Four Fellow Laborers and Relatives of Paul, in the Year 70

At the close of his letter to the church of God at Rome, the apostle Paul very lovingly greets various saints living there. Among others he mentions two persons who had laid down their own necks for his life, and two others whom he calls his fellow prisoners, no doubt because they shared with him the same persecution and suffering for the name of Christ. All of these he mentions by name, and greets them in apostolic manner.

Of the first two he writes this: "Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus, who have for my life laid down their own necks" (Romans 16, verses 3 and 4).

The last two he mentions in this way: "Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me" (verse 7).

What became of these persons is stated neither in Paul's letters nor anywhere else in the New Testament; but other writers hold that in the persecution of Nero mentioned above they suffered and fought to the death for the truth of Jesus Christ. This can hardly be contradicted, since the bloodthirstiness of this emperor, especially against the Christians, was so great that only a few of those who fell into his hands escaped without bloodshed or a miserable death. See above.