Apollos - Acts 18

²⁴ Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. ²⁵ 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 baptism of John. ²⁶ 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.

²⁷ When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed.²⁸ For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.

Where had Apollos learned the Scriptures so well?  The text doesn’t say except to say he is from Alexandria.  Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great in North Africa.  It was home to a great university and possibly a great library although there is some debate on the size and destruction of that library.  We can reason that he was able to learn from these and was very intelligent and was able to quote accurately and discern the Scriptures better than the Jews in the synagogues.  Apollos must have been brilliant and have had a zeal for knowing and teaching the Scriptures with accuracy.  He spoke about Jesus “accurately” while not knowing salvation through Jesus.  This is incredible for us to conceive.  It is possible to know Jesus from the Old Testament Scriptures “accurately” according to this passage.  Yet so many people dismiss these texts today!  The Bible is a complete document and all of it is worthy of our study so that we might see Jesus, and God, more clearly.

Paul’s tentmaking friends, Priscilla and Aquila guide Apollos to salvation and baptism through Jesus and they send him with their letters to the churches in the Achaia area.  This would be Corinth, where they had lived for several years with Paul.  Christians are supporting Christians and encouraging one another whenever they can.  This is the church in a fallen world that opposes it.  The church should look this way today as well.  Unfortunately, today's church is very divided over too many aspects and are having a very difficult keeping the main thing the main focus.  And that main thing is the gospel message: God and Jesus are very real and salvation from sin is only found in Jesus.