Read Part One HERE
A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS
PART XVIII - III
"I, Paul, eventually left Corinth for Ephesus together with Priscilla and Aquila.... However, I did not stay long in Ephesus... But I left Priscilla and Aquila behind.... While there, they met another Jew.... A man named Apollos....".... "Yes, we, Priscilla and Aquila, one day heard this man Appollos speak at the synagogue we attend every Saturday... He was a gifted speaker... And it was clear that he had a great deal of knowledge of the Scriptures.... Yet, we sensed at the same time that some things were lacking in his understanding of the Scriptures.... Aquila and I, Priscilla, looked at each other... We knew that he needed some help...And Paul had left for other places... So he could not be of help to him... That is when we decided we should speak to him.... And invite him to our home.... So we could have a conversation with him.... After one of the Sabbath services, we introduced ourselves...And we asked him if he would like to join us for a meal... He was delighted.... We then learned that his name was Apollos.... And that he had come from Alexandria....Over our meal together we learned that he only knew of the Baptism of John the Baptist.... We then understood why we had sensed some things were lacking in his knowledge of the Bible...We were only too delighted to help him have a more accurate understanding of the Scriptures... We pray that one day he will have the opportunity to meet Paul and even become a co-worker with him.".... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn of the encounter of Paul's friends Priscilla and Aquila with Apollos....
ATTACHMENT A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS
PART XVIII - III
Priscilla and Aquila stayed behind in Ephesus, while Paul started to travel to other places. God used this couple in a very specific way in Ephesus as you will see in a moment. For during that time a man named Apollos arrived in Ephesus. He was a learned man but his theology was insufficient as you can know from Acts 18:24-26
Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptsim of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.
The baptism of John refers to the baptism which was done by John the Baptist, the son of Elizabeth and Zechariah, who was a cousin of Jesus. You can read of his ministry in Luke 3:3
He (John) went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
It may well be that Apollos had heard John the Baptist preach and had been baptised by him. However, that was before Jesus' death on the Cross and His Resurrection. Therefore, Apollos' understanding of the Scriptures were lacking even though he did not know that. But remember, Priscilla and Aquila were in Ephesus when Apollos arrived there.
Their regular custom would have been to go to the synagogue on the Sabbath Day. That is how they will have heard Apollos speak. They would have recognised his preaching ability and his knowledge of the Scriptures, but they would have recognised as well that certain things were lacking. They knew that they were able to teach him what was lacking in his understanding of the Scriptures.
So they took action and their action took place in a very specific form; they did not just go home and pray for Apollos that God might show him the truth. Neither did they write a letter to Paul asking him to return so that he could teach Apollos what was lacking in his understanding of the Gospel. No, they took it upon themselves to teach him things he did not yet know by inviting him into their home.
They showed thereby great care and love for this man. No doubt, their ministry to Apollos prepared the way for Apollos to eventually meet Paul and become a fellow worker with him as you can know from 1 Corinthians 3:4-9
"For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, ""I follow Apollos," are you not mere human beings? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? only servants, through whom you came to believe - as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded to their own labour. For we are co-workers in God's service; you are God's field, God's building."
Read Part Four HERE
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