Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt. He had been taught the way of the Lord, and he taught others about Jesus with an enthusiastic spirit and with accuracy. However, he knew only about John’s baptism. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately. Apollos had been thinking about going to Achaia, and the brothers and sisters in Ephesus encouraged him to go. They wrote to the believers in Achaia, asking them to welcome him. When he arrived there, he proved to be of great benefit to those who, by God’s grace, had believed. He refuted the Jews with powerful arguments in public debate. Using the Scriptures, he explained to them that Jesus was the Messiah.
Acts 18:24-28
Did you notice the error in the map which is supposedly tracking Paul’s journeys as laid out in Acts 18-20 and attempting to account for the movements of Paul as indicated in the Corinthian letters? The map only picks up Paul’s journey after he returned to Antioch the second time and then his journey through Galatia and Phrygia. Yet it supposedly covers Paul’s travels in Asia and Greece and Beyond. It has the last part of Paul’s first travels from Acts 18 and then mixes that with the journeys of Apollos, Timothy and Erastus. There is no coverage of Paul’s early journey, while painful visit is slipped in at that point yet we have not indication of that from Scripture. There was no inclusion of the voyage by sea back to Caesarea to the return the first time. It is hardly a map of Paul’s travels in around Asia and Greece. It is picking up on beginnings of Paul’s third voyage, mixing it with the travels of the others. This map is somewhat misleading given the title.
That aside let’s focus now on Apollos, the purple journey on the map
- Who was this man Apollos?
- Why does Luke include this digression on Apollos at this point?
- How can Apollos be teaching about Jesus accurately?
- Where did he learn such things?
- How did he relate to Paul in order that Luke would slip him into Paul’s story?
- How is that he then needs to be taught more accurately by Priscilla and Aquila?
- What exactly was it that they needed to teach him?
- Was it only concerning baptisms that he required tutoring or more?
- What is the connection between Apollos’ time in Ephesus described in the insertion or the side track and Paul’s return to Ephesus in chapter nineteen?
- Was there tension between Paul and Apollos as some see in the words of the first letter to the Corinthians?
- Was it that Apollos’ teaching in Ephesus was inadequate?
- Do you have any more questions to add to the pot?
In the meantime, here is run down on Apollos clipped from various sources. (ISBE and Commentators loaded in E-Sword)
Apollos
(Ἀπολλώς, Apollō̇s, the short form of Apollonius): Apollos was a Jew of Alexandrian race (Act 18:24) who reached Ephesus in the summer of 54 ad, while Paul was on his third missionary journey, and there he “spake and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus” (Act 18:25). That he was eminently fitted for the task is indicated by the fact of his being a “learned man,” “mighty in the scriptures,” “fervent in spirit,” “instructed in the way of the Lord” (Act 18:24, Act 18:25).
His teaching was however incomplete in that he knew “only the baptism of John” (Act 18:25), and this has given rise to some controversy. According to Blass, his information was derived from a written gospel which reached Alexandria, but it was more probably the fruits of what Apollos had heard, either directly or from others, of the preaching of John the Baptist at Bethany beyond Jordan (compare Joh 1:28). Upon receiving further instruction from Priscilla and Aquila (Act 18:26), Apollos extended his mission to Achaia, being encouraged thereto by the brethren of Ephesus (Act 18:27).
In Achaia “he helped them much that had believed through grace; for he powerfully confuted the Jews, and that publicly, showing by the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ” (Act 18:27, Act 18:28). During Apollos’ absences in Achaia, Paul had reached Ephesus and learned of what had been taught by Apollos there. (Act 19:1). Since Paul was informed that the Ephesians still knew nothing of the baptism of the Spirit (Act 19:2-4), it is probable that Apollos had not imparted to his hearers the further instruction he had received from Priscilla and Aquila, but had departed for Achaia shortly after receiving it.
Paul remained upward of two years among the Ephesians (Act 19:8, Act 19:10), and in the spring of 57 ad he wrote the First Epistle to the Corinthians. By this time Apollos was once more in Ephesus (compare 1Co 16:12). It is incredible that this epistle of Paul could have been prompted by any feelings of jealousy or animosity on his part against Apollos. It was rather the outcome of discussion between the two regarding the critical situation then existing in Corinth. The mission of Apollos had met with a certain success, but the breeding of faction, which that very success, through the slight discrepancies in his teaching (compare 1Co 1:12; 1Co 3:4) with that of Paul or of Cephas, had engendered, was utterly alien to his intentions.
The party spirit was as distasteful to Apollos as it was to Paul, and made him reluctant to return to the scene of his former labors even at the desire of Paul himself (1Co 16:12). The epistle voiced the indignation of both. Paul welcomed the co-operation of Apollos (1Co 3:6: “I planted, Apollos watered”). It was not against his fellow-evangelist that he fulminated, but against the petty spirit of those who loved faction more than truth, who saw not that both he and Apollos came among them as “God’s fellow-workers” (1Co 3:9), the common servants of the one Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This view is also borne out by the tenor of Clement’s Epistle to the Corinthians: nor does it conflict with the passages 1Co 12:1-7; 2Co 3:1; 2Co 11:16, where Paul seems to allude to Apollos’ eloquence, wisdom, and letter of commendation. Paul wrote thus not in order to disparage Apollos but to affirm that, even without these incidental advantages, he would yield to none in the preaching of Christ crucified.
The last mention of Apollos is in the Epistle to Titus, where he is recommended along with Zenas to Titus (Tit 3:13). He was then on a journey through Crete (Tit 3:15), and was probably the bearer of the epistle. The time of this is uncertain, as the writing of the Epistle to Titus, though generally admitted to have been after the release of Paul from imprisonment at Rome, has been variously placed at 64-67 ad.
(Apollonius or Apollodorus) was an Alexandrine Jew, “eloquent (or learned) and mighty in the Scriptures” (which had been translated into the famous Greek version, the Septuagint, at his birthplace) (Act 18:24-25).
His deep knowledge of the Old Testament gave him especial power with the Jews, “for he mightily convinced them publicly, showing by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.” Some at Corinth abused his name. into a party watchword, saying, “I am of Apollos,” so popular was he. But Paul, while condemning their party spirit, commends Apollos, and writes that he had “greatly desired our brother Apollos to come” unto the Corinthians (1Co 16:12). But Apollos was disinclined to come at that time; probably to give no handle for party zeal, until the danger of it should have passed away.
Those who made his name their party cry were attracted by his rhetorical style acquired in Alexandria, as contrasted with the absence of “excellency of speech and enticing words of man’s wisdom” (1Co 2:1-4), and even in their estimation “the contemptible speech” (2Co 10:10), of Paul. The last Bible notice of him is in Tit 3:13, where Paul charges Titus, then in Crete, “bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way diligently, that nothing may be wanting to them.” Jerome states that Apollos remained at Crete until he heard that the divisions at Corinth had been healed by Paul’s epistle; then he went and became bishop there.
Apollos’s main excellency was as builder up,’ rather than founder, of churches. His humility and teachableness in submitting, with all his learning, to the teaching of Aquila and even of Priscilla (a woman), his fervency and his power in Scripture, and his determinably staying away from where his well deserved popularity might be made a handle for party zeal, are all lovely traits in his Christian character.
His disciples were much attached to him (1Co 3:4-7, 1Co 3:22). He was with Paul at Ephesus when he wrote the First Epistle to the Corinthians; and Paul makes kindly reference to him in his letter to Titus (Tit 3:13). After this, he became a preacher of the gospel, first in Achaia and then in Corinth. Act 18:27; Act 1819:1. He is mentioned but once more in the New Testament, in Tit 3:13. After this, nothing is known of him. Tradition makes him bishop of Caesarea. Some have supposed, although without sufficient ground, that he was the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews.
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