Apollos – 3rd August 2008 am
Acts 18:24-28
It is evident from reading this passage and the verse preceding this, that the Lord intended for there to be a major breakthrough for the gospel at Ephesus. First of all Paul had visited the city at the end of his second missionary journey.
Then Aquila and Priscilla decided to stay there, set themselves up in business, and cultivate the ground until Paul returned. Now comes Apollos of Alexandria, gifted, eloquent, scholarly, and convinced that Jesus was Saviour and Lord.
I. An Eloquent Man – Acts 18:24
Apollos was born at Alexandria, which was located on the Nile delta in Egypt. It was the second largest city in the Roman Empire and was famous for its Lighthouse on the narrow island of Pharos, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Alexandria was also famous for its museum and library that had over 700,000 volumes.
In New Testament times, Jews made up about one third of the population of Alexandria and it was here that the Hebrew Scriptures were translated into the Greek Septuagint version.
Apollos was an eloquent man. The word eloquent is logios and can mean either eloquent or learned. He was mighty in the scriptures and the word mighty (dunatos) is the same word used to describe Moses Acts 7:22 And Moses was learned in all wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.
Somewhere along the way Apollos had come into contact with the gospel and had become a believer and his abilities and talents were placed wholeheartedly at the command of the Lord.
His travels brought him to Ephesus, where he found the gospel seed had already been planted by Paul. At once, he began to water the ground 1 Corinthians 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
II. A Fervent Man – Acts 18:25
Apollos was well informed about the Scriptures and he was determined to tell his fellow Jews. The word Luke uses to describe his fervour is zeo which literally means to boil – have you seen what happens to water when it boils? It’s hot and it bubble like crazy…….
The only other place this word zeo occurs is in Romans 12:11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.
We are told that he spake and taught diligently – the word diligently means accurately. Apollos was one of those people who was able to combine fact and fervour into a force for God.
Apollos knew the Old Testament Scriptures well and was fervent in his spirit and diligent in his presentation of the message. Verse 26 tells us that he was bold enough to enter the synagogue and preach to the Jews. The only problem was that this enthusiastic man was declaring an incomplete gospel.
He knew only the baptism of John. His message got as far as John the Baptist and then stopped. He knew nothing of Calvary, the resurrection of Christ, or the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. He had zeal, but he lacked spiritual knowledge.
Romans 10:1-4 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. [2] For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. [3] For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. [4] For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
The ministry of John the Baptist was an important part of God’s redemptive plan. God sent John to prepare the nation of Israel for their Messiah (John 1:15-34) John’s baptism was one of repentance; those who were baptised looked forward to the coming Messiah Acts 19:4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
John also announced a future baptism of the Holy Spirit Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
Apollos knew about the promises, but he did not know about their fulfilment. So where did he get this message from? Since Alexandria was a famous centre for learning, it is possible that some of John disciples had gone there while Christ was still ministering on earth, and shared with the Jews as much as they knew.
The word instructed (verse 25) is catechized and suggests that Apollos had personal formal training in the Scriptures. However, that training was limited to the facts about the ministry of John the Baptist. The message Apollos preached was not inaccurate or insincere; it was just incomplete.
Map???
III. A Teachable Man – Acts 18:26
Apollos had a teachable spirit. Aquila and Priscilla were deeply impressed with him, but they detected at once the flaw in his preaching. With rare tact, however, they made no attempt to correct him in public, neither did they want to grab him after the service and argue with him. They had a better way –
You can just picture the scene. “Why don’t you come to our house for some fellowship?” Then after a nice meal, everyone sitting down relaxed and comfortable, the conversation swings around to the things of the Lord and the message that was preached that morning.
Maybe they told Apollos how much of a blessing he had been and they asked him about his testimony, how had he become a believer? Then they introduced the question of baptism, gently and lovingly they filled in the gaps in his knowledge of the truth, they told him about Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit.
This verse also reveals the humble attitude that characterized Apollos. Although cultured and well educated, he humbly sat at the feet of these tentmakers to learn about Jesus. He was smart enough to know he did not know it all and to know that learning is a life-long process.
The Bible is complete but our understanding of the Bible is far from complete and we need open minds that we may continue to learn. D.L. Moody said that every time he heard Henry Drummond preach he had to go home and burn some of his old sermons.
Can you recall someone, a pastor or Sunday School teacher or friend who challenged you to go further than you would have on your own?
Charles Swindoll asks the following; “Who taught Martin Luther his theology and inspired his translation of the New Testament? Who visited Dwight L. Moody at a shoe store and spoke to him about Christ? Who was the elderly woman who prayed faithfully for Billy Graham for over twenty years? Who financed William Carey’s ministry to India? Who helped Charles Wesley get underway as a composer of hymns? Who personally taught G. Campbell Morgan, “the peerless expositor,” his techniques in the pulpit? You probably don’t know do you?” Swindoll goes on to write, “Had it not been for these unknown people – those nobodies – a large chunk of church history would be missing. And a lot of lives would have been untouched. But they were people just like you and me and God used them to encourage others and as a result church history was changed. God use you to encourage others.”
Pray and ask the Lord to Lead you to someone who needs some encouragement. They are all around you. You may not even need this step because you already know someone. Just as Aquila and Priscilla did in the life of Apollos. God has someone you could encourage.
Look for unrealized potential in people around you. Aquila and Priscilla did not reject Apollos.
Take the time to make an investment in the life of someone who needs encouraging. Decide right now how you are going to encourage someone! Make a plan for carrying it out.
Under such tender and sensible guidance this gracious and gifted man soon understood the significance of Christian baptism as an advance on John’s baptism of repentance. He now had a deeper knowledge of Christ, and he was ready to return to the Synagogue to give the Jews the rest of the story.
IV. A Guided Man – Acts 18:27
Apollos’ ministry became so effective that the believers in Ephesus highly recommended him to the churches in Achaia. He had a great testimony and was ready to move on and preach the whole Word of God -
Rom 10:13 -15 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. [14] How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? [15] And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
He helped them much – he had been helped sp much by Aqulia and Priscilla and now God was using him to help people see the truth.
V. A Zealous Man – Acts 18:28
The word Luke uses here for mightily is found only here and in Luke 23:10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. Here the word used is Vehemently and it is one of Luke’s medical terms. It means vigorously, intensely, with sheer strength, zealously.
Apollos made a great impact on the Jewish community in Corinth. The Holy Spirit is never without His instruments. The Jews had driven Paul out, so the Holy Spirit found in Apollos another messenger to bring the same truths in a different way and with a different personality.
There was nothing secretive or private about the witness of Apollos. His preaching was done openly and publicly. The word the Holy Spirit employs for convinced is an intensive form of the word to convict or refute, usually with the suggestion of putting the convicted person to shame.
Vine says that the intensive form of the word here means that Apollos met the opposing arguments in turn and brought them down to the ground.
Such was Apollos, a man Paul came to appreciate greatly and of whom he always spoke of with terms of respect and affection.
Conclusion
Are you ready to go to the next level in your Christian walk?
Lost – Saved
Saved – Growth
In order for Apollos to be used by God there were several things that needed to happen.
In order for us to grow so that God can use us we need to follow Apollos’ example. We need to be….
1. A person in the Word (24) – Mighty in scriptures (Read your Bible)
2. A person of the Word (25a) – instructed in the way of the Lord (Live it)
3. A person by the Word (25b) – fervent in spirit (boiling / bubbling – on fire for God)
God had to take Apollos through a growth process before He could use him…
He did that by placing Aquila and Priscilla in his path… Now Apollos could be used..
God had a future plan for him in Achaia Verse 27) .. However, he could not go there until moved up to the next level. There are places God wants you to go, but He can’t use you until you step up a gear and go to the next level.
God had a future ministry for Apollos (Verse 27)– helped them much. There are things we cannot do until God takes us to the next level.
God had a challenge for Apollos (Verse 28) mightily convinced the Jews. There are future battles that we cannot win until God takes us to the next level.
