THE PREACHING OF APOLLOS PERFECTED

Acts 18:24-28 And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. 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. 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. 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: for he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, showing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.

This inspired biblical narration recorded by Luke leaves Paul in Jerusalem. There he related his travels and teaching of God's word to the apostles that may have been dwelling there and to other members of the church of Christ in that city. Soon afterward he prepared for his third missionary journey beginning in Antioch of Syria and traveling back into Asia Minor and Greece revisiting established churches of Christ and strengthening all the disciples (Vs. 23). Here in the lesson text, Luke's writing returns our thoughts, as readers, to Ephesus where a certain Jew named Apollos had arrived. Luke tells us that he was born at Alexandria, a noted costal city in northern Egypt founded by Alexander the Great, and bordering on the Mediterranean Sea. According to biblical historians, this city had a large Jewish population from which Apollos had come. He was an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures. Evidently Apollos was a skilled speaker. And, being well educated in the Old Testament scriptures, he was highly qualified to teach others. With these qualities, Apollos came to Ephesus and immediately went to the Jewish synagogue in order to speak and reason with his Jewish brethren out of these scriptures. Although he was instructed in the way of the Lord, ...and taught diligently the things of the Lord, it is evident that Apollos' New Testament teaching of Jesus Christ was incomplete because he only knew only the baptism of John.

Apollos came to Ephesus teaching only a partial fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. He had evidently been present when John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is He that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight (Matt 3:1-3). Apollos was probably one of the many that went out to him (John the Baptist) Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins (Matt 3:5-6). Apollos also learned about the Messiah - the Savior, who was prophesied about in Old Testament scriptures. From John the Baptist, he was taught the necessity of baptism, to which Apollos submitted. He also learned this about a future baptism to be established and ushered in by the Lord. This Apollos was assured when John the Baptist said: 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: whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire (Matt. 3:11-12).

When he started speaking in the synagogue, ...Aquila and Priscilla knew Apollos did not have the full revelation of Jesus Christ and the plan of eternal salvation that He died to establish. Therefore, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. Just as Paul, after receiving full knowledge of Christ Jesus, immediately arose and taught the perfect will of God, so did Apollos. Writers of the New Testament do not reveal the fact that Apollos was then baptized for the remission of his sins, but it is inferred by Luke, the inspired writer, of the lesson text. The brethren, probably the elders, of the church of Christ at Ephesus wrote to all fellow Christians in the province of Achaia, where Apollos had gone, and exhorted them to receive him as a true teacher of God's word - the gospel of Christ. And, arriving in Achaia, and through his teaching, helped them much, which had believed through grace: for he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, showing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ. (See Paul's referral to Apollos in 1 Corinthians 1:12 and 3:4-6).