Women, Called and Serving in Leadership

Husband and Wife Ministry Teams

October 4, 2008 on 11:21 pm | In Women in Ministry | 10 Comments

* Priscilla and Aquila

Act 18:2 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla,

Act 18:18-19 Paul, having remained many days longer, took leave of the brethren and put out to sea for Syria, and with him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchrea he had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow. 19 They came to Ephesus, and he left them there. Now he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.

Priscilla and Aquila – a husband and wife ministry team – were fellow laborers in the ministry of Jesus Christ with Paul. In Romans 16:3 Paul refers to them as “my fellow workers in Christ Jesus.”

Paul left these fellow workers in Christ Jesus in the city of Ephesus.

Was Paul’s act of “leaving them there” just their separation – a going in different ways – or was it Paul leaving them in the city of Ephesus as ministers under his apostolic oversight.

Paul says of Titus in Titus 1:5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you,

When coupled with Paul’s words to Titus we find that it is possible that Paul “left” Priscilla and Aquila in the city of Ephesus as ministers under his apostolic oversight.

In this capacity – as laborers in the ministry of Christ Jesus – they took Apollos aside in order to instruct him more correctly in the Word of God.

Act 18:26 and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

As a husband and wife ministry team they oversaw and cared for a church which met in their home.

Romans 16:3-5 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who for my life risked their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles; 5 also greet the church that is in their house.

1Corinthians 16:19 The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

* Apostles, Jesus’ brothers (James and Jude), and Peter traveling in ministry with their wives:

1Corinthians 9:5 Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?

The apostle’s wives, the wives of James and Jude, and Peter’s wife traveled with them as they went forth ministering the gospel.

Were these wives simply the ‘traveling companion’ of their husbands?

We know from Acts 2 the Holy Spirit fell upon both male and female and it was Peter who quoted from the Prophet Joel saying “this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: ~ AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,’ God says, ‘THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, ~ EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT And they shall prophesy.

I have a hard time believing that the Peter who saw the Holy Spirit fall on both male and female and who spoke the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel simply had his wife come along as his traveling companion.

Peter, who understood this prophecy was fulfilled that day through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, would not have limited his wife to being a simple travel companion or restricted her from ministering in prophesy.

The Greek word translated as “prophesy” means “speak forth by divine inspiration,to teach, refute, reprove, admonish, comfort others”

Peter, as well as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of Jesus, would not have restricted their believing wives from ministering beside them as they traveled together.

* Possibly: Andronicus and Junias

Romans 16:7 Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

Junias = Junia in the Greek and is the name of a female.

Many Bible commentaries sight the possibility of these two outstanding apostles as being a husband and wife ministry team just as Priscilla and Aquila were.

Ministering as a Husband and Wife team:

+ Know and trust each others strengths and spiritual gifts:

Each member of the husband and wife ministry team has their own ministry strengths and manifestation of spiritual gifts.

As we walk as a team in ministry we not only must know each other strengths and spiritual gifts, we must trust them as they are in operation and are being manifested in ministry though our partner.

If we do not have this trust we can “interrupt” the move of the Holy Spirit through our partner.

Ministry as husband and wife often takes the appearance of a “tag team”. One ministers and then steps back and the other steps in to minister. Each one delivers the portion of ministry given to them by the Holy Spirit.

My husband’s strengths are speaking a prophetic word and the word of wisdom, while my strengths are discerning of spirits and the word of knowledge.

My strengths are teaching, while my husband’s are building up the body through a word of exhortation and encouragement.

+ What about when we have a conflict in a time of ministry?

We make an active choice to trust the Holy Spirit and His ministry through our partner.

We NEVER correct or question one another publicly – we discuss and debate the issue when we are alone.

Most of the disagreements we’ve had have been due to lack of communication or assuming the other meant something they did not.

+ Ministring as a team requires getting over all petty jealousies, all competition with one another, and dying to self

Each one of these takes place in the husband and wife ministry team through the process of ministering together.

As jealousies and competition issues arise we must choose to die to our flesh and its self seeking desires.

It is a process – it does take time. Operating in love is vital in both members as these issues arise. The one struggling must choose to walk in love and die to the flesh. The other member must respond to the one struggling with love – not with hurt or offence.

Love and communication are vital in an effective husband and wife ministry team.