Introduction: This section gives highlights about the ministries of Apollos and Aquila and Priscilla. None of them are mentioned very often after this passage but their faithfulness speaks volumes even to us today.
Text: Acts 18:24-28, KJV: 24 And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. 26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. 27 And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace: 28 For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.
Thoughts:
--What we know about Apollos: he was a Jew from Alexandria (Egypt), an eloquent speaker, and mighty in the Scriptures. Jews had lived in Alexandria since the days of Alexander the Great and it’s a tribute to Apollos’ character that he had never renounced his Jewish faith or heritage.
--Compare the style of Apollos and Paul: Paul reasoned or dialogued with the Jews in the synagogues (Acts 13:13-41, 17:1-4, 17, 18:4) but Apollos “spoke boldly”. Apollos was called “eloquent” but Paul wrote that some considered his speech “rude (2 Corinthians 11:6)” and “contemptible (2 Cor. 10:10)”. God uses all people!
--There was one problem: Apollos only knew ‘the baptism of John”. Aquila and Priscilla “expounded the way of God more perfectly” Note the tact as well as the teaching in helping a less-well-informed brother with what he needed to know. To recall, John’s message was looking forward to the Kingdom but the message needed to be looking back at a Savior, crucified, risen, and coming again.
--Apollos wanted to go to Achaia (southern Greece, where Corinth was the largest city). Paul was gone, and apparently the need was great for a dedicated Bible teacher. The “brethren”, believers in Ephesus, wrote an encouraging message so that the believers in Corinth would receive Apollos.
--When he got to Corinth, Apollos used the Scriptures to prove Jesus was the Messiah (Christ).
--The text ends here but the ministry continued. Praise God for those who labor for Him!
Scripture quotations taken from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV).
