Wildflowers Week Four | Priscilla the Hollyhock Sample

One Great Opportunity

The name Priscilla carries the idea of being venerable, ancient, or classic. Let's just say a Priscilla is full of old-fashioned beauty. Hollyhocks possess the same reputation, as some people plant them as a reminder of their youth. 

My Grandma Davis sprinkled her garden with these nostalgic beauties. Sometimes she would pick two flowers, one a closed bud with just a bit of color showing through and the other fully opened. Poking a hole in the top of the open bloom, she would attach the little bud to it, creating a tiny dancer. The bud resembled a head crowned with a beautiful headdress while the bloom creating a swirling, twirling ballgown. As a girl, I threw elaborate balls with these ladies waltzing among the grass in their multicolored gowns. I like to do this with my granddaughter, Kaydence, to this day.

Priscilla lived in Corinth, a city from which the classic Corinthian column derives its name. The top part of a Corinthian column, known as the capital, possesses lavish carvings that resemble flowers, making these columns much more ornate than the Doric or Ionic columns that preceded them. One architect described the Corinthian column as "an imitation of the slenderness of a maiden." Hollyhocks, too, are tall and slender columns of the garden that add a beautiful vertical impact. I can't help but imagine Priscilla as tall and slender, too.

Not only did Priscilla enjoy living in classic Corinth, she was also privileged to sail to Ephesus, one of the premier cities of the ancient world. It had a vast port and was considered the most important Greek metropolis, a key trading center in the Mediterranean region. No wonder Paul wanted to visit this region. If Ephesus was impacted with the gospel, it would travel far and wide because of the variety of people who visited there. Any new believers would export the good news back home to their countries of origin. Apparently, Priscilla and Aquila were also drawn to the great opportunities that awaited them in Ephesus.

Read the verses below and answer the following questions:

"So Paul still remained a good while. Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, for he had taken a vow. And he came to Ephesus, and left them there" (Acts 18:18-19).

Practical Observation

1. Describe how long Paul continued in Corinth. Why do you think this was so?

2. Where did Paul go next, and who did he leave behind?

Syria in this text corresponds to the southern tip of modern-day Turkey. It was a major nation to the northeast of Israel and served as a political threat to the Jews when they inhabited the Promised Land. During New Testament times, Syria was part of the Roman Empire.

3. Who joined Paul on his journey? How do you think this made them feel?

4. What did Paul do before they set sail?

Vow refers to the Old Testament Nazirite vow. A man or woman who made this covenant would, for a specified period of time, determine not to consume anything made from grapes, from a raisin to a glass of wine. They would also promise not to cut their hair. This separation served to consecrate the person to the Lord, signifying a sincere devotion.

5. Why do you think Paul made this decision?

Personal Application

a. Has God ever asked you to stay in a relationship, location, or vocation when you really wanted to leave? Describe the situation and how God helped you to persevere.

b. Have you ever made a vow to God, perhaps to fast or pray about a heavy burden? If you haven't, do you think He may be calling you to make one now? What might it look like?

Fasting is a season of abstaining from food and water for spiritual reasons. Both Moses and Jesus fasted for forty days. Moses did so while receiving the Law, while Jesus did so on the Mount of Temptation. Fasting is a way to deny the flesh to strengthen the spirit. In the Bible, fasting was sometimes a sign of grief, distress, or repentance.

c. Read Exodus 25:1-9, then list the things the children of Israel offered to God. Has God ever asked you to make an offering to Him, whether it was abandoning a bad habit or giving away something precious?

Offerings in the New Testament were often animal sacrifices presented to God to atone for the giver's sin. Sometimes they included grain, flour, or oil. Other times these offerings were personal possessions given to honor God, like the precious perfume Mary Magdalene poured on the head of Jesus.