APOLLOS -- TALENTED, CONFUSED, PENITENT, POWERFUL! Introduction: A. There Are GREAT Lessons To Be Learned By Studying The Lives Of Biblical Characters Godly And Evil. B. Apollos Is A Biblical Character About Whom Little Is Known And Yet From Whom Great Lessons Can Be Learned! I. (Slide #2) He Was A Jew Who Lived In Alexandria, Egypt. A. Ac. 18:24 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, 1. ( ) That is 314 miles from Jerusalem. 2. Keep that in mind as we think about later events! B. What Does That Tell Us About Him? 1. He was a Jew by birth. 2. Alexandria was a great seat of learning; they had the largest library in the world -- he was very intelligent! 3. He may have been greatly influenced by the great intellectual leader, Philo, who was very concerned about education and preaching! (Info from Wikipedia) a. Philo used philosophical allegory to attempt to fuse and harmonize Greek philosophy with Jewish philosophy. b. Philo was a contemporary of Jesus and the Apostles. c. Philo was greatly influenced by Greek culture in Alexandria, along with the local and ancient Egyptian culture and the Roman culture of that century. d. He mainly studied the Old Testament. 1
e. He tried to syncretize the teaching of the Old Testament and the teaching of Plato. f. Philo thought that God created and governed the world through mediators. The Logos [Jesus] was the chief among them, the next to God, the craftsman of the world. The Logos was immaterial, an adequate image of God, his shadow, his firstborn son. Being the mind of the Eternal, Logos is imperishable. He was neither eternal as God nor was He created as man is -- Philo saw him as occupying a middle position [this seems like the Colossian heresy -- see Colossians 2!] 4. So you might see Apollos as one who knew the Old Testament Scriptures but did not truly know who Jesus Christ was! II. (Slide #3) He Was A Very Skilled And Talented Young Man! A. We Return To Ac. 18:24 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. B. He Also had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord Ac. 18:25 C. He Was: 1. Eloquent -- educated, skilled in speech, influential and powerful! He had a great command of language; he was very influential! 2. Mighty in the Scriptures -- powerful; excelling 3. Fervent in spirit -- full of zeal 4. Instructed in the way of the Lord -- he knew the Old Testament Scriptures; he knew a Messiah was coming; he did not know that Jesus Christ was THE Messiah! In this sense he had the same problem that most Jews had; however, many of the Jews saw Jesus as just an imposter, not someone above man. III. (Slide #4) He Was A Contemporary Of The Apostle Paul! A. He Was In Ephesus; Then Left And Went To Corinth. B. Paul Followed Him In Ephesus. 2
C. What Is Interesting -- They Both Had Been Taught Wrong About Jesus In Their Youth! 1. Paul was taught that Jesus was an imposter Messiah! 2. Apollos was taught that Jesus was something between God and man; but he was NOT the promised Messiah of the O.T. IV. (Slide #5) He Was A Confused Young Man! A. ( ) Ac. 18:25,26 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. 26 So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 1. He came from Alexandria to Ephesus; why he did that we are not told. Some think it was for his work. 2. There he was teaching from the Scriptures -- most likely the Old Testament Scriptures (preaching about a coming Messiah!) 3. What is STAGGERING to me is that this was about A.D. 51 -- 18 years AFTER Pentecost (Some say A.D. 54 -- 21 years after Pentecost); yet, he only knew about the baptism of John! This was a baptism in view of a coming Messiah who has not yet been identified!!!!! a. He had been taught completely wrong about Jesus! b. He did not know that Jesus was the promised Messiah -- the Divine Christ! c. You wonder if he had heard of the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus -- it seems that he had not! 4. HOW COULD THAT HAPPEN? a. Remember that he lived in Alexandria, Egypt, some 314 miles away; HOW DID HE NOT KNOW WHO JESUS WAS? b. It still seems unfathomable! c. But, remember that we are what we have been taught; that seems to be true of Apollos. 5 This was during Paul s Third Missionary Journey! B. (Slide #6) Ac. 19:1-7 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? So they said to him, We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit. 3 And he said to them, Into what then were you baptized? So they said, Into John s baptism. 4 Then Paul said, John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who 3
would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 7 Now the men were about twelve in all. 1. Paul returned to Ephesus from Antioch traveling through Asia Minor back to Ephesus. 2. When he arrived, he met twelve disciples. 3. Paul s question to the disciples, After having believed, did you receive the Holy Spirit? a. Remember that Paul is an Apostle. b. He is EAGER to pass on the nine supernatural gifts. c. He wanted to know if these disciples had received miraculous gifts. d. Their response, We don t know what you are talking about! 4. (Slide #7) Immediately Paul knew there was a problem -- his question, Into what then were you baptized? 5. Their answer: John s baptism. (That is what Apollos knew and taught!) 6. Paul contrasts the baptism that John taught with the baptism that Jesus commanded. a. (Slide #8) John s baptism: 1. ( ) Ordained by God. Mt. 21:24 2. In water 3. Immersion 4. Preceded by repentance. Mk. 1:4; Mt. 3:2,8 5. For the remission of sins. Mk. 1:4 6. In view of a COMING but not yet identified Messiah! 7. It had NO accompanying supernatural gifts. b. ( ) Jesus baptism. 1. ( ) Ordained by God. 2. In water 3. Immersion. 4. Preceded by repentance. 5. For the remission of sins -- for salvation. 6. In view of an ALREADY COME and identified Messiah! 7. It had accompanying supernatural gifts. 7. A lesson -- an improper purpose for baptism makes it invalid in God s sight! 8. (Slide #9) As soon as they were properly baptized, Paul laid his hands upon them and the received miraculous gifts from the Holy Spirit evidenced by their speaking in tongues and prophesying! 4
C. Paul Stayed In Ephesus And Taught For 2 Years! Ac. 19:10 V. (Slide #10) He Was A Teachable Young Man! A. THANK GOD For An Aquila And Priscilla! 1. (Slide #11) They were a Jewish couple who had come to Ephesus with Paul. a. Aquila was from Pontus, a region in northern Asia Minor. b. They had lived in Rome but left when the Jews were driven out by Claudius; they went to Corinth. Ac. 18:1 c. Paul met them there; they all worked together as tentmakers. d. Paul left Corinth to return to Antioch; they went through Ephesus where he left Aquila and Priscilla, 18:19. e. They are ALWAYS mentioned as a couple! 1. Ac. 18:1-3 After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them. 3 So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers. 2. Ac. 18:18 So Paul still remained a good while. Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, for he had taken a vow. 3. Ac. 18:19 And he [Paul] came to Ephesus, and left them [Priscilla & Aquila] there; but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. [They left Corinth with Paul and came to Ephesus] 4. Ac. 18:26 So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 5. Rom. 16:3,4 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 6. I Cor. 16:19 The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. 7. II Tim. 4:19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 2. Thank God that they had BARNABAS hearts; NOT DIOTROPHES hearts! 3. Barnabas would have kindly corrected, encouraged, and inspired; Diotrophes would have criticized, discouraged, and destroyed this young man s initiative! 5
B. (Slide #12) Ac. 18:26 When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. C. Aquila And Priscilla Did Not Condone The Error; They Took Him Aside And Taught Him The Way Of God More Accurately. D. Apollos Had A Humble, Godly, Holy, And Penitent Heart! 1. He did not want to teach error! 2. He longed to teach Heaven s Truths! 3. Corrected, he was quickly accepting of the truth of who Jesus is and was eager to teach it! This reminds you so much of the Apostle Paul! E. (Slide #13) Ac. 18:27,28 And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; 28 for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. 1. And The Brethren At Ephesus Wrote Letters Encouraging The Brethren In Achaia To Receive Him! a. Were these letters of recommendation? b. Were they letters of fellowship? This man no longer teaches error! 2. This All Occurred Before Paul Arrived In Ephesus. a. In the meantime, Apollos had gone to Achaia, specifically to Corinth! b. Afterward, Paul came to Ephesus. VI. (Slide #14) He Had Some Significant Impact Upon The Early Development Of The Churches In Ephesus And In Corinth. A. After We See His Confused Teaching At Ephesus, He Followed That With His Preaching The Truth About Jesus In Corinth! B. He Was Dynamic; He Was Respected By The Christians In Corinth; In Fact, As Respected As The Apostles!!! 1. I Cor. 1:12 Now I say this, that each of you says, I am of Paul, or I am of Apollos, or I am of Cephas, or I am of Christ. 2. Paul corrected the whole mindset influenced by the Corinthian culture where Plato and Aristotle were SO aggrandized (glorified)! 6
a. This would have been easy for a Corinthian to get caught up in spiritually! b. Paul s correction: 1. I Cor. 3:4-6 For when one says, I am of Paul, and another, I am of Apollos, are you not carnal? 5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 2. I Cor. 4:6 Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other. VII. (Slide #15) Paul Respected Him! A. Paul Respected His Determination! 1. I Cor. 16:12 Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to come to you with the brethren, but he was quite unwilling to come at this time; however, he will come when he has a convenient time. 2. Apollos would come to Corinth at a later, convenient time. He may have been detained; he may have wanted to wait to give them time to absorb Paul s chastisement and to stop claiming to be the disciples of men! B. Paul Was Eager To Have Apollos And Other Young Men With Him! 1. Tit. 3:13 Send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey with haste, that they may lack nothing. (During this time they were on a mission in Crete -- they were the recipients of the Epistle to Titus!) 2. Also John Mark Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry. II Tim. 4:11 VIII. Historical Speculations About The Later Life Of Apollos: A. Jerome Claimed That He Was So Dissatisfied With The Division At Corinth That He Went To Crete With Zenas, The Lawyer. Later He Supposedly Returned To Corinth And Became Its Bishop (An Elder?) B. Some Claim That He Was The Bishop Of Duras, Iconium in Phrygia, Or Of Caesarea. C. Martin Luther And Others Claim That He Wrote The Book Of Hebrews. 7
D. The Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod Holds A Commemoration For Apollos, And For Aquila And Priscilla All Three As Saints On February 13. IX. (Slide #16) Lessons We Learn From The Story Of Apollos! A. ( ) Young People Need To Be Taught The Scriptures! B. ( ) Give Young People Opportunities To Grow And Hone Their Talents! C. ( ) Teach The Word With Enthusiasm And Power. D. ( ) Every Christian Needs To Compare What He Has Been Taught And What He Believes With God s Truths. E. (Slide #17) Every Christian Needs To Be Teachable! F. ( ) Use Your Talents And Opportunities To Bring Others To Christ! G. ( ) Care About Others Who Are Confused; With Loving Concern And A Humble Heart, Guide Them Into The Truth. H. ( ) Husbands And Wives Can Be An Influential Team As Christians And Teachers! I. ( ) You Cannot Be Taught Wrong And Baptized Correctly! 8