Apollos

An interesting aside occurs in Acts 18:24-28 concerning Apollos. Apollos an Alexandrian by birth had received a great deal of education in Judaism one can assume since Alexandria had become a center for Jewish scholorship in the first century. This passage says also that "This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John" (verse 25 emphasis mine). Had Apollos met Jesus as a disciple of John's? how familiar had he become with Jesus' teachings after having to flee at the beheading of John? These questions come to mind, yet we find here in verse 26 that he "began to speak boldy in the synagogue." I think it is safe to say that he was speaking of Jesus as the Messiah. Apparently he had not become as convincing as Paul had in the synagogue and had the message a bit mixed up because the next verse says that Priscilla and Aquila took him aside and taught him the word of God more accurately. This gives us a great picture of the work of Paul in the lives of believers. Even though Paul was absent Priscilla and Aquila were able to carry on the gospel message and raise up Apollos who already had an audience at the synagogue so that, as we read in verse 28, "For he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ." Apollos was able to do all this without yet receiving the Holy Spirit which he does in the next verses. How much more than are we to speak the word of the Lord boldy?

Michael Carpenter