Bible Study series: Acts 18:24-28. Apollos appears in the Corinthian correspondences, and here he is in Acts for the first time. Priscilla and Aquila have to introduce him to the fullness of the Spirit.
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I also translate to learn, so the translations are mine, unless otherwise noted. If you would like to see many others, please click on this link:
At the link to the original post, next, I write more commentary and dig a little deeper into the Greek. I also offer a section titled Observations for Discipleship at the end. Check it out!
In this post, links are provided in the commentary section for further study.
Let’s begin.
Scripture: Acts 18:24-28
24 A Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, a learned man, powerful in Scripture, landed at Ephesus. 25 He had been trained in the path of the Lord, and alive in the Spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the story of Jesus, understanding only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him to themselves and laid out before him the path of God more accurately. 27 When he intended go through Achaea, they encouraged him and wrote to the disciples so that they would welcome him. He arrived and greatly helped those who had believed through grace. 28 He powerfully refuted the Jews publicly, by demonstrating from the Scriptures that the Messiah was Jesus. (Acts 18:24-28)
Comments:
24:
“learned”: pronounced learnèd (two syllables).It could mean “educated.” Interestingly, Bruce (1990) suggests he was a businessman; maybe, but I don’t think so. Orators and rhetoricians (both professional speakers or “speechifiers”) used to travel around the Greek East giving speeches before the people’s assembly (lower chamber) or council (upper chamber) and dazzling them with their opinions on various policies. Some even denounced slavery or prostitution, for example. Their Greek was strong and their reasoning powerful. They came across as educated far above the average Greek. No doubt a professional orator or rhetorician who came from Alexandria, Egypt, would boast that his city had a huge library and he studied there and attended various schools and learned the art of speaking, as well as the classics of Greek poetry, like Homer, and philosophy, like Plato and Aristotle. They attended lectures from the top minds of their days.
“powerful in Scripture”: Apollos should be seen in the context I just described, even though he might not have experienced every facet of that intellectual life. Most importantly, he was steeped in the Greek translation of the Old Testament, called the Septuagint (abbreviated LXX and pronounced sep-TOO-ah-gent), which is the third-to-second century, BC, translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek. And of course Apollos probably knew Hebrew too.
“powerful” it means “mighty, able, strong.” Apollos was a “Word guy.” He used Scripture to reason about the Messiah. No doubt he used Messianic prophecies. Please see a table of the Scriptures, written out.
25:
“alive”: iSome translations have “fervent,” but it could mean burning with zeal.
“Spirit”: in Rom. 12:11 it means “living or alive in the Spirit,” as in Holy Spirit. Bruce says it mean the same thing here and translates it “aglow with the Spirit.” I agree because the Greek wording is the same. Apollos was alive or living or glowing in the Spirit. It is possible not have be baptized in the name of Jesus and still have the Spirit in someone. Be wary of locked-down systems of salvation. The only essential or nonnegotiable is the Spirit causing one to be born again (John 3:3) and confession that Jesus is Lord and believing in the heart that God raised him from the dead (Rom. 10:9-10). In any case, could it be that Priscilla and Aquila introduced him to the baptism in the Spirit, subsequent to his saving faith in the Lord, after he was instructed in the way of the Lord? I say yes.
“story”: literally the word is “things,” but I expanded the translation, because his Jesus’s ministry and life and his ministry in the first-century church (and today) is a storyline. Apollos was speaking the story of Jesus accurately, but not completely accurately. He had gaps in his knowledge.
“baptism of John”: Jews who were touched by John’s baptism traveled around and landed at Alexandria (or Apollos may have heard about it in his own travels). But he must have been born again through the ministry of Messianic Jews, because he was alive in the Spirit.
In Acts 19:1-7, Paul went to Ephesus and met disciples who heard only the baptism of John. No doubt they had heard Apollos’s preaching, which was focused on only John’s baptism. Paul had to update their knowledge, much like Priscilla and Aquila did for Apollos here in this verse and v. 26. They received the fulness of the Spirit and spoke in heavenly languages. It is probable that Apollos got the fulness of the Spirit just as the Ephesian disciples did too—prayer languages.
“But Apollos combined great knowledge of the scriptures with a masterly skill in expounding their messianic content, and this was coupled with a spiritual fervency—an expression which probably denoted not so much an enthusiastic temperament as possession by the Spirit of God (which is what it means when used by Paul in Rom. 12:11)” (Bruce, comment on vv. 24-25).
26:
“boldly proclaiming”: Apollos’s was emboldened and did not cower in fear. You know the Spirit is flowing through you when you have boldness. God has not given you a spirit of fear or timidity (2 Tim. 1:7).
Of course Priscilla and Aquila instructed him in the baptism in the name of Jesus. The fact that they took him aside, probably means a meal in their house (Keener p. 469). Priscilla is named first, indicating her higher status and taking the lead in instructing him (Keener, ibid.).
I like Bruce’s statement on Priscilla and Aquila’s further instruction of Apollos: “But Priscilla’s and Aquila’s procedure was admirable: how much better it is to give such private help to a teacher whose understanding of his subject is deficient than to correct or denounce him publicly!” (comment on v. 26).
No drama, and no drama kings or queens among church leaders, please.
But can their instruction go more deeply?
Apollos went right to the synagogue in Ephesus, and the text does not say he got persecuted. Why not? Did he understand the grace of God to its fullest? Did he teach a lot of law? Did he know about the Jerusalem Council and its letter that diminishes the law of Moses’s rules (Acts 15)? Some say he was not Spirit-filled, but v. 24 disagrees. Note that in v. 27 he greatly encouraged the believers in Achaia, where Corinth was, in the grace of God. It would have been a disaster for Paul’s ministry in Corinth if Apollos had taught to incorporate the law too strongly and broadly in Christian salvation, because 2 Cor. 3 is Paul’s declaration of the diminishment of the old law. But let’s not go overboard on the absence of evidence (no persecution).
Apollos is not said to receive Christian water baptism. But it is a sure thing that he did, sooner or later. (Recall that throughout Paul’s and Barnabas’s first missionary journey Luke does not record one baptism.) Recall v. 8: “And Crispus, the synagogue leader, believed in the Lord with his whole household, and numerous Corinthians heard and believed and were baptized.” Once again, Luke’s nickname: “the Omitter” or “the Condenser.” He omits because he assumes that water baptism was done. His readers should fill in the blanks and not build a federal doctrinal case out his omissions. Water baptism was simply done. Period. Apollos was baptized.
Paul allowed women to teach. Priscilla and Aquila, wife and husband, taught the mighty Apollos. This was done in their house. No doubt she taught with authority.
In the next chapter, the unnamed twelve or so disciples knew (i.e., experienced) only the baptism of John (Acts 19:1-7). Paul explained to them about Jesus and baptized them in Jesus’s name. He laid hands on them, and they received the fullness of the Spirit, complete with the gift of prophecy and Spirit-inspired prayer languages (commonly called ‘tongues’). Conversion to Jesus and water baptism brought with it spiritual experiences and the gifts of the Spirit, not just mental assent.
I have learned in my translation and commentary on Acts that Luke omits details because, evidently, he wants us to assume them. The clearest example is his not recording one instance of water baptism in Paul’s and Barnabas’s first missionary journey, even though many got saved (Acts 13-14). Water baptism was simply done. He expects us to fill in this gap or omission.
It is probable that the same thing happened to Apollos. Priscilla led the powerful rhetorician and baptized Apollos to receive more of Jesus and the Spirit with the gift of prophecy and prayer languages. It’s hard to believe that Priscilla kept her mouth closed during this sacred time. No. She taught. With authority. This is doctrinal clarity and the practice of ministry.
Questions and Answers about Spirit-Inspired Languages
27:
“helped”: it means to come or even be strongly thrown together and help each other. Picture unity of purpose.
“they wrote”: it is always good to have a church send you out. If God ever leads you to pastor a church, don’t be an independent operator. Get sent and get help! And don’t welcome fly-by-night, wandering evangelists who have no roots in a local church. And be sure the church is established and not one that the independent operator started to be a “yes-church” to him.
“believed” see v. 8 for more comments.
“through grace”: “through could be translated “by,” but I chose a literal translation. The noun comes from the Greek charis (pronounced khah-rees) and has these meanings, depending on the context: graciousness, attractiveness; favor, gracious care, help or goodwill, practical application of goodwill; a gracious deed or gift, benefaction. In some contexts, it means “exceptional effects produced by divine grace,” in other words, empowerment to accomplish a task. In this case it means his ability to do wonders and great signs. God gave him the grace and power to accomplish them.
Here is a quick definition. God’s grace means he gladly shows his unmerited goodness or love to those who have forfeited it and are by nature under a sentence of condemnation.
Good news! We do not have to suffer condemnation for our past sins because God hands us his grace. God initiates grace and then we believe.
“powerfully”: the Greek adverb is used only twice in the NT: here and Luke 23:10. It means “powerfully, vehemently, and vigorously.” It must have been great to see these discussions. Do preachers today have this kind of Scripture knowledge combined with vigor and verbal power? I see a few on Christian TV, but very few.
“refuted”: its basic meaning is to convict someone of a falsehood, to belie, and even to disgrace. Here it means “refute, confute.”
“demonstrating”: it means “to point to” or “show.” Luke uses it in Acts 9:39, when the women were showing Peter the clothing that Tabitha-Dorcas made. Here it means to “demonstrate or prove,” as in an argument.
Once again Apollos used Scripture to show that Jesus was the Messiah. Here is a table of the Scriptures, written out:
At that link is a table of quoted verses in the OT and NT, but Jesus fulfills more than just quoted verses. He also fulfills themes and concepts and types and shadows and even entire systems, like the temple sacrifices and the temple itself.
GrowApp for Acts 18:24-28
1. Apollos was learned in Scripture and he helped people through his preaching. Do you see the connection between knowing Scripture and encouraging people? How is your knowledge of Scripture and your ministry to people?
2. People believed through grace (as distinct from law keeping for salvation). Tell your story of God’s grace leading you to salvation.
RELATED
The Historical Reliability of the Book of Acts
Book of Acts and Paul’s Epistles: Match Made in Heaven?
SOURCES
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