Acts 18:2

And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, a man of Pontus by race, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome: and he came unto them; and because he was of the same trade, he abode with them, and they wrought; for by their trade they were tentmakers.

Scholars have advocated opposite positions with regard to whether or not Aquila and Priscilla were Christians when Paul met them. Milligan thought they were not, basing his view on Luke's introduction of them, not as Christians, but as being of the same trade.[9] Bruce said, "The odds appear to be in favor of the view that they were already Christians when they left Rome."[10] But it was not Christians but Jews whom Claudius expelled. It might have been, as Henry thought, that "the Gentiles were so confused that they could not tell a Jew from a Christian."[11] This writer agrees with Ramsay and Boles that "we do not know."

Claudius ... This edict of expelling the Jews from Rome is placed at 52 A.D.[12] by some, and a little earlier by others. This emperor has the distinction of being the only Roman emperor whose name occurs twice in the New Testament (Acts 11:28).

Aquila and Priscilla ... became firm and faithful friends of Paul, even saving his life on one occasion, for which they are extravagantly praised in Romans 16:3-4.

Tentmakers ... All Jews, even the wealthy and learned, were taught a trade. "The Jewish law, after their exile, held that a father who taught not his son a trade, taught him to be a thief."[13] Paul's necessity of supporting himself by manual labor was temporarily relieved when Silas and Timothy brought contributions from Macedonia (Acts 18:5).

[9] Robert Milligan, Analysis of the New Testament (Cincinnati, Ohio: Bosworth, Chase and Hall), p. 378.

[10] F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans, Publishers, 1954), p. 368.

[11] Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Holy Bible (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1960), Henry and Scott Edition, p. 501.

[12] J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 843.

[13] Alexander Campbell, Acts of the Apostles (Austin, Texas: Firm Foundation Publishing House), p. 122.