Acts 18:24-28
The Apollos Question
Preparation Or Participation
Which is better Preparing or Participation?
- With water Balloons it is Preparing and not Participating
- With life it‘s defiantly participation not preparing
- Ex. - Education preparation is a drag
- But participation in what you have learned
- Ex. - First Job - Silverwoods Dairy - In the wind tunnel freezing Ice Ceam
- Sampling from machine
- Ex. - Wedding - Going to one or being in one
Apollos
- Born At Alexandria
- Alx. in Egypt
- 2nd city in the Gk. world
- Seat of learning ---- Library of 1000’s
- Place where Heb. OT translated into Gk.
- Apollos comes form the Gk., god Apollo
- Son of the Father of god’s --- (Zeus)
- Manly Beauty -- Music & Song
- Helper & Averter of evil
- Protector of flocs & herds
- Gk. mind at it’s best
- Named after an Idol > He a Jew
Acts 18:25-26 (KJV)
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.
Instructed ----->
Fervent -------> BUT-----> Knowing only the Baptism of Jn.
Diligent -------> (Hold this thought)
Bold --------->
We examine our own Christianity
Acts 18:24-25 (KJV)
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.
* eloquent - Learned
1) learned, a man of letters, skilled in literature and the arts,
esp. versed in history and the antiquities
2) skilled in speech
3) rational, wise
- Our foundation - Evangelical
• mighty in the scriptures - know our Bible
- Win at Bible Trivia
* instructed in the way of the Lord - Baptized
- Lord’s Supper - Church Attainder
- Tither
* fervent in the spirit - Sincere
- Earnest
- Faithful in religious duties
* spake and taught diligently - S.S. Teacher
- Youth Leader or - Men/Women Leader
- Elder Deacon
- Pastor of the church
- member in good standing
BUT v. 25
knowing only the baptism of John
- His O.T.
Isaiah 40:1-4 (KJV)
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.
3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
Mark 1:2-4 (KJV)
2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
- The way of the Lord is to be prepared by repentance
- Apollos did not know of the
Accomplished Atonement
Resurrection truth
Advocate at God’s right hand
Indwelling H.S.
Victory in the power of the Risen Lord
- Apollos had made prepration FOR Christ
BUT
- Not enjoying participation IN Christ
How about ourselves
- We know
- Forgiveness of Sin but not Victory Over Sin
- Salvation in Christ but not Life In Christ
- Work of the H.S. but not the Filling of the H.S.
- Of the Lord Jesus Christ but don’t know
Jesus Christ As Lord
v.26
Acts 18:26 (KJV)
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.
- Tentmakers taking a an educated man
- Apollos surrendered
- We need a Aquila & Priscilla to expound unto us the way of God more perfectly
- Hebrews 10:20 (KJV)
By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
The Results
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.
* No longer Christ -- an Idea -- an example
-- vague impersonal
28 For •he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.
• He was mighty in the scriptures
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:
* He helped them much
2 Corinthians 3:3 (KJV)
Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
- Apollos moved from preparation for Christ
To participation in Christ
