Acts 18:3
and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Paul actively chose to work as a tentmaker alongside Aquila and Priscilla, not just out of necessity, but to demonstrate humility and avoid any appearance of self-interest in his teaching. This reveals a strategic move to connect with people as one of them, "being all things to all people" for the sake of the Gospel.
Arriving in Corinth, Paul encounters Aquila and Priscilla, Jewish Christians recently expelled from Rome. Because Paul shared their trade as tentmakers, he stayed and worked with them, supporting himself and establishing a base for his ministry in this new, bustling city. This work allowed him to minister among both Jews and Greeks without appearing to seek personal gain from his teaching.
Why would a highly educated rabbi like Paul, trained at the feet of Gamaliel, practice a trade like tentmaking?
It wasn't just a fallback for Paul; it was a deeply ingrained cultural and religious practice among Jewish men, even the most learned.
Paul stayed and worked with Aquila and Priscilla. Was it purely for survival, or was there something more strategic at play?
Paul's decision to work as a tentmaker in Corinth was multi-faceted, serving both practical and spiritual purposes.
Paul's decision to practice his trade alongside Aquila and Priscilla highlights the deep-rooted Jewish tradition of combining intellectual pursuits with manual labor for self-sufficiency and integrity, and demonstrates his commitment to "being all things to all people" by respecting Roman and Jewish customs.
c. 44 BC
Jews Expelled from Rome
Emperor Claudius expels Jews from Rome, likely due to disturbances related to 'Chrestus' (possibly referring to early Christian teachings). This event forces Aquila and Priscilla to leave Rome.
c. AD 49
Aquila and Priscilla Settle in Corinth
Forced from Rome, Aquila and Priscilla, both tentmakers, establish their trade and likely their home in Corinth, a major Roman port city.
c. AD 50-52— this verse
Paul Arrives in Corinth
The Apostle Paul arrives in Corinth and, as was his custom and a common Jewish practice, takes up his trade as a tentmaker to support himself while evangelizing.
c. AD 52
Paul Departs Corinth
After a significant period in Corinth, Paul departs for Ephesus, leaving Aquila and Priscilla behind. They would later join him in Ephesus.
Paul explains his willingness to work with his hands, even when he had the right to be supported by the church, to make the gospel free and reach more people.
2 Thessalonians 3:9-10Paul later instructs the Thessalonians that if they do not work, they should not eat, demonstrating his consistent principle of honest labor.
Mark 6:3This passage reveals Jesus himself was known as a carpenter, highlighting the Jewish tradition and nobility of learning a trade.
Philippians 4:11-13Paul expresses contentment in all circumstances, including having enough to eat through his own labor, showing his reliance on God's strength, not just his circumstances.
ellicottActs 18:3: "And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers."
(3) Because he was of the same craft. —The calling was one which St. Paul had probably learnt and practised in his native city, which was noted then, as now, for the rough goat’s-hair fabrics known to the Romans, from the name of the province, as Cilicium ( = sack-cloth). The material was one used for the sails of ships and for tents, and on the whole, though some ha…
pooleActs 18:3: "And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers."
Of the same craft; the most learned amongst the Jews did always learn some handicraft, and it was one of those things which they held a father was bound to do for his child, viz. to teach him some trade. And one of their rabbi’s sayings is, That whosoever does not teach his child a trade, does as bad as if he did teach him to play the thief. And wrought; St. Paul wro…
Paul actively chose to work as a tentmaker alongside Aquila and Priscilla, not just out of necessity, but to demonstrate humility and avoid any appearance of self-interest in his teaching. This reveals a strategic move to connect with people as one of them, "being all things to all people" for the sake of the Gospel.
Arriving in Corinth, Paul encounters Aquila and Priscilla, Jewish Christians recently expelled from Rome. Because Paul shared their trade as tentmakers, he stayed and worked with them, supporting himself and establishing a base for his ministry in this new, bustling city. This work allowed him to minister among both Jews and Greeks without appearing to seek personal gain from his teaching.
Arriving in Corinth, Paul encounters Aquila and Priscilla, Jewish Christians recently expelled from Rome. Because Paul shared their trade as tentmakers, he stayed and worked with them, supporting himself and establishing a base for his ministry in this new, bustling city. This work allowed him to minister among both Jews and Greeks without appearing to seek personal gain from his teaching.
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c. AD 53-57
Aquila and Priscilla in Ephesus
Paul encounters Aquila and Priscilla again in Ephesus, where they continue their tentmaking trade. They play a key role in instructing Apollos.
c. AD 62
Aquila and Priscilla in Rome
Paul mentions Aquila and Priscilla in his letter to the Romans, indicating they have returned to Rome and are hosting a church in their home.
"and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade." — Paul actively chose to work as a tentmaker alongside Aquila and Priscilla, not just out of necessity, but to demonstrate humility and avoid any appearance of self-interest in his teaching. This revea…
