Acts 18:23-28 (NIV)
After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 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. 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.
When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
Paul wasn’t long back in Antioch before he had a strong desire to go back to the churches in Galatia and Phrygia. He heard that some in the Galatian churches had fallen prey to the Judaizers and had turned away from faith Jesus back to legalism. He had written a letter to the Galatians about this, but he wanted to follow up with them in person. So, he gathered a group and left.
Apollos was an Egyptian Greek from the cosmopolitan city of Alexandria on the Egyptian coast. As Luke pointed out, he was fervent in his beliefs, but had received only partial training in the way of the Lord, knowing only John’s baptism for repentance, and being ignorant of the baptism into Jesus that opened the door to the baptism with the Holy Spirit.
Like Paul, Apollos’ strategy was to speak in the synagogues to those who knew the Scripture, arguing that Jesus was in fact the Messiah. His logic was sound, but he lacked the power of the Holy Spirit, a fact quickly recognized by Aquila and Priscilla.
Rather than write Apollos off, as many have a tendency to do when they see an ineffective preacher, Aquila and Priscilla took him home with them and instructed him further in the way of the Lord and the baptism with the Holy Spirit. The difference after being filled with the Holy Spirit was profound. And the Spirt put into his heart a desire to take the gospel to Achaia, where he had a powerful and successful evangelistic ministry among the Jews.
Father, it is amazing how many powerful preachers, including Wesley and Moody, had someone in their lives who came alongside them in the midst of their ministry and explained the way of God more accurately, resulting in a transformation from a human-centered, human-empowered ministry to a Jesus-centered and Holy Spirit-empowered ministry that transformed cities and whole nations. Lord, we still need that more accurate way in our churches today. We still need our people to not just do the work of the Church, but to be genuinely Spirit-filled and Spirit-empowered, so that we can do the work of the Kingdom powerfully and effectively. Oh Lord, make it so! Amen.
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