature coconut.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Oh, okay.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
You know where you get that white fleshy meat and
milk and stuff?
Yeah, but the water comes fromthe young green coconuts.
Okay, once again, we are notsponsored by any coconut water
company.
Oh my gosh you know or anythingelse.
(12:43):
Just again, just a glimpse intothe behind-the-curtain glimpses
at the lives of Sherri and Kara.
So hopefully some of thatblessed you.
And have you tried coconutwater?
And, if you have, just send usan email at charipodcasts at
gmailcom and let us know yourthoughts on it, on whether you
like it, whether you don't likeit.
(13:04):
If you have have like a certainingredient you may add to it.
You know, like an orange sliceor something that you think
makes it more palpable.
Let us know.
We would love to share it withothers and just kind of let them
know.
So thank you for that andwelcome all new listeners to the
Cheer Up podcast, welcome toCheer Nation, and we just want
(13:25):
to thank everyone for tuning in,for continuing to tune in every
week.
We have listeners who areglobally, nationally and locally
and we just want to thank youall so much.
We see you and we appreciateyou.
You guys just have no idea howmuch we do and thank you so much
.
And if you're listening on yourplatform Spotify, iheart, apple
(13:51):
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listening on if you could justlike share, download, whichever
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just helps us in the algorithmand helps others to find us.
So we thank you so much, justthank you so much for doing that
(14:15):
, for taking the time to do thatand for taking the time to tune
in every week.
Well, as everyone knows, exceptour new listeners but for the
new ones, we just want to letyou know that for the past
couple of months we have beendoing biblical figures, and
obviously from the Bible andwhat they went through, what
(14:36):
they endured, what they werelike, how God used them and how
does that relate to us today,and we've done so many over the
past couple of months.
So if you're like, hmm, I'minterested in who all they've
covered so far, just go towhatever platform you're
listening on and just scrolldown to the beginning of 2024.
(14:58):
Actually, I think we started inFebruary 2024, and you'll be
able to see all of the differentbiblical figures we've covered
so far.
So today we are going to coverPriscilla and Aquila.
I think I was consulting withSherry earlier on how to
(15:23):
pronounce his name and I thinkSherry says Aquila, which is
completely different than what Iwas saying, which was like
Aquila, which that wascompletely wrong.
No one called.
No one don't call her that.
But I think she said Aquila.
And I'm looking at a Bibledictionary.
(15:44):
But I think she said Aquila.
And I'm looking in a Bibledictionary and it's pronounced
like Aquila, like Aquila, like aA-K-W-I-L-A.
That's how it's pronounced.
And, by the way, the definitionof Aquila means an eagle, you
(16:07):
know, which is kind of perfect.
You know, when we, as you'llsee, as we get into talking into
Priscilla and Aquila and I askfor mercy now in case I mess up
the name and say Aquila or okay,never mind, I'm just going to
try my best during this episodeto say the name correctly, so
and I apologize for those who Imay if I get it wrong.
(16:29):
So, priscilla and Aquila, theyare mentioned in the Bible.
They are a husband and wifeteam, priscilla and Aquila.
Just a couple of facts righthere in the beginning.
But Priscilla and Aquila arefirst mentioned in a Bible in
the book of Acts, specificallyin chapter 18, verses 1 and 3.
And in that particular passagethe Apostle Paul arrives in
(16:53):
Corinth and meets Priscilla andAquila, who are fellow tent
makers, and they form a closebond and work together because
that is their trade.
And we covered Paul maybe twoor three weeks ago, and I don't
know if we included what heactually did to make a living,
but he was a tent maker, justlike Priscilla and Aquila, and
(17:14):
that's how their paths cross andso they work together and they
trade, as well as in theirministry, and they traveled
together in early formations ofthe Christian church.
Back then, priscilla and Aquilawere Jews who were converted to
Christianity, probably by Paul.
(17:35):
I'm almost positive, when youlook more into this story, that
it talks about how, because theyspent a lot of time with Paul.
They were tent makers by tradeand they worked together a lot
and Paul actually lived withthem for a while.
And I want to get some quickscriptures on where you can find
out more about Priscilla andAquila verses 1 through 3 and
(18:13):
verse 26, romans 16, verses 3and 4,.
1 Corinthians, chapter 16,verse 19, and 2 Timothy, chapter
4, verse 19.
So again, that's Acts 18,verses 1 through 3,.
Again, that's Acts 18, verses 1through 3, and then Acts 18, 26
, romans 16, 3 through 4, 1Corinthians 16, 19, and 2
(18:35):
Timothy, 4 through 19.
That's just a couple of verses.
I think that talks aboutPriscilla and Aquila and again,
they were Jews who wereconverted to Christianity, and
we know they're Jews becausetheir background is suggested by
their presence in Corinth,where they likely relocated
after being expelled from Romedue to Emperor the horrible,
(18:58):
horrible Emperor Claudius,because he issued an edict that
was targeting Jews back then andhe pretty much told them to get
out of Rome.
That you're done.
I don't want you guys hereanymore, just leave.
Additionally, they were, like Imentioned before, they were
Jewish artisans and that wasjust part of their Jewish
(19:21):
heritage.
They were a Christian Today wewould call them a Messianic
Christian couple and they playeda significant role again in the
early church, and this ismentioned in several of Paul's
letters in the New Testament.
Again, they were originallyfrom Rome but moved to Corinth
(19:43):
due to the emperor's expulsionof Jews from the city.
And what else did you guys needto know about them?
They helped establish theChristian community in Ephesus
and they mentored a youngpreacher, priscilla, and Aquila
mentored a young preacher by thename Apollos.
(20:07):
It's A-P-O-L-L-O-S.
Am I pronouncing it right?
Sure, is it Apollos?
Apollos.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
Yeah, that's how I would pronounce it.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
Apollos, yes, okay.
So they mentored a youngpreacher named Apollos and they
taught him more accurately aboutJesus and the gospel, and
they're mentioned several timesin Paul's letters where he
praises them for theirgenerosity, their hospitality
and their commitment to thegospel.
They are described as fellowworkers in Christ who risked
(20:42):
their lives for Paul andprovided a home for the early
Christian community, and thereference to what I just
mentioned is Romans 16, verses 3through 5.
And I'm actually going to reada version of that a little bit
later how they risked theirlives.
(21:02):
You know that particular verseabout how they risk their lives,
but, again, paul stayed withthem plenty of times and I think
that's why he talks about theirhospitality and their
generosity and their commitmentto the gospel.
Their influence extended beyondtheir immediate circle, as they
are credited with helping toestablish and strengthen lots of
(21:24):
Christian communities invarious cities, including
Ephesus, rome and Corinth.
Their example of partnership inmarriage and ministry, as well
as their willingness to supportand encourage fellow believers,
has made them an enduring modelof Christian discipleship and
service.
Again, like I said, they playeda vital role and I really just
(21:47):
want to hit home on that partabout their example of
partnership and marriage andministry, because now, so that
was about Priscilla and Aquilaand them as a married couple.
But let's go back into somethingjust more about Priscilla, or
(22:09):
probably Prisca is also, as shewas known, p-r-i-s-c-a, because
one of the things that a lot ofscholars and theologians and
Bible teachers and people alongthat line of work and study talk
(22:31):
about is how many times in theBible and I think it's all the
way through the scriptures andin all of Paul's letters, if I'm
not mistaken that it's unusualbecause Priscilla's name
precedes her husband, which isunusual especially in the
(22:53):
scriptures, because normally youalways see the husband's name
mentioned first David andBathsheba, samson and Delilah,
joseph and Mary, noah, and Imean Abraham and Sarah it's
always the husband's name firstand they just like.
It's just very odd that inPaul's letters, in his epistles
(23:15):
and everything else that hementions Priscilla first.
And I have to mention, andSherri, I don't know if this
happened to you, don't know ifthis, this happened to you, but
years ago, um, when I was verynew to the faith, um, and and
everything, and I would hear mypastors and or teachers talk
about priscilla and aquila, Iwould always think, wow, a man
(23:39):
named priscilla.
Because, again, you know, in thebible it was always the
husband's name first, it wasnever the woman's name first, it
was never the woman's namefirst, and I'm like.
So his wife's name was Aquilaand his name is Priscilla.
I've never heard of a man namedPriscilla.
Well, again, I was very young,very new to the faith, and I
didn't quite get that note thatPriscilla was not a man, that it
(24:01):
was a woman and her name wasfirst.
But it wasn't until you know,as you get longer in your
Christian journey, that yourealize like, oh okay, she was
the wife, and so I've alwayswondered why her name was first.
Have you ever wondered that,sherry?
Speaker 2 (24:18):
No, I didn't.
But now that you talk about itI guess I kind of yeah, like
because you're right, most ofthe time it is the man first.
So now I'm wondering.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
Yeah, because it's like, because I always wondered
that before and I was like Ijust automatically assumed when
I was new to the faith that theman's name was Priscilla, you
know, and it just threw me off.
Because I'm like what?
Okay, you know, and it threw meoff until, like after years of
bible study and bible teachersand I was taught correctly that
(24:54):
no, that is that.
No, that was the wife's name.
And so a lot over the the, thecenturies, people have always
wondered like why in thisparticular case and I think it
may be the only case in theBible where Priscilla's name,
where the woman's name, thewife's name, is mentioned first,
and so that has caused a lot ofdebate among the people,
(25:18):
theologians and you know Bibleteachers and stuff like that.
But just a few of the examplesthat some of them have said is
that the fact that Priscilla'sname is mentioned several times
before that of her husband hascalled forth a number of
conjectures and, trust you me,when you look into this, there's
(25:39):
tons of them.
You know people conjecturingwhy her name was first, but it
seems like the best explanationseems to be that she was the
stronger character.
What do you think about that,sherry?
Speaker 2 (25:55):
I think that, just like in everything else, god
uses people in the Bible to showus that, one, we don't have to
live inside a box and two, goduses everybody.
And sometimes it will be, thewoman is the stronger one, quote
unquote.
And in my opinion, then thatmeans that you've got a really
(26:19):
strong man behind you if he'swilling to not take the
spotlight.
And it just goes to show howGod will use anybody and
everybody.
And just because she wasstronger than Aquila does not
mean that he wasn't strong tooand that he didn't have
different strengths.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
Right, and it could just be difference of
personalities, right?
Like maybe she was more of anextrovert.
Speaker 2 (26:45):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
And then maybe he was more of an introvert, but it's
more than obvious that theyworked together well.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Right.
And the fact that they weresuch a great example of a
married couple goes to show thatshe still deferred to him as
the head of the household.
She just was more of thespokesman and he was more of the
behind the scenes playing.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Absolutely Right, playing to their strengths.
He may have been more of thebehind the scenes guy, you know,
hey, I'm planning this wholemap out, we're going to go here,
we're going to hit Rome, we'regoing to hit corn, we're going
to hit all these things and shemay have just been an extrovert,
just one of those personalitieswhere you've never met a
stranger.
Everyone was a friend, you know, and she was just much more
(27:32):
freely sharing of the gospel andthings like that.
And one of the other ones isthat someone said well, maybe
she was just the more energeticcharacter of the two which we
just kind of covered.
Right, she may have just hadmore energy, just more bubbly
(27:54):
and bubbly is not the word I'mlooking for, but maybe just more
going right.
He could be just more laid back.
What do they used to call him?
The strong, quiet man, calm,cool, collected type of guy.
You know what I'm saying.
And she could have beencompletely the opposite of that,
(28:16):
but they worked, you know.
And, as some are saying, well,priscilla is a perfect example
of what the married woman can dofor the general service of the
church, you know, in conjunctionwith being a good wife, in
conjunction with her home duties.
Just like Phoebe is the type ofan unmarried servant to the
(28:38):
church, priscilla is the perfecttype of what a married woman
can be to the church, and thatcould be why her name is first.
And I don't know, sherrybecause we just kind of
mentioned that too to where youexcuse me, you mentioned it, to
where she's just showing how,hey, I can take her home, I can
(28:59):
take her husband, and I canstill travel and do all of these
things with my husband, right,and do all of these things
together.
And oh, by the way, I stillwork because I'm a tent maker
and I work alongside my husband.
What are your thoughts on thatone?
Speaker 2 (29:17):
Well, and maybe too I was thinking about that as you
were talking Maybe he took thebrunt, because I don't know
about you, but tents are heavy,oh yeah, and she did the brunt
work with the voice, and thatway they were a very good
complementary couple with eachother.
Maybe he did the selling and hedid the making, maybe he was
(29:41):
selling and he did the making,and that's why she was mentioned
first, because she also wasthen more vocal with the gospel,
but he was right there too.
Maybe he was praying frombehind.
You know, we don't know, but,man, now I really want to meet
them in heaven.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
I know, right, and it's funny what you just said
about, you know, the tent pegsbeing heavy and the tents and
all of that, because they didn'tcarry small tents back then.
Right, these tents sometimeswere home for big families
because they had so many kids.
And she did other parts.
It kind of reminds me when Kurtand I travel and we have a
(30:21):
travel trailer and so when wepark at a campsite or whatever
and he's hooking it up to waterand electric and things like
that, he's doing the grunt work.
I'm inside, making the bed,cleaning up the kitchen, getting
some food prepared, stuffingthe refrigerator make sure the
refrigerator's on, you know anddoing things like that, putting
(30:45):
away the clothes and everything.
So it's like a big task, butwe're both doing different parts
and they're both equallyimportant.
Right, and they're both equallyimportant.
So when he's done like hookingup all the stuff and you know
and all the things, doing thestuff on the outside and
(31:05):
securing the trailer to thecampground and stuff and he
comes in to take a shower,everything's ready for him,
right the towels, his cleanclothes, some food, maybe, you
know, and everything else.
Like, everything's alreadyready.
He doesn't have to.
Oh, now I have to do the insideright, because we were both on
the outside doing all that otherstuff.
(31:26):
So you're right, it's like youcan split the work, you know and
you know.
So they're like she's a perfectexample of that, about how you
can still be married and stillhave a home life and still
minister the gospel.
And then there are those whosay, yeah, but have you noticed,
she is always mentioned withher husband and never on her own
(31:50):
, which goes to show that womenare not supposed to be in
ministry, that they're notsupposed to be by themselves,
they're not supposed to travelby themselves, go minister the
gospel by themselves or whatever.
She's always mentioned withAquila, she's not mentioned by
herself and I don't believe thatone at all and I'm not going to
I mean, I can't even give thatone much credence because the
(32:12):
same thing could be said aboutAquila, right, he's always
mentioned with her, right, youknow.
But have you heard those type ofthoughts, Like you know?
Or, excuse me, those peopletalk about that Like, oh well,
women aren't supposed to do thisthing and, oh, you notice,
she's always mentioned with herhusband.
It's not that Priscilla didthis and Priscilla did that, you
(32:35):
know.
And besides, like Bebe and somany others in the Bible,
Deborah, you know, we coveredDeborah as well.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
They weren't married and they did great things for
the gospel and for the church.
I think Deborah was married,but her husband never talked
about oh, was she married?
I think she figured that out.
I think she was married.
Speaker 1 (33:01):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
And her husband wasn't mentioned at all.
See what?
Speaker 1 (33:08):
I mean Same thing.
You have Deborah the prophetessand you have Priscilla you know
the hostess, apparently,because she was really great at
that the tent maker, the hostess, and things like that.
So I don't give much credenceto that part.
To the scholars who you knowpoint out oh, she's always
mentioned her husband, she'snever mentioned her own, and
(33:28):
that should tell us somethingabout women and you know their
role in the church, and I'm notgoing to get into any political
debates, excuse me, biblical,sorry biblical debates about
that, but I just can't see muchcredence to that one.
However, they are always shownas equals and this is the cool
(33:53):
thing about it in the scriptures.
They are always shown as equalsin Christ.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
Amen.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
Not necessarily the church, they're shown as equals
in Christ, not necessarily thechurch, they're shown as equals
in Christ.
And that the two of themtogether, as a Jewish Christian
married couple, the two of themtogether, are remembered as
leaders of the early church.
And I think that's just reallyawesome.
When you think about it as amarried couple, it's not just
(34:22):
one, it's like both.
And one of the things Paul saysthat's just really awesome.
When you think about it as amarried couple, it's not just
one, it's like both.
And one of the things Paul saysin Romans and it's Romans 16,
verses for my life, to whom notonly I give thanks, but also all
(34:46):
the churches of the Gentiles Tome that one scripture, when
he's writing this letter, says alot.
And of course he says greetPrisca, which means Priscilla,
greet Prisca and Aquila, and sohe puts her first.
And I'm just wondering andagain, this is my own conjecture
(35:09):
, I'm just wondering if maybe hemet her first.
Do you know what I'm saying?
Like he met her first and wasable to convert her first to
Christianity, and then maybeAquila, because that's always a
possibility there too.
But it says greet Prisca andAquila, who work with me in
Christ Jesus and who riskedtheir necks for my life.
(35:34):
Not Prisca risked her neckalone or Aquila risked his neck
alone, but together, as aChristian couple, they risked
their necks to save Paul's lifeTogether.
And it says to whom?
Not only I give thanks againthis is him writing in one of
(35:57):
his epistles but also all thechurches of the Gentiles.
He's talking about how all thechurches of the Gentiles give
thanks.
This was, like you know.
Today people talk about being apower couple, but this was a
true power couple.
What do you think, sherry?
Speaker 2 (36:13):
Oh, I completely agree and something that I
didn't necessarily want to talkabout, but since we're talking
about them, I read somewherethat it's historically written
that Priscilla and Aquila wereboth martyred together.
I believe they were both burnedbecause that was during the
(36:34):
time of the persecution of theearly church, and I believe that
they were both burned together.
And I'm just sitting here going, my mind just wanders as far as
thinking about them as amarried couple and it almost
makes me want to cry.
So I need to like really becareful because I'm putting
(36:55):
myself back in that day.
But I can almost kind of seethem saying to each other you
know, hey, it's going to get hotin here really quick, but I'll
see you on the other side reallysoon.
So, you know, love you type ofa thing.
But yeah, they did everythingtogether and I think that that's
.
I think God brings that aboutand he doesn't like I wouldn't
(37:21):
say they were a major characterin the New Testament, but
they're a major character in theNew Testament and I think that
that just goes to show that Godcan use people's ordinary lives,
just living their lifeordinarily, welcoming people,
loving on people, sharing God'slove with people, and it makes
(37:45):
eternal differences.
So like they just were livingtheir life, opening their home
in hospitality, because thosewere the kind of people they
were, or that was the missionand purpose and plan that they
felt like God was putting ontheir lives and look at, they're
remembered forever.
Speaker 1 (38:05):
Absolutely, and not just by Paul, who said they
risked their life.
So they were brave.
Right, they were brave, andthey were very brave, and not
only did they risk their life,but he said not only does he
thank them, but all the churchesof the Gentiles.
I mean, come on, but if anyonewas ever able to say that about
(38:29):
my husband and I I don't knowabout you, sherri, but I would
be extremely blessed Amen, Iwould be extremely that they
were a blessing to the churchesof believers and non-believers,
or Gentiles, if you will, justwhatever you know as a couple,
and, like you said, I alsobelieve that I had heard, and or
(38:53):
read, that they were martyredtogether, that they martyred
together, and for those of youwho are listening who would like
to know, how would you knowabout those biblical figures who
were martyred?
One of the best books that I canrecommend regarding that is
Fox's Book of Martyrs.
(39:13):
It goes through a lot ofbiblical figures in the Bible
and how they were martyred, and,again, it's an old book.
It's an older book, I think,maybe a couple hundred years old
.
So what that means, though, isthat it could be public domain
and you could download it forfree.
Now I know they've updated it alot over the years, you know,
(39:39):
and everything, and so some ofthe newer versions and updated
versions.
It's kind of like that oldEnglish type of language, the
original version.
But if you're like, yeah, Iwant a newer version with just
plain American English, youcould probably do that and you
probably may have to pay acouple of bucks for those.
But the ones that are free inpublic domain, that are a couple
hundred years old, the originalone you should be able to
(40:01):
download free.
Or even, yeah, download free,like you know, if you have a
tablet that you read books onand it's called Fox's F-O-X,
f-o-x-t-r-p-s, book of MartyrsM-A-R-T-Y-R-S, so I just wanted
to throw that out there.
(40:21):
But I think, sherry, I don'thave my book of martyrs near me,
but I think, like you said,they were martyred together.
I can't remember exactly how,but you know you heard couples
today where, whether they'remarried or not married, they're
like we're ride or die, right,we ride together, we die
(40:41):
together.
This was a perfect example ofdoing that the right way.
They were truly ride or die.
It was.
Hey, if you're going to riskyour life to save someone's life
, then I'm going to do the samething.
And you know my husband, if hegoes down, I go down, we both
(41:01):
are going to go and do thistogether.
And so to me that is like theperfect example of a ride or die
couple for Christ, not just fordoing something silly or stupid
and getting caught or gettinghurt.
You know, there's so many youngcouples who idolize, like Bonnie
and Clyde.
Oh, they were the trueride-or-die couple, I'm like.
(41:23):
But yeah, they went down in ahail of bullets, right In their
young lives.
They weren't even old, right,right In their young lives.
They weren't even old, right,they weren't even old.
Like their whole lives.
They had their whole lives infront of them, their entire
lives in front of them.
They hadn't even begun to liveyet, but yet they had already
(41:45):
killed, they had alreadymurdered, they had already
robbed, and mostly Clyde.
But Bonnie went along with him,right, ride or die.
Because everyone say that's theultimate ride or die couple.
No, that was the ultimatestupid couple.
Speaker 2 (42:00):
And.
Speaker 1 (42:01):
I know people are going to go.
You can't say that about Bonnieand Clyde.
Yeah well, they were young andstupid I am so sorry to say that
and they are not a good exampleof a couple for anybody.
They're just not.
They are murderers and thievesand robbers.
They're not a good example ofanyone you know.
(42:24):
And their body and their carwas riddled with bullets.
Is that the way you really wantto go out?
Is that the way you want to?
You know, be remembered andmeet your maker on the other
side?
Because whether you're abeliever or not, it doesn't
matter.
You're going to meet God,excuse me.
You're going to have to face onthe other side and you're going
(42:44):
to have to face.
What you did, you know, in yourlife and so is that really how
you want to meet your maker Islike you know, you went out in a
hail of bullets, with peoplekilling you and everything else.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
Honestly, this is the way.
(43:06):
If you're burned at the stakebecause I think that's what you
said, sherry, right, did youthink they were burned at the
stake or burned together?
Rather, I should say, notnecessarily at the stake, but
burned together, because theyhad awful ways, awful especially
under Claudius the emperor.
It wasn't like they were justcontent with killing these
Christians, it was like they hadto make a statement.
(43:29):
You know they either let thembe ripped open by lions or you
know they had to fight in thesebattles that you know they just
couldn't, gladiator type battlesthat they just couldn't win, or
, you know, or they were thrownto the lions.
You know, if they didn't haveto run from them, and especially
(43:50):
, like I said, under two of theparticular Roman emperors
Claudius was one of them, and Ican't think of the other one His
name began with a C too, Ithink, but it was just horrible.
It was really bad forChristians back then, you know.
But if you're going to go downfighting, and if you're going to
go down, then go down believingin Christ and sharing God's
Word, especially if you're goingto go down, then go down
(44:11):
believing in Christ and sharingGod's word, especially if you're
a believer.
That, to me, is the way to go.
And, like you said, I couldjust see them holding hands or,
you know, sharing one final kisswith each other, maybe a hug,
before they're led, you know, totheir deaths.
But we know where they ended up, right, you know, to their
(44:32):
deaths.
But we know where they ended upright.
So, like you said, I can't waitto, you know, just meet them in
heaven, because what an awesomecouple and it sounds like they
went through so much together.
And you know something else thatthey did, and it talks about in
Acts 18, acts chapter 18, waswhen Apollos in Acts 18, acts
(44:56):
chapter 18, was when ApollosA-P-O-L-L-O-S.
When he was beginning to teachand speak in Ephesus.
You know, it was Priscilla andAquila together not Priscilla by
herself, not Aquila by himself,but Priscilla and Aquila
together who pulled Apollosaside and they explained the way
of God to him more accurately.
So it sounds like he, apollos,was a recent Christian convert
(45:20):
and he was eager and he wasexcited and he was like I got to
tell everybody aboutChristianity, I got to tell them
everything Jesus has done forme, and he began to speak and
gather crowds, like in Ephesus,and apparently Priscilla and
Aquila were there to listen,right, and they were like, oh
man, we just love his passion,we love everything he's doing,
(45:43):
but he's not quite getting itright.
You know, he's not quiteunderstanding it the way it
should be understood or sharingit the way it should be
understood.
So what did they do?
They didn't call him out, theydidn't rebuke him openly, they
took him to the side and theyexplained the way of God more
(46:03):
accurately.
And I love how they did that,sherri.
Right, it was together.
They did that together, and Icould just see them now saying,
hey, apollos, great job, hey,come here.
You know, um, there's just somethings you want to mention, you
know, and encouraging him whileat the same time, correcting
him.
You know, um, and I'm so sureApollos was just so grateful for
(46:29):
that, because, you know, inyour excitement, especially when
you're a newcomer, you getreally excited, but you don't
know what you don't know, andsometimes we, you know, have
said things that we like oh wow,that wasn't quite right, and
everything else.
But how cool is it to have acouple who's been there, they've
been in a faith a long time.
Not only that, they're bestbuds with Paul, you know, one of
(46:51):
the greatest missionaries ofall and they come and they just
gently correct you and or howdid the scriptures say it
explain the way of God moreaccurately.
How cool is that, sherri?
Speaker 2 (47:04):
Well, not only that, but as I sit here listening to
you talking about that, I thinkthey are the ones that put
healthy boundaries in place,long before people even
understood the need for healthyboundaries.
So, like my church talks aboutmaking sure, especially as a
married person, but also as asingle person not putting
(47:24):
yourselves in situations thatcould lead to something or that
could be misconstrued, and theywork together as a team and
therefore they put healthyboundaries in place naturally,
as they were being led by God tospeak to and to speak into the
lives of different people, andso therefore, there was no
(47:47):
question.
We talked about Joseph quite afew months ago, where he was in
the house by himself withPharaoh's wife, not by any
misdoing of his own, but he justhappened to be in the wrong
place at the wrong time and heended up in jail.
(48:07):
Aquila and Priscilla they justhad these natural boundaries,
which that also I mean.
I know that that's not reallywhat we're talking about, but I
just love how, when you arefilled with the Holy Spirit and
you are doing what God wants youto do, I think that you just
naturally are led by the HolySpirit in certain ways, and you
(48:33):
know, Christians can getthemselves in hot water
unintentionally.
I get that, but when you're ledby the Holy Spirit, he's never
going to lead you somewherewhere you know you shouldn't be.
And we all know from Josephthat he ended up in prison on
purpose so that he could savethe lives of the, either the
(48:55):
baker or the other guy, thetaster.
I can't remember which one livedand which one died, but you
know, god even used that forgood, so so all things can be
used for good.
But anyway, that was somethingthat struck me as you were
talking about them, that theyeven were really careful with
(49:15):
appearances even way back when.
But yeah, they just seem like areally cool couple.
I would consider it an honorbecause, working alongside him
and working as a family togetherwe used to serve in the nursery
(49:36):
together at a particular seasonin our lives, all five of us
and I absolutely loved it.
Our kids still work in thenursery at this point without us
.
This time, because of differentthings, we've had different
seasons and right now I'm stilldealing with health issues that
I'm trying to get over.
So I know that this is not theseason for me to be working in
(50:01):
the nursery or working as acouple, but there are little
things that come up throughoutthe summer and so forth that we
can do as a family, and Iabsolutely love it, can do as a
family and I absolutely love it.
I I love serving alongside myhusband.
I love serving alongside mykids.
I love um, just blooming wherewe're planted for lack of a
better word and just being usedby God, and I am the more vocal
(50:24):
in our family.
I am the one um that, like whenwe were in the nursery, I would
be the one that would get thekids from the parents and give
the kids back to the parents.
I'm the one, when we do garagesales or things like that, that
have the conversations withstrangers.
Like I, I am the one that justis naturally more outgoing.
(50:46):
But I have the husband, who hasthe quiet strength in the
background and I'll tell youwhat that quiet strength gives
me the energy and the confidenceand the strength to be able to
be the spokesperson, and he isjust as important and just as
valuable as I am.
(51:07):
We just have differentstrengths and it works for us.
As I am, we just have differentstrengths and it works for us,
although I don't really, to behonest, I don't want to think
about us as Aquila and Priscilla.
because I don't want to be amartyr, I'll just be brutally
(51:29):
honest, that isn't how I want togo down, but if that's what God
wants, I will do it.
But I'm not sitting here goingyay, lord, let that be my story.
Speaker 1 (51:39):
You don't want a double portion, like Elijah and
Elisha did.
Yeah, when Elijah was sick, wetalked about them a couple,
elijah and Elisha, a couple ofmonths ago, yeah, but you know,
it's true, and there's so many,and you and I both have
witnessed so many couples towhere the husband may be more
(52:00):
outgoing, the wife may be moreof an introvert, or vice versa.
Right, but they're ministeringtogether, they're in it together
and I think that's the coolthing about it.
And it goes back topersonalities, right?
You know who's more of a cantalk to a stranger, and you know
(52:22):
, and be best friends by the endof 15 minutes, you know.
And you know, and those who arejust kind of like what?
Speaker 2 (52:32):
You know, and everything.
Speaker 1 (52:37):
I remember we moved to a, when we had moved to a new
neighborhood and I don't know,I think we had barely gotten
everything inside and I'm likerubbing my hands together, I'm
so excited.
I'm like, yay, let's gointroduce ourselves to our new
neighbors.
And my husband was like whatI'm like?
Yeah, you know, let's go knockourselves to our new neighbors.
And my husband was like whatI'm like, yeah, you know, let's
go knock on the doors.
You know, maybe carry them apiece of pie or something that
(52:59):
we just got from the store, youknow, or whatever, or carry them
something from the store.
We're not going to do it Say,hey, we're blah, we're blah,
we're, Mr Mrs, Blah, blah, blah,you know.
And we just moved in.
Oh, you know, because to me,like that's just my personality,
right, and it's not, it's notsomething I would even think
(53:22):
twice about, but I'm not goingto do it by myself.
And he was not on board, onboard, His personality was not
on board with that, and he'slike, no, but you know, you have
women who are like that too.
(53:42):
I remember some friends and wewere helping a friend's daughter
.
She wanted to go to camp and todo that they had to sell
tickets or something for another.
You know that fundraise to goto camp and she had said oh my
gosh, she's so far behind, Canyou guys help us, or whatever.
And it was me and my otheradult friend and we're like,
well, you know, of course we canhelp.
So we just grabbed a couple ofthe tickets or whatever the sale
(54:05):
or whatever it was.
I honestly can't remember.
And I remember my friendlooking at me and she's like,
can you do the talking?
When people answer the door,and I'm like, well, yeah, why?
She's like I'm just, that'sjust not me.
I want to help and I want to doit.
She wanted to help and wantedto do it, but just talking and
(54:25):
greeting people just wasn't herthing, you know, and everything
else, and with me.
I'm like hi, hey, how are you?
Oh, isn't that a cute littledog?
Is that a poodle?
Oh, my goodness, isn't he thecutest?
Hey, we're selling thesetickets, you know?
(54:46):
So, to me, doing that isnothing, it's just an extension
of my personality, right?
But for others it may not bethat way, but it sounds like to
me and again, this is Kara'sconjecture and a lot of the
scholars' conjecture that shewas just a more outgoing
personality.
Speaker 2 (55:04):
And see and I think that God put this one in the
Bible to show us that number onehe made Priscilla the way that
she was.
She was not a mistake, she wasnot a Malcolm.
She was not weird.
She was his precious daughterthat he made purposely, and he
(55:25):
brought Priscilla and Aquilatogether because he knew that
they would compliment each other.
He knew that they would.
He knew that she had the typeof personality that would honor
him for the quiet that he was.
And she knew or God knew thathe would highlight and support
and do everything he could fromthe background to help Priscilla
(55:51):
so that together they couldfulfill the mission that God
gave them.
So I think that that is one ofthe things as we wrap up today,
kara, that we need to reallyremind people of that every
relationship is going to lookdifferent.
However, even with thedifferences, there's still a
biblical order that God gives usthat we need to follow.
(56:13):
Priscilla needed to berespectful and show respect and
honor to her husband.
Check she did.
He needed to love her as Christloves the church.
Check he did.
Is it going to look the sameNow?
Kara and I, with our husbands,look very similar because both
of our husbands are on thequieter side and Kara and I are
(56:35):
more on the outgoing side.
Hence the reason we have thepodcast and our husbands support
us from the back end right butwe still, we honor and respect
our husbands.
We honor they are the head of.
If, if, if my husband had saidto me well, first off, I never
would have done a podcast withKara, had he said no, I don't
(56:56):
think that you should do that, Iwould respect his wisdom.
Speaker 1 (56:59):
He didn't.
Speaker 2 (57:00):
He gave me 100%.
You go for it.
And I'm here cheering you onspeaking engagement that I have,
or any writing engagement orany, anything that takes me away
from my duties as a wife, myduties as um, you know, whatever
other jobs that I own or doesthat hold?
Just this week, we had aconversation and I needed to let
(57:24):
somebody know if I was going todo a speaking engagement or not
, and I said I can't give theman answer until you and I have a
conversation.
Is this going going to work forour family?
Are you supportive of this?
Is this okay?
This is what the details are.
Is this what you want and I?
And I don't do that because heowns me.
I don't do that because I'mafraid of him.
(57:45):
I don't do that because, um,you know I have to get
permission.
I do that out of respect.
I do that because he is thehead of the household and he was
the head of our household.
So they had it right.
They knew what they were doing,they kept the order that God
wants us to have and, honestly,like I still think, kara, that
(58:06):
you and I need to have a podcastwhere we talk about what real
submission is, and I think we'vedone it in the past.
But, at the same token, realsubmission is when it's done
right, when the man loves thewoman or the wife and the wife
submits to the husband, he isthe one that is held more
(58:28):
responsible and he is the onethat is held to a higher
standard by God Absolutely yes,and I'll tell you what.
I will do everything in my powerto make that easier for him,
because I love him and becausewe're a team, and so I'm going
to do my part.
He's going to do his part.
Are we going to get it perfect?
(58:49):
Absolutely not, but we're goingto do it the way that God wants
us to, and he'll be pleased bythat.
So we have talked a lot.
I have learned so much moreabout Priscilla and Aquila than
I ever knew, and I hope thatwe've gotten you guys excited
that you will delve into Actsand learn about them yourself
(59:12):
and also check out that book ofMartyrs, that that.
Kara was talking about, becauseI think that's incredibly
fascinating as well.
Next week, we're going to talkabout a sibling group Martha,
mary and Lazarus and maybe youare really familiar with that
story.
Maybe you don't learn anythingnew.
Maybe you'll teach us some newstuff if you either email us or
(59:34):
start a discussion in theFacebook group, but I cannot
wait to talk about them as well.
So come back.
Next we're going to talk aboutMary, martha and Lazarus.
In the meantime, head over toKara's website, kara R Hunt.
You can find out about heraudio books.
You can find out about herfiction series.
(59:56):
You can head over to SherrySwalwellcom and you can learn
about the membership over there,the YouTube channel and then
the different books that I haveas well, and always remember
John 16, 33,.
Have as well, and alwaysremember John 16, 33, these
things I have spoken to you,that in me, you may have peace
(01:00:21):
In the world.
You will have tribulation, butbe of good cheer.
I have overcome the world.
I still can't get it out of myhead that they were martyred for
their faith and you know whatJust like with Stephen, I'm sure
that.
God was there with them and thathe was taking care of them.
And I guess, if I have to bemartyred, if that was the plan
that God has for my life, Ithink as much as I.
(01:00:43):
Well, I wouldn't want myhusband to be martyred next to
me, but I mean, what a way to gotogether.
You know what I mean.
Just like yes, absolutely, youserved together and you went
together and on that fun note,ha ha, ha.
Speaker 1 (01:01:02):
Well, we are one, we do become one when we get
married, so that is true.
Speaker 2 (01:01:07):
That is true.
Speaker 1 (01:01:08):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (01:01:10):
But, on that note, have a great rest of your week.
Find out more about not justPriscilla and Aquila, but also
the other different couples inthe Bible.
Oh yeah, we will talk to younext week about siblings.
Was there sibling rivalry?
Did they love each other?
I don't know.
We'll find out next week.
Have a great rest of your dayand we will talk to you next
(01:01:31):
week.
Hi and welcome to the Cheer Up Podcast.
I am your host, Kara R Hunt,and with me is the beautiful and
sunshiny Sherry Swalwell.
How are you doing today, Sherry?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I am doing great.
It is actually kind of chillyhere on this sunny September
morning.
What's it like over there?
Sunny, sunny, very sunny, very,very sunny.
(00:57):
I think I need to switch overto my hot coffee again and quit
drinking the cold coffee fromthe summer, although I started
making it from home and I'mreally proud of myself because
now I can have the decaf icedcoffee instead of that's.
The one thing that makes me sadis that out in public I can't
seem to get decaf iced coffee.
I can get decaf lattes, but thenthey have all kinds of sugar
and stuff in them, but I can'tget decaf iced coffee, so I
(01:19):
started making it at home and,man, it's pretty good making it
at home and man, it's prettygood.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
See there, it's like when you make your own um um
spaghetti sauces or you know umthings like that, or homegrown
tomatoes, um so many timesthey're so much better than
store-bought.
And I just think it's nothingknocking against the stores
because heaven knows we needthem.
I think it's just just becauseit's straight from form to table
.
Or, in your case, it's straightfrom your refrigerator kit to
(01:50):
the coffee maker.
You know it doesn't have to gothrough like a third, fourth,
five-person process to get toyou.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Exactly One other thing that we started making at
home, which I still love eatingout, but we just can't do it all
the time as a family of five.
But Qdoba we've started makinglike burritos, like they do.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Oh yes.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
So good I could eat a burrito every single day.
Probably wouldn't be well,they're pretty healthy and I
started even doing them just asbowls about the bread so good.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Absolutely.
And oh, the bowls are reallyreally good too.
And yeah, sometimes you have tomake them at home, especially
like because when you go out, inmy case it's usually like white
flour tortillas or you know, orbowls and stuff like that, and
I really try to stay away fromgrains, so I like more like
almond flour tortillas orsomething like that.
(02:49):
That's no grain.
And so I had to start making myown nachos at home with
grain-free tortilla chips.
Now, I don't make thegrain-free tortilla chips, it's
just that there's a brand outthere that makes things like
that that you can use.
But I started making my owningredients at home and boy are
(03:09):
they so good.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
They are.
I could eat Mexican everysingle night.
Seriously, mexican and Chinese.
I love both of those.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
And I also love the grilled.
We love the grilled and I'm agrilled girl and I'm also a
smoked girl and, like you, Ilove Asian food.
Well, no, Chinese food, I loveItalian would be my second.
And Mexican is definitely rightthere next to Italian food and
(03:39):
I'll be right there next toItalian food.
I said Chinese food instead ofAsian food because my husband's
a big fan of Thai food and a lotof people I know are.
I think it's just a little bittoo much for me, for my taste.
(04:00):
You know what I'm saying and Ilove spices, but, boy, Indian
and Thai food have a lot.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
See, I want to try that, but I have a family that
doesn't do well with spices, soI would have to make it just for
myself, and I'm too lazy.
I'm too lazy to do stuff likethat for myself because we have
so many food allergies in ourfamily that I don't like being a
short order cook.
I'd rather have everything.
(04:28):
I can have than make 5,000different things.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Right, yes, and I have had Indian food before, and
not all of it, and I can't evensay I don't this is some of the
spices they use.
That I'm just not a fan of.
I shouldn't say they use.
That's prevalent in Indiancooking and I think someone told
me curry is prevalent in like alot of Thai.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
And I think they said it's prevalent in like a lot of
Thai and Indian cooking.
I think someone told me theother day and I'm like maybe
that's what it is you know, thatI'm just not a fan of, because
I remember I had balsam currylike I don't know years, years
ago, and I tried adding it to myfood and I was just like, yeah,
no for me, you know, because Iwas like I and I love spices,
(05:18):
but for some reason I'm not afan of this one, so that could
just be why right that I'm not afan of it.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
You're so right, kara .
On Sunday I went out to eatwith my husband it was just him
and me and I saw a sign and itsaid sweet corn and I was so
excited.
But I think they thought I saidstreet corn and I was like,
okay, I'm willing to try thestreet corn.
It was not my favorite.
There was a spice in there,like you said, and I kept trying
(05:49):
to try it and be like, okay,well, maybe, maybe it's an
acquired taste.
I could only do like threebites and then I was like I just
I don't know what that spicewas.
But yeah, there's like justsomething about certain spices
that either they're acquired andit takes a while to get used to
them or we just never will.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
I know, yeah, and so I think that's just what it is
is that particular spice?
Because, like I said, I think Ihad it in my pantry and I had
to throw it out after two orthree years because I just
couldn't get myself to use it.
And with curry, myself to useit, and with curry.
And then someone mentioned thatto me too about because my
(06:33):
husband, my mom and a lot ofpeople I know love licorice and
I'm all for it with red licorice, but I am not a fan of black
licorice.
And someone was like, well, whyaren't you?
Speaker 2 (06:38):
And I'm like I have no idea, I just don't like the
flavor of it.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
And then I had another particular cookie.
It was some type of Italiancookie and I can't remember the
name of it.
And then I had anotherparticular cookie it was some
type of Italian cookie and Ican't remember the name of it
and I'm like wow, this makes me,reminds me of, like black
licorice.
And I think a friend of minesaid oh, so it's the anise you
don't like and the spice, yes,she's like.
Oh, you're just not a fan ofthe of a nice and I hope I'm
(07:03):
pronouncing it right and I'mlike what she's like?
Yeah, that's, that's the, the,the spices that are prevalent in
, like you know, the licorice,these particular Italian cookies
, these you know, and she's Ithink she was named some other
stuff, and I'm like you're right.
I don't like any of that stuff,you know, so sometimes it could
(07:23):
just be one particular thing.
So I'm not a fan of like thatanise flavoring or that anise
spice.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
You know, and I think I'm pronouncing it correctly-
I'm sorry go ahead.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
I don't know if I do it right either, but that's how
I pronounce it.
Oh okay, I like to get used tothat anise flavor because when I
was breastfeeding one of ourkids, I didn't make enough milk
and so I had to drink thismother's milk tea and it tasted
just like black licorice and atfirst I was like, oh my word, I
have to drink this for likemonths.
(07:58):
But I loved it, and now I evensaid to my husband I joked
around with him afterwards I'mlike, can I keep drinking this
even though I'm notbreastfeeding?
Speaker 1 (08:09):
it.
So you acquired the taste forthe anise.
I did yeah, because, you'reright, a lot of teas have that
flavor of spice in it.
Yeah, and it is.
So I'm like, well, look, it wasyou and not me, because I
(08:30):
probably would have been like,okay, I can't drink this.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Well, it took me a long time.
I remember the first few timesI would have the same cup of tea
all day long.
I was nursing it because I'mlike, oh, I just can't do this.
But then I got to the pointwhere I really, really liked it.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Yeah, you kept at it and I guess you just kind of
acquired it.
And sometimes with me I'm justlike but you know what?
People tell me that aboutcoconut water?
They're like Kara, oh my gosh,I know how good coconut water is
for you and I know how much youlove it and you just always
talk about the benefits of it,but I can't get it down, I gag,
(09:09):
and I have heard that so manytimes from friends and family
and I'm like, yeah, you know,you do have that kind of gag
reflex at first, but thenafterwards you know what, like
you said, you keep at it, right,and you sort of have like an
acquired taste for it.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
I'm glad you said that because that's next on my
list to start adding into myhealth regimen.
So I'm glad you told me thatbecause I probably would have
taken a sip or two of it andgone.
Yeah, not for me.
But now that I have an acquiredtaste, I can get there?
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Yeah, because another friend of mine we were talking
and she was pretty much sayingthe same thing.
She's like oh my gosh, kara, Iknow I hear so much about the
benefits of coconut water, howit's just so good for you, she's
like, but I can't, I cannot getpast you know that first thing.
And I down it by the day, likeI probably go through a liter or
(10:06):
half a gallon of coconut watera day.
It's just so, along with otherwater, just but the health
benefits of it and actually ithydrates, it quenches my thirst,
I think, more than just regularwater and it has all these
crazy benefits, right andeverything else.
But and my sister's the sameway but someone at church said,
because she drinks coconut watertoo, she was like you know,
(10:29):
people don't.
She was saying people canalways add ginger to it.
Some people add ginger to helpwith the flavor and they kind of
shake it up in a coconut waterthey add lemon or grapes.
I've heard they take and change, you know.
So they're like you know,there's ways you can flavor it
if you just can't, you know,really tolerate it, you know,
(10:54):
and everything else.
And I'm like, but yeah, I waslike at first.
I was like, oh look, my doctorwants me to drink this.
This was a couple of years agowhen she my she was.
She was the one who got mestarted on it, because even I
was like drinking water andstuff.
It just seemed like I still wasbeing dehydrated.
And she was talking about how,when they were overseas and you
(11:15):
know, doing medical missions andstuff over there, that they
actually put it in IVs becausethey don't have access to like
intravenous fluid over there.
They would use coconut water.
Yeah, because they don't haveaccess to intravenous fluid over
there, they use coconut water.
Yeah, and apparently a lot ofdoctors do that in certain
countries where they don't havethat.
She was like that's how healthyit is for your body.
And at first I was like, oh,what?
No, oh my goodness, no, I can'tdo this.
(11:37):
And that was what, maybe 15years ago.
So I've acquired a taste for itand I think they've gotten
better at it.
So I've acquired a taste for itand I think they've gotten
better at it.
You know and I try to drink aspure as I can I get organic
coconut water.
Costco carries that and it'sjust the water straight from a
young green coconut.
That's basically what it is.
(11:57):
Oh nice, yeah.
So if you're in a tropical areaand you have like coconuts, all
around you you could get one andI guess, if you could open it,
just stick a straw in it, youknow, and there's your coconut
water, you know.
But yeah, it's from the coconutmilk and flakes and that comes
(12:19):
from a mature coconut.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Oh, okay.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
You know where you get that white fleshy meat and
milk and stuff?
Yeah, but the water comes fromthe young green coconuts.
Okay, once again, we are notsponsored by any coconut water
company.
Oh my gosh you know or anythingelse.
(12:43):
Just again, just a glimpse intothe behind-the-curtain glimpses
at the lives of Sherri and Kara.
So hopefully some of thatblessed you.
And have you tried coconutwater?
And, if you have, just send usan email at charipodcasts at
gmailcom and let us know yourthoughts on it, on whether you
like it, whether you don't likeit.
(13:04):
If you have have like a certainingredient you may add to it.
You know, like an orange sliceor something that you think
makes it more palpable.
Let us know.
We would love to share it withothers and just kind of let them
know.
So thank you for that andwelcome all new listeners to the
Cheer Up podcast, welcome toCheer Nation, and we just want
(13:25):
to thank everyone for tuning in,for continuing to tune in every
week.
We have listeners who areglobally, nationally and locally
and we just want to thank youall so much.
We see you and we appreciateyou.
You guys just have no idea howmuch we do and thank you so much
.
And if you're listening on yourplatform Spotify, iheart, apple
(13:51):
, apple, apple podcast or justwhatever podcast platform you're
listening on if you could justlike share, download, whichever
option they offer, that helps usa lot For those who are looking
for joyous and or inspirationalChristian podcasts, then that
just helps us in the algorithmand helps others to find us.
So we thank you so much, justthank you so much for doing that
(14:15):
, for taking the time to do thatand for taking the time to tune
in every week.
Well, as everyone knows, exceptour new listeners but for the
new ones, we just want to letyou know that for the past
couple of months we have beendoing biblical figures, and
obviously from the Bible andwhat they went through, what
(14:36):
they endured, what they werelike, how God used them and how
does that relate to us today,and we've done so many over the
past couple of months.
So if you're like, hmm, I'minterested in who all they've
covered so far, just go towhatever platform you're
listening on and just scrolldown to the beginning of 2024.
(14:58):
Actually, I think we started inFebruary 2024, and you'll be
able to see all of the differentbiblical figures we've covered
so far.
So today we are going to coverPriscilla and Aquila.
I think I was consulting withSherry earlier on how to
(15:23):
pronounce his name and I thinkSherry says Aquila, which is
completely different than what Iwas saying, which was like
Aquila, which that wascompletely wrong.
No one called.
No one don't call her that.
But I think she said Aquila.
And I'm looking at a Bibledictionary.
(15:44):
But I think she said Aquila.
And I'm looking in a Bibledictionary and it's pronounced
like Aquila, like Aquila, like aA-K-W-I-L-A.
That's how it's pronounced.
And, by the way, the definitionof Aquila means an eagle, you
(16:07):
know, which is kind of perfect.
You know, when we, as you'llsee, as we get into talking into
Priscilla and Aquila and I askfor mercy now in case I mess up
the name and say Aquila or okay,never mind, I'm just going to
try my best during this episodeto say the name correctly, so
and I apologize for those who Imay if I get it wrong.
(16:29):
So, priscilla and Aquila, theyare mentioned in the Bible.
They are a husband and wifeteam, priscilla and Aquila.
Just a couple of facts righthere in the beginning.
But Priscilla and Aquila arefirst mentioned in a Bible in
the book of Acts, specificallyin chapter 18, verses 1 and 3.
And in that particular passagethe Apostle Paul arrives in
(16:53):
Corinth and meets Priscilla andAquila, who are fellow tent
makers, and they form a closebond and work together because
that is their trade.
And we covered Paul maybe twoor three weeks ago, and I don't
know if we included what heactually did to make a living,
but he was a tent maker, justlike Priscilla and Aquila, and
(17:14):
that's how their paths cross andso they work together and they
trade, as well as in theirministry, and they traveled
together in early formations ofthe Christian church.
Back then, priscilla and Aquilawere Jews who were converted to
Christianity, probably by Paul.
(17:35):
I'm almost positive, when youlook more into this story, that
it talks about how, because theyspent a lot of time with Paul.
They were tent makers by tradeand they worked together a lot
and Paul actually lived withthem for a while.
And I want to get some quickscriptures on where you can find
out more about Priscilla andAquila verses 1 through 3 and
(18:13):
verse 26, romans 16, verses 3and 4,.
1 Corinthians, chapter 16,verse 19, and 2 Timothy, chapter
4, verse 19.
So again, that's Acts 18,verses 1 through 3,.
Again, that's Acts 18, verses 1through 3, and then Acts 18, 26
, romans 16, 3 through 4, 1Corinthians 16, 19, and 2
(18:35):
Timothy, 4 through 19.
That's just a couple of verses.
I think that talks aboutPriscilla and Aquila and again,
they were Jews who wereconverted to Christianity, and
we know they're Jews becausetheir background is suggested by
their presence in Corinth,where they likely relocated
after being expelled from Romedue to Emperor the horrible,
(18:58):
horrible Emperor Claudius,because he issued an edict that
was targeting Jews back then andhe pretty much told them to get
out of Rome.
That you're done.
I don't want you guys hereanymore, just leave.
Additionally, they were, like Imentioned before, they were
Jewish artisans and that wasjust part of their Jewish
(19:21):
heritage.
They were a Christian Today wewould call them a Messianic
Christian couple and they playeda significant role again in the
early church, and this ismentioned in several of Paul's
letters in the New Testament.
Again, they were originallyfrom Rome but moved to Corinth
(19:43):
due to the emperor's expulsionof Jews from the city.
And what else did you guys needto know about them?
They helped establish theChristian community in Ephesus
and they mentored a youngpreacher, priscilla, and Aquila
mentored a young preacher by thename Apollos.
(20:07):
It's A-P-O-L-L-O-S.
Am I pronouncing it right?
Sure, is it Apollos?
Apollos.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
Yeah, that's how I would pronounce it.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
Apollos, yes, okay.
So they mentored a youngpreacher named Apollos and they
taught him more accurately aboutJesus and the gospel, and
they're mentioned several timesin Paul's letters where he
praises them for theirgenerosity, their hospitality
and their commitment to thegospel.
They are described as fellowworkers in Christ who risked
(20:42):
their lives for Paul andprovided a home for the early
Christian community, and thereference to what I just
mentioned is Romans 16, verses 3through 5.
And I'm actually going to reada version of that a little bit
later how they risked theirlives.
(21:02):
You know that particular verseabout how they risk their lives,
but, again, paul stayed withthem plenty of times and I think
that's why he talks about theirhospitality and their
generosity and their commitmentto the gospel.
Their influence extended beyondtheir immediate circle, as they
are credited with helping toestablish and strengthen lots of
(21:24):
Christian communities invarious cities, including
Ephesus, rome and Corinth.
Their example of partnership inmarriage and ministry, as well
as their willingness to supportand encourage fellow believers,
has made them an enduring modelof Christian discipleship and
service.
Again, like I said, they playeda vital role and I really just
(21:47):
want to hit home on that partabout their example of
partnership and marriage andministry, because now, so that
was about Priscilla and Aquilaand them as a married couple.
But let's go back into somethingjust more about Priscilla, or
(22:09):
probably Prisca is also, as shewas known, p-r-i-s-c-a, because
one of the things that a lot ofscholars and theologians and
Bible teachers and people alongthat line of work and study talk
(22:31):
about is how many times in theBible and I think it's all the
way through the scriptures andin all of Paul's letters, if I'm
not mistaken that it's unusualbecause Priscilla's name
precedes her husband, which isunusual especially in the
(22:53):
scriptures, because normally youalways see the husband's name
mentioned first David andBathsheba, samson and Delilah,
joseph and Mary, noah, and Imean Abraham and Sarah it's
always the husband's name firstand they just like.
It's just very odd that inPaul's letters, in his epistles
(23:15):
and everything else that hementions Priscilla first.
And I have to mention, andSherri, I don't know if this
happened to you, don't know ifthis, this happened to you, but
years ago, um, when I was verynew to the faith, um, and and
everything, and I would hear mypastors and or teachers talk
about priscilla and aquila, Iwould always think, wow, a man
(23:39):
named priscilla.
Because, again, you know, in thebible it was always the
husband's name first, it wasnever the woman's name first, it
was never the woman's namefirst, and I'm like.
So his wife's name was Aquilaand his name is Priscilla.
I've never heard of a man namedPriscilla.
Well, again, I was very young,very new to the faith, and I
didn't quite get that note thatPriscilla was not a man, that it
(24:01):
was a woman and her name wasfirst.
But it wasn't until you know,as you get longer in your
Christian journey, that yourealize like, oh okay, she was
the wife, and so I've alwayswondered why her name was first.
Have you ever wondered that,sherry?
Speaker 2 (24:18):
No, I didn't.
But now that you talk about itI guess I kind of yeah, like
because you're right, most ofthe time it is the man first.
So now I'm wondering.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
Yeah, because it's like, because I always wondered
that before and I was like Ijust automatically assumed when
I was new to the faith that theman's name was Priscilla, you
know, and it just threw me off.
Because I'm like what?
Okay, you know, and it threw meoff until, like after years of
bible study and bible teachersand I was taught correctly that
(24:54):
no, that is that.
No, that was the wife's name.
And so a lot over the the, thecenturies, people have always
wondered like why in thisparticular case and I think it
may be the only case in theBible where Priscilla's name,
where the woman's name, thewife's name, is mentioned first,
and so that has caused a lot ofdebate among the people,
(25:18):
theologians and you know Bibleteachers and stuff like that.
But just a few of the examplesthat some of them have said is
that the fact that Priscilla'sname is mentioned several times
before that of her husband hascalled forth a number of
conjectures and, trust you me,when you look into this, there's
(25:39):
tons of them.
You know people conjecturingwhy her name was first, but it
seems like the best explanationseems to be that she was the
stronger character.
What do you think about that,sherry?
Speaker 2 (25:55):
I think that, just like in everything else, god
uses people in the Bible to showus that, one, we don't have to
live inside a box and two, goduses everybody.
And sometimes it will be, thewoman is the stronger one, quote
unquote.
And in my opinion, then thatmeans that you've got a really
(26:19):
strong man behind you if he'swilling to not take the
spotlight.
And it just goes to show howGod will use anybody and
everybody.
And just because she wasstronger than Aquila does not
mean that he wasn't strong tooand that he didn't have
different strengths.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
Right, and it could just be difference of
personalities, right?
Like maybe she was more of anextrovert.
Speaker 2 (26:45):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
And then maybe he was more of an introvert, but it's
more than obvious that theyworked together well.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Right.
And the fact that they weresuch a great example of a
married couple goes to show thatshe still deferred to him as
the head of the household.
She just was more of thespokesman and he was more of the
behind the scenes playing.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Absolutely Right, playing to their strengths.
He may have been more of thebehind the scenes guy, you know,
hey, I'm planning this wholemap out, we're going to go here,
we're going to hit Rome, we'regoing to hit corn, we're going
to hit all these things and shemay have just been an extrovert,
just one of those personalitieswhere you've never met a
stranger.
Everyone was a friend, you know, and she was just much more
(27:32):
freely sharing of the gospel andthings like that.
And one of the other ones isthat someone said well, maybe
she was just the more energeticcharacter of the two which we
just kind of covered.
Right, she may have just hadmore energy, just more bubbly
(27:54):
and bubbly is not the word I'mlooking for, but maybe just more
going right.
He could be just more laid back.
What do they used to call him?
The strong, quiet man, calm,cool, collected type of guy.
You know what I'm saying.
And she could have beencompletely the opposite of that,
(28:16):
but they worked, you know.
And, as some are saying, well,priscilla is a perfect example
of what the married woman can dofor the general service of the
church, you know, in conjunctionwith being a good wife, in
conjunction with her home duties.
Just like Phoebe is the type ofan unmarried servant to the
(28:38):
church, priscilla is the perfecttype of what a married woman
can be to the church, and thatcould be why her name is first.
And I don't know, sherrybecause we just kind of
mentioned that too to where youexcuse me, you mentioned it, to
where she's just showing how,hey, I can take her home, I can
(28:59):
take her husband, and I canstill travel and do all of these
things with my husband, right,and do all of these things
together.
And oh, by the way, I stillwork because I'm a tent maker
and I work alongside my husband.
What are your thoughts on thatone?
Speaker 2 (29:17):
Well, and maybe too I was thinking about that as you
were talking Maybe he took thebrunt, because I don't know
about you, but tents are heavy,oh yeah, and she did the brunt
work with the voice, and thatway they were a very good
complementary couple with eachother.
Maybe he did the selling and hedid the making, maybe he was
(29:41):
selling and he did the making,and that's why she was mentioned
first, because she also wasthen more vocal with the gospel,
but he was right there too.
Maybe he was praying frombehind.
You know, we don't know, but,man, now I really want to meet
them in heaven.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
I know, right, and it's funny what you just said
about, you know, the tent pegsbeing heavy and the tents and
all of that, because they didn'tcarry small tents back then.
Right, these tents sometimeswere home for big families
because they had so many kids.
And she did other parts.
It kind of reminds me when Kurtand I travel and we have a
(30:21):
travel trailer and so when wepark at a campsite or whatever
and he's hooking it up to waterand electric and things like
that, he's doing the grunt work.
I'm inside, making the bed,cleaning up the kitchen, getting
some food prepared, stuffingthe refrigerator make sure the
refrigerator's on, you know anddoing things like that, putting
(30:45):
away the clothes and everything.
So it's like a big task, butwe're both doing different parts
and they're both equallyimportant.
Right, and they're both equallyimportant.
So when he's done like hookingup all the stuff and you know
and all the things, doing thestuff on the outside and
(31:05):
securing the trailer to thecampground and stuff and he
comes in to take a shower,everything's ready for him,
right the towels, his cleanclothes, some food, maybe, you
know, and everything else.
Like, everything's alreadyready.
He doesn't have to.
Oh, now I have to do the insideright, because we were both on
the outside doing all that otherstuff.
(31:26):
So you're right, it's like youcan split the work, you know and
you know.
So they're like she's a perfectexample of that, about how you
can still be married and stillhave a home life and still
minister the gospel.
And then there are those whosay, yeah, but have you noticed,
she is always mentioned withher husband and never on her own
(31:50):
, which goes to show that womenare not supposed to be in
ministry, that they're notsupposed to be by themselves,
they're not supposed to travelby themselves, go minister the
gospel by themselves or whatever.
She's always mentioned withAquila, she's not mentioned by
herself and I don't believe thatone at all and I'm not going to
I mean, I can't even give thatone much credence because the
(32:12):
same thing could be said aboutAquila, right, he's always
mentioned with her, right, youknow.
But have you heard those type ofthoughts, Like you know?
Or, excuse me, those peopletalk about that Like, oh well,
women aren't supposed to do thisthing and, oh, you notice,
she's always mentioned with herhusband.
It's not that Priscilla didthis and Priscilla did that, you
(32:35):
know.
And besides, like Bebe and somany others in the Bible,
Deborah, you know, we coveredDeborah as well.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
They weren't married and they did great things for
the gospel and for the church.
I think Deborah was married,but her husband never talked
about oh, was she married?
I think she figured that out.
I think she was married.
Speaker 1 (33:01):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
And her husband wasn't mentioned at all.
See what?
Speaker 1 (33:08):
I mean Same thing.
You have Deborah the prophetessand you have Priscilla you know
the hostess, apparently,because she was really great at
that the tent maker, the hostess, and things like that.
So I don't give much credenceto that part.
To the scholars who you knowpoint out oh, she's always
mentioned her husband, she'snever mentioned her own, and
(33:28):
that should tell us somethingabout women and you know their
role in the church, and I'm notgoing to get into any political
debates, excuse me, biblical,sorry biblical debates about
that, but I just can't see muchcredence to that one.
However, they are always shownas equals and this is the cool
(33:53):
thing about it in the scriptures.
They are always shown as equalsin Christ.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
Amen.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
Not necessarily the church, they're shown as equals
in Christ, not necessarily thechurch, they're shown as equals
in Christ.
And that the two of themtogether, as a Jewish Christian
married couple, the two of themtogether, are remembered as
leaders of the early church.
And I think that's just reallyawesome.
When you think about it as amarried couple, it's not just
(34:22):
one, it's like both.
And one of the things Paul saysthat's just really awesome.
When you think about it as amarried couple, it's not just
one, it's like both.
And one of the things Paul saysin Romans and it's Romans 16,
verses for my life, to whom notonly I give thanks, but also all
(34:46):
the churches of the Gentiles Tome that one scripture, when
he's writing this letter, says alot.
And of course he says greetPrisca, which means Priscilla,
greet Prisca and Aquila, and sohe puts her first.
And I'm just wondering andagain, this is my own conjecture
(35:09):
, I'm just wondering if maybe hemet her first.
Do you know what I'm saying?
Like he met her first and wasable to convert her first to
Christianity, and then maybeAquila, because that's always a
possibility there too.
But it says greet Prisca andAquila, who work with me in
Christ Jesus and who riskedtheir necks for my life.
(35:34):
Not Prisca risked her neckalone or Aquila risked his neck
alone, but together, as aChristian couple, they risked
their necks to save Paul's lifeTogether.
And it says to whom?
Not only I give thanks againthis is him writing in one of
(35:57):
his epistles but also all thechurches of the Gentiles.
He's talking about how all thechurches of the Gentiles give
thanks.
This was, like you know.
Today people talk about being apower couple, but this was a
true power couple.
What do you think, sherry?
Speaker 2 (36:13):
Oh, I completely agree and something that I
didn't necessarily want to talkabout, but since we're talking
about them, I read somewherethat it's historically written
that Priscilla and Aquila wereboth martyred together.
I believe they were both burnedbecause that was during the
(36:34):
time of the persecution of theearly church, and I believe that
they were both burned together.
And I'm just sitting here going, my mind just wanders as far as
thinking about them as amarried couple and it almost
makes me want to cry.
So I need to like really becareful because I'm putting
(36:55):
myself back in that day.
But I can almost kind of seethem saying to each other you
know, hey, it's going to get hotin here really quick, but I'll
see you on the other side reallysoon.
So, you know, love you type ofa thing.
But yeah, they did everythingtogether and I think that that's
.
I think God brings that aboutand he doesn't like I wouldn't
(37:21):
say they were a major characterin the New Testament, but
they're a major character in theNew Testament and I think that
that just goes to show that Godcan use people's ordinary lives,
just living their lifeordinarily, welcoming people,
loving on people, sharing God'slove with people, and it makes
(37:45):
eternal differences.
So like they just were livingtheir life, opening their home
in hospitality, because thosewere the kind of people they
were, or that was the missionand purpose and plan that they
felt like God was putting ontheir lives and look at, they're
remembered forever.
Speaker 1 (38:05):
Absolutely, and not just by Paul, who said they
risked their life.
So they were brave.
Right, they were brave, andthey were very brave, and not
only did they risk their life,but he said not only does he
thank them, but all the churchesof the Gentiles.
I mean, come on, but if anyonewas ever able to say that about
(38:29):
my husband and I I don't knowabout you, sherri, but I would
be extremely blessed Amen, Iwould be extremely that they
were a blessing to the churchesof believers and non-believers,
or Gentiles, if you will, justwhatever you know as a couple,
and, like you said, I alsobelieve that I had heard, and or
(38:53):
read, that they were martyredtogether, that they martyred
together, and for those of youwho are listening who would like
to know, how would you knowabout those biblical figures who
were martyred?
One of the best books that I canrecommend regarding that is
Fox's Book of Martyrs.
(39:13):
It goes through a lot ofbiblical figures in the Bible
and how they were martyred, and,again, it's an old book.
It's an older book, I think,maybe a couple hundred years old
.
So what that means, though, isthat it could be public domain
and you could download it forfree.
Now I know they've updated it alot over the years, you know,
(39:39):
and everything, and so some ofthe newer versions and updated
versions.
It's kind of like that oldEnglish type of language, the
original version.
But if you're like, yeah, Iwant a newer version with just
plain American English, youcould probably do that and you
probably may have to pay acouple of bucks for those.
But the ones that are free inpublic domain, that are a couple
hundred years old, the originalone you should be able to
(40:01):
download free.
Or even, yeah, download free,like you know, if you have a
tablet that you read books onand it's called Fox's F-O-X,
f-o-x-t-r-p-s, book of MartyrsM-A-R-T-Y-R-S, so I just wanted
to throw that out there.
(40:21):
But I think, sherry, I don'thave my book of martyrs near me,
but I think, like you said,they were martyred together.
I can't remember exactly how,but you know you heard couples
today where, whether they'remarried or not married, they're
like we're ride or die, right,we ride together, we die
(40:41):
together.
This was a perfect example ofdoing that the right way.
They were truly ride or die.
It was.
Hey, if you're going to riskyour life to save someone's life
, then I'm going to do the samething.
And you know my husband, if hegoes down, I go down, we both
(41:01):
are going to go and do thistogether.
And so to me that is like theperfect example of a ride or die
couple for Christ, not just fordoing something silly or stupid
and getting caught or gettinghurt.
You know, there's so many youngcouples who idolize, like Bonnie
and Clyde.
Oh, they were the trueride-or-die couple, I'm like.
(41:23):
But yeah, they went down in ahail of bullets, right In their
young lives.
They weren't even old, right,right In their young lives.
They weren't even old, right,they weren't even old.
Like their whole lives.
They had their whole lives infront of them, their entire
lives in front of them.
They hadn't even begun to liveyet, but yet they had already
(41:45):
killed, they had alreadymurdered, they had already
robbed, and mostly Clyde.
But Bonnie went along with him,right, ride or die.
Because everyone say that's theultimate ride or die couple.
No, that was the ultimatestupid couple.
Speaker 2 (42:00):
And.
Speaker 1 (42:01):
I know people are going to go.
You can't say that about Bonnieand Clyde.
Yeah well, they were young andstupid I am so sorry to say that
and they are not a good exampleof a couple for anybody.
They're just not.
They are murderers and thievesand robbers.
They're not a good example ofanyone you know.
(42:24):
And their body and their carwas riddled with bullets.
Is that the way you really wantto go out?
Is that the way you want to?
You know, be remembered andmeet your maker on the other
side?
Because whether you're abeliever or not, it doesn't
matter.
You're going to meet God,excuse me.
You're going to have to face onthe other side and you're going
(42:44):
to have to face.
What you did, you know, in yourlife and so is that really how
you want to meet your maker Islike you know, you went out in a
hail of bullets, with peoplekilling you and everything else.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
Honestly, this is the way.
(43:06):
If you're burned at the stakebecause I think that's what you
said, sherry, right, did youthink they were burned at the
stake or burned together?
Rather, I should say, notnecessarily at the stake, but
burned together, because theyhad awful ways, awful especially
under Claudius the emperor.
It wasn't like they were justcontent with killing these
Christians, it was like they hadto make a statement.
(43:29):
You know they either let thembe ripped open by lions or you
know they had to fight in thesebattles that you know they just
couldn't, gladiator type battlesthat they just couldn't win, or
, you know, or they were thrownto the lions.
You know, if they didn't haveto run from them, and especially
(43:50):
, like I said, under two of theparticular Roman emperors
Claudius was one of them, and Ican't think of the other one His
name began with a C too, Ithink, but it was just horrible.
It was really bad forChristians back then, you know.
But if you're going to go downfighting, and if you're going to
go down, then go down believingin Christ and sharing God's
Word, especially if you're goingto go down, then go down
(44:11):
believing in Christ and sharingGod's word, especially if you're
a believer.
That, to me, is the way to go.
And, like you said, I couldjust see them holding hands or,
you know, sharing one final kisswith each other, maybe a hug,
before they're led, you know, totheir deaths.
But we know where they ended up, right, you know, to their
(44:32):
deaths.
But we know where they ended upright.
So, like you said, I can't waitto, you know, just meet them in
heaven, because what an awesomecouple and it sounds like they
went through so much together.
And you know something else thatthey did, and it talks about in
Acts 18, acts chapter 18, waswhen Apollos in Acts 18, acts
(44:56):
chapter 18, was when ApollosA-P-O-L-L-O-S.
When he was beginning to teachand speak in Ephesus.
You know, it was Priscilla andAquila together not Priscilla by
herself, not Aquila by himself,but Priscilla and Aquila
together who pulled Apollosaside and they explained the way
of God to him more accurately.
So it sounds like he, apollos,was a recent Christian convert
(45:20):
and he was eager and he wasexcited and he was like I got to
tell everybody aboutChristianity, I got to tell them
everything Jesus has done forme, and he began to speak and
gather crowds, like in Ephesus,and apparently Priscilla and
Aquila were there to listen,right, and they were like, oh
man, we just love his passion,we love everything he's doing,
(45:43):
but he's not quite getting itright.
You know, he's not quiteunderstanding it the way it
should be understood or sharingit the way it should be
understood.
So what did they do?
They didn't call him out, theydidn't rebuke him openly, they
took him to the side and theyexplained the way of God more
(46:03):
accurately.
And I love how they did that,sherri.
Right, it was together.
They did that together, and Icould just see them now saying,
hey, apollos, great job, hey,come here.
You know, um, there's just somethings you want to mention, you
know, and encouraging him whileat the same time, correcting
him.
You know, um, and I'm so sureApollos was just so grateful for
(46:29):
that, because, you know, inyour excitement, especially when
you're a newcomer, you getreally excited, but you don't
know what you don't know, andsometimes we, you know, have
said things that we like oh wow,that wasn't quite right, and
everything else.
But how cool is it to have acouple who's been there, they've
been in a faith a long time.
Not only that, they're bestbuds with Paul, you know, one of
(46:51):
the greatest missionaries ofall and they come and they just
gently correct you and or howdid the scriptures say it
explain the way of God moreaccurately.
How cool is that, sherri?
Speaker 2 (47:04):
Well, not only that, but as I sit here listening to
you talking about that, I thinkthey are the ones that put
healthy boundaries in place,long before people even
understood the need for healthyboundaries.
So, like my church talks aboutmaking sure, especially as a
married person, but also as asingle person not putting
(47:24):
yourselves in situations thatcould lead to something or that
could be misconstrued, and theywork together as a team and
therefore they put healthyboundaries in place naturally,
as they were being led by God tospeak to and to speak into the
lives of different people, andso therefore, there was no
(47:47):
question.
We talked about Joseph quite afew months ago, where he was in
the house by himself withPharaoh's wife, not by any
misdoing of his own, but he justhappened to be in the wrong
place at the wrong time and heended up in jail.
(48:07):
Aquila and Priscilla they justhad these natural boundaries,
which that also I mean.
I know that that's not reallywhat we're talking about, but I
just love how, when you arefilled with the Holy Spirit and
you are doing what God wants youto do, I think that you just
naturally are led by the HolySpirit in certain ways, and you
(48:33):
know, Christians can getthemselves in hot water
unintentionally.
I get that, but when you're ledby the Holy Spirit, he's never
going to lead you somewherewhere you know you shouldn't be.
And we all know from Josephthat he ended up in prison on
purpose so that he could savethe lives of the, either the
(48:55):
baker or the other guy, thetaster.
I can't remember which one livedand which one died, but you
know, god even used that forgood, so so all things can be
used for good.
But anyway, that was somethingthat struck me as you were
talking about them, that theyeven were really careful with
(49:15):
appearances even way back when.
But yeah, they just seem like areally cool couple.
I would consider it an honorbecause, working alongside him
and working as a family togetherwe used to serve in the nursery
(49:36):
together at a particular seasonin our lives, all five of us
and I absolutely loved it.
Our kids still work in thenursery at this point without us
.
This time, because of differentthings, we've had different
seasons and right now I'm stilldealing with health issues that
I'm trying to get over.
So I know that this is not theseason for me to be working in
(50:01):
the nursery or working as acouple, but there are little
things that come up throughoutthe summer and so forth that we
can do as a family, and Iabsolutely love it, can do as a
family and I absolutely love it.
I I love serving alongside myhusband.
I love serving alongside mykids.
I love um, just blooming wherewe're planted for lack of a
better word and just being usedby God, and I am the more vocal
(50:24):
in our family.
I am the one um that, like whenwe were in the nursery, I would
be the one that would get thekids from the parents and give
the kids back to the parents.
I'm the one, when we do garagesales or things like that, that
have the conversations withstrangers.
Like I, I am the one that justis naturally more outgoing.
(50:46):
But I have the husband, who hasthe quiet strength in the
background and I'll tell youwhat that quiet strength gives
me the energy and the confidenceand the strength to be able to
be the spokesperson, and he isjust as important and just as
valuable as I am.
(51:07):
We just have differentstrengths and it works for us.
As I am, we just have differentstrengths and it works for us,
although I don't really, to behonest, I don't want to think
about us as Aquila and Priscilla.
because I don't want to be amartyr, I'll just be brutally
(51:29):
honest, that isn't how I want togo down, but if that's what God
wants, I will do it.
But I'm not sitting here goingyay, lord, let that be my story.
Speaker 1 (51:39):
You don't want a double portion, like Elijah and
Elisha did.
Yeah, when Elijah was sick, wetalked about them a couple,
elijah and Elisha, a couple ofmonths ago, yeah, but you know,
it's true, and there's so many,and you and I both have
witnessed so many couples towhere the husband may be more
(52:00):
outgoing, the wife may be moreof an introvert, or vice versa.
Right, but they're ministeringtogether, they're in it together
and I think that's the coolthing about it.
And it goes back topersonalities, right?
You know who's more of a cantalk to a stranger, and you know
(52:22):
, and be best friends by the endof 15 minutes, you know.
And you know, and those who arejust kind of like what?
Speaker 2 (52:32):
You know, and everything.
Speaker 1 (52:37):
I remember we moved to a, when we had moved to a new
neighborhood and I don't know,I think we had barely gotten
everything inside and I'm likerubbing my hands together, I'm
so excited.
I'm like, yay, let's gointroduce ourselves to our new
neighbors.
And my husband was like whatI'm like?
Yeah, you know, let's go knockourselves to our new neighbors.
And my husband was like whatI'm like, yeah, you know, let's
go knock on the doors.
You know, maybe carry them apiece of pie or something that
(52:59):
we just got from the store, youknow, or whatever, or carry them
something from the store.
We're not going to do it Say,hey, we're blah, we're blah,
we're, Mr Mrs, Blah, blah, blah,you know.
And we just moved in.
Oh, you know, because to me,like that's just my personality,
right, and it's not, it's notsomething I would even think
(53:22):
twice about, but I'm not goingto do it by myself.
And he was not on board, onboard, His personality was not
on board with that, and he'slike, no, but you know, you have
women who are like that too.
(53:42):
I remember some friends and wewere helping a friend's daughter
.
She wanted to go to camp and todo that they had to sell
tickets or something for another.
You know that fundraise to goto camp and she had said oh my
gosh, she's so far behind, Canyou guys help us, or whatever.
And it was me and my otheradult friend and we're like,
well, you know, of course we canhelp.
So we just grabbed a couple ofthe tickets or whatever the sale
(54:05):
or whatever it was.
I honestly can't remember.
And I remember my friendlooking at me and she's like,
can you do the talking?
When people answer the door,and I'm like, well, yeah, why?
She's like I'm just, that'sjust not me.
I want to help and I want to doit.
She wanted to help and wantedto do it, but just talking and
(54:25):
greeting people just wasn't herthing, you know, and everything
else, and with me.
I'm like hi, hey, how are you?
Oh, isn't that a cute littledog?
Is that a poodle?
Oh, my goodness, isn't he thecutest?
Hey, we're selling thesetickets, you know?
(54:46):
So, to me, doing that isnothing, it's just an extension
of my personality, right?
But for others it may not bethat way, but it sounds like to
me and again, this is Kara'sconjecture and a lot of the
scholars' conjecture that shewas just a more outgoing
personality.
Speaker 2 (55:04):
And see and I think that God put this one in the
Bible to show us that number onehe made Priscilla the way that
she was.
She was not a mistake, she wasnot a Malcolm.
She was not weird.
She was his precious daughterthat he made purposely, and he
(55:25):
brought Priscilla and Aquilatogether because he knew that
they would compliment each other.
He knew that they would.
He knew that she had the typeof personality that would honor
him for the quiet that he was.
And she knew or God knew thathe would highlight and support
and do everything he could fromthe background to help Priscilla
(55:51):
so that together they couldfulfill the mission that God
gave them.
So I think that that is one ofthe things as we wrap up today,
kara, that we need to reallyremind people of that every
relationship is going to lookdifferent.
However, even with thedifferences, there's still a
biblical order that God gives usthat we need to follow.
(56:13):
Priscilla needed to berespectful and show respect and
honor to her husband.
Check she did.
He needed to love her as Christloves the church.
Check he did.
Is it going to look the sameNow?
Kara and I, with our husbands,look very similar because both
of our husbands are on thequieter side and Kara and I are
(56:35):
more on the outgoing side.
Hence the reason we have thepodcast and our husbands support
us from the back end right butwe still, we honor and respect
our husbands.
We honor they are the head of.
If, if, if my husband had saidto me well, first off, I never
would have done a podcast withKara, had he said no, I don't
(56:56):
think that you should do that, Iwould respect his wisdom.
Speaker 1 (56:59):
He didn't.
Speaker 2 (57:00):
He gave me 100%.
You go for it.
And I'm here cheering you onspeaking engagement that I have,
or any writing engagement orany, anything that takes me away
from my duties as a wife, myduties as um, you know, whatever
other jobs that I own or doesthat hold?
Just this week, we had aconversation and I needed to let
(57:24):
somebody know if I was going todo a speaking engagement or not
, and I said I can't give theman answer until you and I have a
conversation.
Is this going going to work forour family?
Are you supportive of this?
Is this okay?
This is what the details are.
Is this what you want and I?
And I don't do that because heowns me.
I don't do that because I'mafraid of him.
(57:45):
I don't do that because, um,you know I have to get
permission.
I do that out of respect.
I do that because he is thehead of the household and he was
the head of our household.
So they had it right.
They knew what they were doing,they kept the order that God
wants us to have and, honestly,like I still think, kara, that
(58:06):
you and I need to have a podcastwhere we talk about what real
submission is, and I think we'vedone it in the past.
But, at the same token, realsubmission is when it's done
right, when the man loves thewoman or the wife and the wife
submits to the husband, he isthe one that is held more
(58:28):
responsible and he is the onethat is held to a higher
standard by God Absolutely yes,and I'll tell you what.
I will do everything in my powerto make that easier for him,
because I love him and becausewe're a team, and so I'm going
to do my part.
He's going to do his part.
Are we going to get it perfect?
(58:49):
Absolutely not, but we're goingto do it the way that God wants
us to, and he'll be pleased bythat.
So we have talked a lot.
I have learned so much moreabout Priscilla and Aquila than
I ever knew, and I hope thatwe've gotten you guys excited
that you will delve into Actsand learn about them yourself
(59:12):
and also check out that book ofMartyrs, that that.
Kara was talking about, becauseI think that's incredibly
fascinating as well.
Next week, we're going to talkabout a sibling group Martha,
mary and Lazarus and maybe youare really familiar with that
story.
Maybe you don't learn anythingnew.
Maybe you'll teach us some newstuff if you either email us or
(59:34):
start a discussion in theFacebook group, but I cannot
wait to talk about them as well.
So come back.
Next we're going to talk aboutMary, martha and Lazarus.
In the meantime, head over toKara's website, kara R Hunt.
You can find out about heraudio books.
You can find out about herfiction series.
(59:56):
You can head over to SherrySwalwellcom and you can learn
about the membership over there,the YouTube channel and then
the different books that I haveas well, and always remember
John 16, 33,.
Have as well, and alwaysremember John 16, 33, these
things I have spoken to you,that in me, you may have peace
(01:00:21):
In the world.
You will have tribulation, butbe of good cheer.
I have overcome the world.
I still can't get it out of myhead that they were martyred for
their faith and you know whatJust like with Stephen, I'm sure
that.
God was there with them and thathe was taking care of them.
And I guess, if I have to bemartyred, if that was the plan
that God has for my life, Ithink as much as I.
(01:00:43):
Well, I wouldn't want myhusband to be martyred next to
me, but I mean, what a way to gotogether.
You know what I mean.
Just like yes, absolutely, youserved together and you went
together and on that fun note,ha ha, ha.
Speaker 1 (01:01:02):
Well, we are one, we do become one when we get
married, so that is true.
Speaker 2 (01:01:07):
That is true.
Speaker 1 (01:01:08):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (01:01:10):
But, on that note, have a great rest of your week.
Find out more about not justPriscilla and Aquila, but also
the other different couples inthe Bible.
Oh yeah, we will talk to younext week about siblings.
Was there sibling rivalry?
Did they love each other?
I don't know.
We'll find out next week.
Have a great rest of your dayand we will talk to you next
(01:01:31):
week.
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