SUNDAY September 24, 2023

Preaching to the Gentiles

Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John.
Acts 18:24-25

In Alexandria, people were very educated. They had acquired great knowledge. It would be as if the community attended Harvard. It is also believed there was a great population of Jews living in this area. Among them was Apollos, a Jewish man who was zealous for God. In the Greek language, the word zealous means “boiling in the spirit,” with the idea of “bubbling over with enthusiasm.” Although mighty in the Scriptures, Apollos had only received instruction as far as the baptism of John.

It is thought that Apollos was a disciple from John the Baptist’s ministry. He had come to Ephesus lacking knowledge about Christ. When he taught, he only spoke accurately of John’s baptism. It is hard to believe that Apollos had never heard about the death and Resurrection of Jesus, but that is exactly what had happened.

After hearing Apollo’s passionate preaching, Aquila and Priscilla recognized he had limited knowledge. His teaching lacked the depth of the Gospel message. He had no comprehension concerning the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thankfully, Aquila and Priscilla were able to broaden his knowledge: When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately (Acts 18:26).

Apollos was an eloquent man––a great self-learner––and yet here were two tentmakers, Aquila and Priscilla, who knew more. Apollos humbled himself and allowed them to teach him the Word of God. So beautiful!

Ask yourself, “Am I teachable?” You need to be approachable and teachable if you are going to grow in the knowledge of the Scriptures.

Not until we have become humble and teachable, standing in awe of God's holiness and sovereignty... acknowledging our own littleness, distrusting our own thoughts, and willing to have our minds turned upside down, can divine wisdom become ours.
~J. I. Packer~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!