Act 18:25 | KingComments | STEP | While Paul is on his way to Ephesus, Luke tells us something about “a Jew named Apollos” coming to Ephesus. Apollos, from Alexandria in Egypt, is an “eloquent [or: learned] man”. He does not use his natural abilities for himself, but for the glory of God. The fact that he is mighty in the Scriptures does not mean that he is able to quote long passages of text – perhaps he could –, but that he knows the context of Scripture and understands its meaning. In Apollos we have someone in whom the energy of the Holy Spirit reveals itself without any intervention of the apostle or the twelve. He is an instrument of the Spirit that works independently of the apostles. This is also how it is meant by the Spirit, Who gives to whom He wills ( ). We see that Apollos acts independently when he later does not follow Paul’s recommendation, but goes his own way, which is also accepted by Paul ( ). There is no jealousy between the two servants. Between them there is not the idea that they want to win people for themselves, but both of them want to win people for Christ. It is completely reprehensible to them that the believers in Corinth have made them party leaders, causing a division in the unity of the believers ( ). Apollos probably heard and accepted the gospel in Egypt and then became mighty in the Scriptures, by which the Scriptures of the Old Testament are meant. He was taught in the way of the Lord. This means that he was taught in the way of the Lord Jesus, how that teaching should be brought into practice, and how that teaching should literally get hands and feet. The purpose of teaching in God’s Word is always that it is worked out in life. Luke does not tell how Apollos came to faith. That he really has come to faith is obvious from his life. He is completely absorbed by what he has discovered in the Scriptures. This has ignited a fire in him that is expressed in his speaking and teaching. This fervor of Apollos’ spirit is not a trait, but a fervor of spirit which is of the Spirit of God and which we should all possess ( ). He knows the zeal of the Spirit, like the prophets in the Old Testament. He does not merely pass on knowledge, but is grasped by it himself. He has great knowledge of Scripture and is able to reflect that knowledge to others. Listeners can sense whether someone is passing on dry theory, or whether he is talking about something that has gripped him. Apollos does not yet know anything about everything that has happened to Christ. The only thing he knows is John’s baptism. This means that he has accepted the preaching of John, has repented and has believed in Christ Whom John has pointed out. However, he does not know about the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit. He stood, as it were, before Pentecost. But from what he knows he speaks boldly in the synagogue in Ephesus. There also Priscilla and Aquila come and they hear him speak. In the beginning of the church the Christians (also) still go to the synagogue. This couple always meet interesting people. In Corinth they got to know Paul and here in Ephesus they get to know Apollos. The meeting must have been very pleasant for them. When they listen to him, they notice that he still misses something. They notice that he does not know how things went on with Jesus of Nazareth. They don’t get up in the synagogue to correct him, but take him home to tell him what is missing. It speaks in favor of the mighty orator Apollos that he allows himself to be taught by simple tentmakers. Aquila and Priscilla pass on to Apollos what they have undoubtedly learned themselves from Paul’s teaching. How beautiful it is when there are couples who can teach servants in God’s Word and make their home and time available for it. Priscilla and Aquila together explain the way of God more precisely. Priscilla comes first, possibly because she was the first to recognize him as someone with whom something was missing. Women often have more sense of this than men. It is plausible that she then proposed to her husband to take him with them. Only as a third activity is it stated that they both explained to Apollos the way of God more accurately. When explaining the way of God more accurately, Priscilla will not have contravened the commandment that a woman is not allowed to teach or rule over the man ( ). There is a general remark to be made in connection with this. A man is generally sensitive when someone knows more than he does. He sometimes has to overcome something first to invite the other. It does not mean that this has been the case with Aquila; that cannot even be assumed, but it is something that servants should consider. For example, it may happen that an older brother with a lot of knowledge of Scripture finds it difficult to accept that a younger brother has even more knowledge of Scripture. Apollos was taught in the way of the Lord. That had led him to place his life under the authority of the Lord. Now he hears about the way of God, which is the way of faith for the Christian as it can be known from Scripture. In Scripture we learn how God has acted with His people and His own throughout the entire history of salvation. It must have been a joy for Apollos to receive this teaching. When Apollos has received a more accurate explanation of the way of God, he wants to go to Achaia where Corinth is. How did he get the idea to go to Corinth? Why not go to Athens or Philippi? It is plausible that he heard about Corinth from Aquila and Priscilla. They must have told him that there is a need there and that may have been the reason for Apollos to go there. In this way, workers are given all kinds of indications to go somewhere. The brethren in Ephesus see in Apollos a gifted servant of God and encourage and recommend him in his service. The letter of recommendation he receives is not about receiving at the Table of the Lord for partaking of the Supper of the Lord, but about receiving as a servant of Christ (cf. ; ). A letter of recommendation is not bound to a local church, but to the fact that the senders are known in the place where a servant goes and that the senders there are known as believers whose spiritual judgment can be trusted. If such believers give a testimony concerning someone who is not known there, it gives confidence in the servant who comes. Writing and receiving a letter of recommendation is in both cases a privilege and an expression of fellowship. A personal testimony from the servant himself is not sufficient ( ; ). With the letter of recommendation to the service with him, Apollos leaves Ephesus for Corinth. There he will water what Paul planted ( ). He may continue and expand Paul’s work. The fact that his arrival in Corinth gives rise to division only makes the necessity of his service even more clear. There are people in Corinth who are particularly impressed by his oratorical talent and choose him as their leader, without him wanting it. Luke mentions that he is of great help to the faithful. This is not due to his qualities, but to the grace of God. Also for him, it is true that he can do nothing without the Lord Jesus ( ). Only grace makes us capable to help others. Every blessing we pass on comes from the Lord. The service of Apollos focuses especially on the Jews who, time and time again, put Christians in trouble, by opposing the truth. Apollos unequivocally refutes all these attacks from the Scriptures, for he proves that Jesus is the Christ. He overthrows all the arguments of his opponents with the Scriptures. Demonstrating means to present something in a convincing, vivid way. The Word of God is the evidence.

‏ Acts 18:25

Apollos in Ephesus

While Paul is on his way to Ephesus, Luke tells us something about “a Jew named Apollos” coming to Ephesus. Apollos, from Alexandria in Egypt, is an “eloquent [or: learned] man”. He does not use his natural abilities for himself, but for the glory of God. The fact that he is mighty in the Scriptures does not mean that he is able to quote long passages of text – perhaps he could –, but that he knows the context of Scripture and understands its meaning.

In Apollos we have someone in whom the energy of the Holy Spirit reveals itself without any intervention of the apostle or the twelve. He is an instrument of the Spirit that works independently of the apostles. This is also how it is meant by the Spirit, Who gives to whom He wills (1Cor 12:11). We see that Apollos acts independently when he later does not follow Paul’s recommendation, but goes his own way, which is also accepted by Paul (1Cor 16:12).

There is no jealousy between the two servants. Between them there is not the idea that they want to win people for themselves, but both of them want to win people for Christ. It is completely reprehensible to them that the believers in Corinth have made them party leaders, causing a division in the unity of the believers (1Cor 1:10-12).

Apollos probably heard and accepted the gospel in Egypt and then became mighty in the Scriptures, by which the Scriptures of the Old Testament are meant. He was taught in the way of the Lord. This means that he was taught in the way of the Lord Jesus, how that teaching should be brought into practice, and how that teaching should literally get hands and feet. The purpose of teaching in God’s Word is always that it is worked out in life.

Luke does not tell how Apollos came to faith. That he really has come to faith is obvious from his life. He is completely absorbed by what he has discovered in the Scriptures. This has ignited a fire in him that is expressed in his speaking and teaching. This fervor of Apollos’ spirit is not a trait, but a fervor of spirit which is of the Spirit of God and which we should all possess (Rom 12:11).

He knows the zeal of the Spirit, like the prophets in the Old Testament. He does not merely pass on knowledge, but is grasped by it himself. He has great knowledge of Scripture and is able to reflect that knowledge to others. Listeners can sense whether someone is passing on dry theory, or whether he is talking about something that has gripped him.

Apollos does not yet know anything about everything that has happened to Christ. The only thing he knows is John’s baptism. This means that he has accepted the preaching of John, has repented and has believed in Christ Whom John has pointed out. However, he does not know about the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit. He stood, as it were, before Pentecost. But from what he knows he speaks boldly in the synagogue in Ephesus.

There also Priscilla and Aquila come and they hear him speak. In the beginning of the church the Christians (also) still go to the synagogue. This couple always meet interesting people. In Corinth they got to know Paul and here in Ephesus they get to know Apollos.

The meeting must have been very pleasant for them. When they listen to him, they notice that he still misses something. They notice that he does not know how things went on with Jesus of Nazareth. They don’t get up in the synagogue to correct him, but take him home to tell him what is missing. It speaks in favor of the mighty orator Apollos that he allows himself to be taught by simple tentmakers. Aquila and Priscilla pass on to Apollos what they have undoubtedly learned themselves from Paul’s teaching.

How beautiful it is when there are couples who can teach servants in God’s Word and make their home and time available for it. Priscilla and Aquila together explain the way of God more precisely. Priscilla comes first, possibly because she was the first to recognize him as someone with whom something was missing. Women often have more sense of this than men. It is plausible that she then proposed to her husband to take him with them. Only as a third activity is it stated that they both explained to Apollos the way of God more accurately. When explaining the way of God more accurately, Priscilla will not have contravened the commandment that a woman is not allowed to teach or rule over the man (1Tim 2:12).

There is a general remark to be made in connection with this. A man is generally sensitive when someone knows more than he does. He sometimes has to overcome something first to invite the other. It does not mean that this has been the case with Aquila; that cannot even be assumed, but it is something that servants should consider. For example, it may happen that an older brother with a lot of knowledge of Scripture finds it difficult to accept that a younger brother has even more knowledge of Scripture.

Apollos was taught in the way of the Lord. That had led him to place his life under the authority of the Lord. Now he hears about the way of God, which is the way of faith for the Christian as it can be known from Scripture. In Scripture we learn how God has acted with His people and His own throughout the entire history of salvation. It must have been a joy for Apollos to receive this teaching.

When Apollos has received a more accurate explanation of the way of God, he wants to go to Achaia where Corinth is. How did he get the idea to go to Corinth? Why not go to Athens or Philippi? It is plausible that he heard about Corinth from Aquila and Priscilla. They must have told him that there is a need there and that may have been the reason for Apollos to go there. In this way, workers are given all kinds of indications to go somewhere.

The brethren in Ephesus see in Apollos a gifted servant of God and encourage and recommend him in his service. The letter of recommendation he receives is not about receiving at the Table of the Lord for partaking of the Supper of the Lord, but about receiving as a servant of Christ (cf. 2Cor 3:1; Rom 16:1).

A letter of recommendation is not bound to a local church, but to the fact that the senders are known in the place where a servant goes and that the senders there are known as believers whose spiritual judgment can be trusted. If such believers give a testimony concerning someone who is not known there, it gives confidence in the servant who comes. Writing and receiving a letter of recommendation is in both cases a privilege and an expression of fellowship. A personal testimony from the servant himself is not sufficient (Acts 9:26-28; 2Cor 13:1).

With the letter of recommendation to the service with him, Apollos leaves Ephesus for Corinth. There he will water what Paul planted (1Cor 3:6). He may continue and expand Paul’s work. The fact that his arrival in Corinth gives rise to division only makes the necessity of his service even more clear. There are people in Corinth who are particularly impressed by his oratorical talent and choose him as their leader, without him wanting it.

Luke mentions that he is of great help to the faithful. This is not due to his qualities, but to the grace of God. Also for him, it is true that he can do nothing without the Lord Jesus (Jn 15:5). Only grace makes us capable to help others. Every blessing we pass on comes from the Lord.

The service of Apollos focuses especially on the Jews who, time and time again, put Christians in trouble, by opposing the truth. Apollos unequivocally refutes all these attacks from the Scriptures, for he proves that Jesus is the Christ. He overthrows all the arguments of his opponents with the Scriptures. Demonstrating means to present something in a convincing, vivid way. The Word of God is the evidence.