Getting It Right
With Paul on the road again in Galatia and Phrygia on his third missionary expedition (Acts 18:23), Luke's camera pans back to Ephesus (v24). He introduces a new character to the story line of Acts: Apollos. He's a Jew, "a native of Alexandria."
Alexander the Great built this Egyptian seaport in 331 BC and made it the capital of Egypt. Alexandria became an incredibly important city in the ancient world. For a period of time it grew to be the biggest city in the world. It was not only home to a massive library but the largest Jewish population on the planet. This was Apollos' hometown.
Luke tells us that "he was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures" (v24). Apollos is an orthodox Jew who is a captivating speaker and wordsmith. He not only knew how use the language to teach but he knew the Bible (which of course was only the OT at the time). Actually the original text tells the man from Alexandria was "mighty in the Scriptures." The author uses the Greek word dunatos, meaning strong, mighty and powerful. It's the root for our words dynamic and dynamo. Apollos knew the Bible and knew how to use it. Can the same be sad of you and me?
"He had been instructed in the way of the Lord" (v25). There is a difference of opinion as to what the author means here. While just about every use of the term "Lord" in the NT refers to Jesus, some hold that this instance may be a reference to the OT. Throughout the Law and the Prophets, writers use the phrase "the way of the LORD" to describe the moral and spiritual standards to which Yahweh held His chosen people (Gen 18:19; Jdg 2:22; 2Ki21:22; Prov 10:29; Jer 5:4-5). The prophet Ezekiel uses it four times (Ezek 18:25, 29; 33:17, 20). It could mean that Apollos had a firm understanding God's commands for life.
Others believe that it is indeed a reference to Jesus and that Apollos had heard of the Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth. News of Jesus as the long awaited Messiah had reached the Jews of Alexandria. A closer look at the Greek text seems to indicate this to be the case. The use of "instructed" is the key. It is the Greek verb katecho, which literally means to sound toward. This describes specifically teaching or telling by word of mouth. This verbal instruction in "the way of the Lord" would be in addition to Apollos' competence in the written Scriptures.
Apollos knew about Jesus and believed Him to be the Christ (Messiah). But he had an incomplete understanding of Jesus. While it is impossible to fully wrap our minds around the person of Christ, it is vitally important to see Him robustly. He is more than a great Teacher. He is more than a Prophet. He is more than our Great High Priest. He is more Messiah. He is more than the Lamb of God. He is more than the Righteous Judge. We can't put Jesus in a box. We can limit Him to simply what characteristics appeal to us. No matter what we think of Jesus, He's bigger than we think. Apollos thought he knew about Jesus. But that is about to change.
Luke tells us that the Alexandrian was "fervent in spirit." The literal translation of the phrase is "boiling in the spirit." Because of what we read later, this most likely spoke to his bubbly and outgoing personality. Apollos is the kind of guy that lights up a room when we walks in.
"He spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John" (v25). The original language uses the adverb akribos. It tells us that Apollos taught the Ephesian church carefully, thoroughly, diligently, taking great care with what he shared about Christ. What Apollos knew of Jesus, he taught it very well. He didn't want to teach anything about Messiah that wasn't true.
When we combine his incredible knowledge of Scripture (v24) with his accuracy in teaching about Jesus (v25), we can see that Apollos understood a very important truth. The entire Bible is about Jesus. Too many of us make the sad mistake of seeing the OT telling the story of the God of wrath and judgment while the NT is about the love and grace of Christ. But a closer reading of the both testaments reveal that Jesus is the hero of the story. The OT is loaded with prophecies about the coming Messiah, descriptions of who He will be and what He will do, as well as types and shadows that give us glimpses of the One who is to come. This is what Apollos knew. And this is what Apollos taught.
There was one small problem. The man from Alexandria "knew only the baptism of John" (v25). Apollos clearly knew of the message preached by John the Baptizer, that he was making last minute preparations for the coming of Messiah (Lk 3:3). Prior to his death, John had preached "a baptism of repentance." But he also pointed to the day when Christ would do something even greater. "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Lk 3:16).
Apollos had never heard of any baptism in regards to faith in Jesus. He didn't know that Christ had commanded His followers to "make disciples...baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Mt 28:19). What Apollos may have been missing is a lack of knowledge of Jesus' atoning death on the cross and ultimate resurrection.
Paul ties baptism directly to the cross in his letter to the Romans. "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life" (Rom 6:3-4).
It's very possible that Apollos clearly knew that Jesus is Messiah but had no idea of His substitutionary death for sin at Calvary. Without His crucifixion and resurrection, the Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth is really no different from any other teacher, prophet or holy man. Apollos worshiped Jesus as Christ but not as Savior.
As the Alexandrian taught at the Ephesian synagogue, two people were in the congregation. Paul's new friends Aquila and Priscilla were there (v26). After hearing Apollos preach, "they took him and explained to him the way of God more accurately." Earlier the couple made the trip from Corinth to Ephesus with Paul and decided to stay (Acts 18:18-19). There's every probability that God left them in the city in order to meet and correct Apollos.
Remember how Apollos "taught accurately the things concerning Jesus" (v25)? Priscilla and Aquila teach him even "more accurately." Here Luke uses the adverb akribesteron. It's a cousin to the word used in v25 (akribos). It is the superlative form of the previously used term. This tells us that what they told Apollos about Jesus was the complete and strict truth. For the first time, he heard the Good News both completely and in great detail.
Not only do we see Priscilla and Aquila wanting Apollos to hear and know the full story of Jesus, we also see the humility of the man from Alexandria. Despite his knowledge of Scripture and ability as a speaker, he was incredibly humble and willing to listen to correction.
Not only did Priscilla and Aquila want him to get the Gospel right. So did Apollos.
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