Are You Commendable or Condemnable?

2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

In the Bible there are many instances where people appeared to those who had been waiting on them. Moses appeared to the Israelites after receiving the law from God on Mount Sinai (Ex. 32). Martha and Mary sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was sick, and he delayed his appearance so that he arrived four days after Lazarus had died (Jn. 11). The apostles were told by Jesus to wait in Jerusalem until they were clothed with power from on high (Lk. 24:49), and the Holy Spirit appeared on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). With all of these events, there was a fulfillment of their return when it was realized by those who were waiting. Today, there is a promise that someone is coming, and we who follow Him are looking forward to his appearance. That someone is Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Paul sheds some light on the second coming in his second letter to the Thessalonians. Based on 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12 I want us to ask ourselves if we are going to be commendable or condemnable when Jesus returns. God is a righteous judge, and He will administer righteous judgment on the day when Christ comes back (5). It’s going to be a great day for some, but it’s going to be a horrible day for many. Let’s see what Paul reveals about the events pertaining to the revealing of the Son of God.

Jesus will be revealed for commendation

In the context which Paul was writing, the church at Thessalonica had been persecuted. Their perseverance and faith in the midst of all the affliction had been cause for Paul and his companions to speak proudly to the churches about them (4). Paul says they had endured, and they would be considered worthy of the kingdom (5). The way he phrases this reminds me of how the apostles reacted after they had been flogged by the Council: “...rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name” (Acts 5:41). With this persecution in mind he words to them the promise that God’s judgment is coming. Before he goes into the details of how God’s judgment will be brought down upon those who will be condemned, let’s see what he says about those who will be commended.

The part of God’s judgment which will be toward those who will be commended will bring relief to those who are being afflicted as well as others who are being persecuted (7). When we tend to think of relief, we think of instant relief. There are heartburn and headache medicines which are designed to bring relief very quickly. Upon reading this text you might think that Paul is talking about instant relief, but keep in mind this is in reference to the second coming of Christ. Why would Paul bring this up to the church at Thessalonica if relief wasn’t coming until that day?

It seems that God is concerned with the big picture, when He will finally put an end to those who are persecuting the church and therefore bring relief to all the saints who need relief. This promise of relief that Paul is giving them is not just toward them, but toward all believers. On that day when the ultimate relief is realized, these saints would glorify and marvel at Christ (10). These are the people who will be commended on that day. Jesus tells two parables in Matthew 25 (the parable of ten virgins & the parable of the talents) and He follows it up with a picture of the judgment. In the parable of the ten virgins, those who were prepared were able to go with the bridegroom to wedding feast. In the parable of the talents, the master commended the faithful slaves by saying “‘well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter in to the joy of your master’” (Mt. 25:21 & 23). In the judgment scene, Christ commends those were on his right saying “’Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’” (Mt. 25:34).

Sometimes we sing the hymn, “What a Day That Will Be.” Those who will be commended on that day will glorify the Lord and marvel at Him (10). Paul told Titus the grace of God has us “looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” (Tit. 2:13). When Christ comes back, those who are obedient believers in Him are going to be commended and rewarded with eternal life.

Jesus will be revealed for condemnation

On the flip side of those who will be commended will be those who receive condemnation when Christ returns. When Jesus is “...revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire,” (7) there is nothing good that will happen with this part of the judgment.

It is repayment

Some people love payback. They can’t wait to get back at someone who did something bad to them. We need to remember as God’s children that we are to avoid this. Paul said “’Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord’” (Rom. 12:19). On that day when Jesus returns God will repay those who have afflicted His church with persecution.

It is retribution

This is the same word as vengeance in the passage we just mentioned in Romans. Keep in mind that both of these will be administered by the Lord. Not only will this aspect of the Lord’s judgment be toward those who persecute the church, but notice that this retribution is aimed at “...those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (9). This verse is fresh in my mind because Michael Shank brought this up in his book Muscle and a Shovel when he recalled the conversations with his friend, Randall Edges. More people in the world need to obey the gospel so they can avoid the retribution of God.

It is relentless

Paul describes this condemnation as “...eternal destruction...” (9). Jesus elsewhere addressed this concept by describing Hell as “...the eternal fire” (Mt. 18:8). He also says it is “’...the unquenchable fire, where their worm dos not die, and the fire is not quenched’” (Mk. 9:43-44). Hell is a place where the punishment is not going to end, because it is eternal. It is relentless condemnation which will serve as the penalty from the judgment.

It is removal

As if the other things previously mentioned will not be bad enough, part of the condemnation will be the removal of these “...away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power...” (9). One time I got left at the airport in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. That was not a good feeling knowing that I was totally removed from the presence of my parents. I was eventually in their presence again when somebody came to pick me up. Those who wind up in Hell will never get this satisfaction, as they will never be in the presence of God. Jesus describes this as being “...cast into the outer darkness...” (Mt. 22:13).

Are you commendable or condemnable?

When Jesus comes back, how will you react? John says “And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming” (1 Jn. 2:28). At this very moment do you have confidence that if the Lord returned today you would be ready, or are you scared you might be ashamed when He returns? Notice part of Paul’s prayer at the end of the text: “in order that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (12). Make sure that you are going to be commendable and not condemnable.

Christian Responsibilities

Christian Responsibilities

1 Thess. 5:12-28

In this world there are many people who want to be leaders. The fact is not everyone is qualified to be a leader. On top of that, it is of necessity that there be more followers than leaders. You’ve heard the expression “too many chiefs and not enough Indians!” That’s what happens when too many people try to be involved in leadership instead of following the leader or leaders.

The same goes for the church. While there is much said about leadership in the New Testament, there are some things said regarding the principles of being a follower. When Jesus called His disciples, He said “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Mt. 4:19). Simon and Andrew didn’t argue that they wouldn’t be leading; they followed Jesus and so did the sons of Zebedee. When Paul was closing out his first letter to the church at Thessalonica, it seemed as if he was mainly targeting those in the congregation who were under the eldership. Those of us who are under elderships need to understand what our Christian responsibilities are. We can understand a great deal from 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28.

Responsibilities to Your Elders

As Paul goes through this list of responsibilities for the Christians at Thessalonica, he begins with those pertaining to the attitudes toward the eldership.

Appreciate Them

These men who were the shepherds of the congregation deserve appreciation for their work, their authority and their instruction. The work of an elder is truly a labor, as Paul describes it in this passage. Whether it’s pertaining to refuting false doctrine (Tit. 1:9), taking care of the church (1 Tim. 3:5), etc., they need to be appreciated for what they do. Paul not only talks about how they diligently labor, but he also mentions their authority over the congregation in the Lord. Peter says that the elders are in charge over those allotted to them in the congregation (1 Pet. 5:3). They should also be appreciated for the instruction they give. One of the qualifications of an elder is “...able to teach” (1 Tim. 3:2). When is the last time you told your elders you appreciate them? They have a very hard job, and appreciation helps them continue their task.

Esteem Them Very Highly

Paul says they are to do this because of their work. Paul already alluded to their labor, but consider it again from the standpoint of why the congregation should esteem them highly. They keep watch over our souls and they will have to give an account for those under their care (Heb. 13:17). They are to be on guard for the flock as our shepherds (Acts 20:28). They are to shepherd and oversee the congregation, all while being a good example (1 Pet. 5:2-3). Knowing all of this ought to make us esteem them very highly.

Live in Peace with One Another

It doesn’t seem like a coincidence this is placed among the responsibilities toward elders. Imagine what can happen if you have a group of people who don’t appreciate their elders nor esteem them very highly. It is not going to be a very pretty picture. These are some responsibilities toward your elders.

With these responsibilities in mind, think about what the writer of Hebrews says about it: “Obey your leaders and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you” (Heb. 13:17). It seems that their doing it with joy and not with grief is tied with how we follow them. Leadership often gets critiqued, but how often do followers get critiqued in the church? How are we doing as followers under our eldership at North View?

Responsibilities to Your Brethren

Paul told the Thessalonians that they also had responsibilities to the brethren; more than likely most of these are meant within the congregation. Notice what he says: “...admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all men. See that no one repay another with evil for evil, but always seek after which is good for one another and for all men” (14-15). In context, it seems the unruly people would include those that Paul would label as busybodies in the second letter. The fainthearted might include those who were grieving from the belief their dead loved ones would miss out on the second coming. There are those in a congregation who are weaker and stronger (Rom. 15:1). We do have to be patient with all men, as this is even something that preachers have to practice (2 Tim. 4:2). We are not to enforce payback on others. Instead of retaliating, we are to let God do His thing (Rom. 12:19)

These are things that we all must look in the mirror to see how we are doing. If I ask this morning at North View, how would we as a congregation measure up in fulfilling these responsibilities? Let’s make sure we are being the responsible Christians we should be toward the brethren.

Responsibilities to Yourself

After telling them what they should do toward the elders and other Christians, Paul gives instructions about their responsibilities toward themselves. “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil” (16-22). We can always find something to rejoice in as a Christian, despite what may be going wrong in our life. We need to always be ready to pray. It doesn’t matter when or where, God will hear your prayer. It’s not like a phone call; God will never put you on hold. We can always be thankful; not for everything, but in every circumstance. The commands not to quench the Spirit and not to despise prophetic utterances seem to be in relation to the miraculous gifts, therefore not applicable to us today. A careful examination of everything is applicable, as we need to be more like the Bereans as they were “examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). Too many people accept teachings from men which are not according to the Bible, swallowing it without thought. The last time I checked when you eat fried chicken you examine it so you don’t eat the bones. I just finished reading the book Muscle and a Shovel by Michael Shank. One of the things he shared in his journey through the Scriptures was that he came to the realization that he had taken people’s words over God’s Word as his basis of spiritual truth. The last item Paul brings up to the Thessalonians is that of abstaining from the many forms of evil. Satan is alive and well and we know he uses these to his advantage in tempting us.

Are we fulfilling these responsibilities to ourselves? Are we fulfilling these responsibilities to our brethren? Are we fulfilling these responsibilities to our elders? Let’s make sure we are doing what we need to as faithful followers at the North View Church of Christ. Read 23-24 of our text. Don’t you want to be found without blame at the second coming? He is coming back, because Paul said He’s faithful to bring it to pass. How will you be found as a follower of Jesus Christ? Let’s make sure to take our Christian responsibilities seriously!

Baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus

Baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus

Acts 19:1-7

I was approached by an 82 year old man at an assisted living home one time regarding his baptism. He said he was baptized when he was younger, but he was questioning his motives and didn’t really remember everything leading up to that. I took the time to explain from the Scriptures about baptism, and after he demonstrated his understanding of the subject he wanted to be baptized into Christ.

We are introduced to a group of people in Acts 19:1-7 who had been previously baptized with John’s baptism. In last week’s lesson we established that John’s baptism was of repentance for remission of sins (Lk. 3:3) but it was not valid to be applied after the establishment of the church. When Paul comes to Ephesus he finds out some information from them which leads him to see that they needed to be reimmersed. I want us to look at this account and draw some inferences at the end of this lesson which can be applied for us today regarding baptism.

These disciples had received an invalid baptism

Paul questions these disciples about their baptism by asking them if they had received the Holy Spirit (2). This leads us to ask whether this is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit or the miraculous measure of the Holy Spirit. Burt Coffman believes this is the indwelling of the Spirit, while J.W. McGarvey and Jimmy Allen believe it is the miraculous measure of the Spirit. Wayne Jackson says he believes it cannot be decided from the evidence in the text. It seems as though it might be a similar issue which may be disagreed upon among brethren such as whether the Spirit indwells only through the Word or a personal indwelling. I am not for certain which it is in this case, but since Paul imparts the miraculous measure of the Spirit on them at the end of this passage, that may be the one in context.

With that being said, was Paul asking that question because he knew about their baptism being invalid by way of Priscilla and Aquila, or did he ask this because he was ready to impart the miraculous measure of the Spirit? Paul definitely imparted spiritual gifts to Christians (Rom. 1:11; 2 Tim. 1:6), and it could be the motive for asking that question about the reception of the Spirit. These disciples had not heard of the Holy Spirit, which led Paul to ask what baptism they received (2-3). John’s baptism is what they had submitted to, and we have just studied about Apollos who was teaching that baptism in Ephesus. It seems logical to me that Apollos had either baptized these disciples or had taught them; either way we know it wouldn’t have been Priscilla and Aquila, as they knew the truth of matter since they explained to Apollos “...the way of God more accurately” (Acts 18:26).

Paul made sure their baptism was valid

Based on the information that Paul gathered from this encounter, he took the time to explain how the baptism of John was not the same as the baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus (4). With this being revealed to the twelve, they submitted to the scriptural act of obedience which was preached by Paul by being “baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (5).

That forces us to ask what the differences were in the accounts of Apollos in Acts 18 and the twelve in Acts 19: why was Apollos not shown as being reimmersed but the twelve were? It seems as though Apollos would have been the equivalent to the disciples of Christ and all the other people, including the 120 on the day of Pentecost, who had formerly been recipients of John’s baptism. J.W. McGarvey points out the 120 were not baptized the day the church was established because Acts 2:41 says these 3,000 souls were added unto them, as translated in the KJV (152). The baptism of John, which was also what the disciples of Christ were administering prior to the kingdom, was valid to be applied until the day of Pentecost. Once that day came, someone could not receive that baptism and have it be valid. That seems to account for the differences between Apollos and the twelve. Paul made sure their baptism was valid by baptizing them in the name of the Lord Jesus. Once he had done this, Paul bestowed upon them the miraculous measure of the Holy Spirit by giving them the gifts of tongues and of prophecy (6).

Practical inferences for us today

Even though we don’t have the exact scenario as played out in Acts 18 & 19, I believe there some practical inferences for us today regarding baptism.

There is only one valid baptism.

Paul points this out in Eph. 4:5. This baptism is immersion in water, as evidenced by the definition “to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge (of vessels sunk)” (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/baptizo.html). Though there are disagreements among even members of the church about what must be understood about baptism, the baptism of the new covenant is one that comes from a belief and confession that Christ is the Son of God (Acts 8:37), experiencing godly sorrow (2 Cor. 7:9-10; Acts 2:37), repenting from sins (Acts 2:38) and gives us the results of being added to the number of the saved (Acts 2:47), receiving remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).

There are times when people are baptized wrong.

Technically this is not a true statement because if you were baptized incorrectly, you weren’t really baptized; you got wet. What are some ways that people are “baptized” incorrectly? Some are baptized for entrance into a denomination; some are baptized who believe they are already saved, and they are simply doing this as a response to “salvation”; some are baptized for the dead; some are baptized as a result of people in a denomination voting to allow them to do so; some receive methods of baptism which the Bible would not authorize, such as sprinkling, pouring, infant baptism, etc.

If someone is scripturally baptized, then they are scripturally a Christian.

I saw where a denominational preacher was challenging people to answer why we would not accept somebody’s baptism if it was not by a church of Christ preacher in a church of Christ baptistery. First of all, I don’t label myself as a church of Christ preacher. We can get too hung up on labeling ourselves in such a manner, thereby denominating ourselves like everybody else in the denominational world. That being said, I am a member of the church of Christ, in the sense that is the body that He is the Savior of, which He purchased with His own blood. That’s the reason our church sign bears the name North View Church of Christ; it belongs to Him.

Second of all, there may be times when someone comes out of a denomination to the church of Christ who has received a scriptural baptism. These accounts may be few and far between, because most of the time in denominations there is unscriptural teaching on baptism such as was mentioned a few moments ago. I knew of a group of elders one time who met with a man about his baptism having come out of a denominational background. He and the elders studied together on the matter, and based on that he told them that he obeyed the gospel as laid out in Scripture. If he was going to be “rebaptized” it would only be to suit them and not God. Therefore, he was not reimmersed. I believe this case is rare, and that is one of the things that our elders will study with people about who come out of denominational backgrounds. Though the case with Apollos is in the context of the baptism of John, the principle does apply in the sense of considering whether or not people need to be reimmersed.

If there is any doubt as to the validity of your baptism, please make it right. 

The disciples at Ephesus didn’t argue with Paul; they submitted to his teaching on the matter. Whether someone was too young, didn’t have a complete understanding, or whether they thought it was for the wrong reasons, you too can make sure you are validly baptized into Christ.

1st Principles of the 2nd Coming

I don't know who to credit with this phrase, but it is true to a certain degree: promises were made to be broken. We who live in this "human condition" as my friend, Bob Sweeney refers to living in the flesh, often fail to fulfill promises that we make to each other. Fortunately for us, Jesus does not break His promises. One such promise is the one He gave to His apostles about His second coming when He said "...I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also" (Jn. 14:3). The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is a promise that we are still waiting on today, and we are confident that it will be fulfilled.

In the first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul takes some time to address some important matters pertaining to the second coming. The text comes from 1 Thessalonians 4:9-5:11. As we take a look at the message he wanted to get across to them, let us try to understand these 1^st Principles of the 2^nd Coming.

Principles of Propriety (9-12)

Evidently some of the Thessalonians had quit working because they wanted to make sure they weren’t going to miss the second coming of Christ (11). He tells them to “...behave properly toward outsiders...” (12), which would imply they were behaving improperly. Propriety is proper behavior (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/propriety). Paul goes on to provide more information in the second letter in chapter three about these people who were living in an undisciplined manner, living an unruly life and were therefore unacceptable. This was causing all kinds of problems among the brethren. An inference I might make here is that their love for the brethren in Macedonia was complimentary (10) but it seems the disturbances were caused in Thessalonica due to their impropriety. Maybe I’m reading too much into that, but it does seem likely given the context.

Paul gives them three specific commands to get them back on the right track. The first thing he says is “make it your ambition to lead a quiet life” (11). This word quiet is “said of those who are not running hither and thither, but stay at home and mind their business” (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/hesuchazo.html). It is interesting that phrase can be defined that way because Paul says as the second thing “attend to your own business” (11). We can apply this even to our lives today. We need to be bodies who are busy, but not busybodies. In the old cartoon, Scooby-Doo, one of the villains is known for saying “I would have gotten away with it if it weren’t for those meddling kids.” He was trying to say they needed to stay out of his business.

What we need to do as Christians is find a way to avoid the extremes pertaining to ourselves and others. Paul says “do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil. 2:4). However, Peter says one of the thing we shouldn’t suffer for is being a “troublesome meddler” (1 Pet. 4:15). There are three neighbors nobody likes: Nosy Rosie, Busybody Bobby and Snoopy Sally. We’ve got to find a way to be involved in the lives of others without sticking our noses in their business. Hank Williams’ song had the line in there “mind your own business and you won’t be minding mine.” That’s what Paul was trying to tell the Thessalonians.

The third thing he commands them is to “work with your hands” (11). Paul demonstrated this among them, as he says “...with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we might not be a burden to any of you” (2 Thess. 3:8). He goes on to say “...if anyone will not work, neither let him eat” (2 Thess. 3:10). They wouldn’t have time to be busybodies if they would stay busy with their bodies at work. People who are able to support themselves should do that. There are others in the world whom we should help support because of various reasons, but not those who are able to work.

Principles of Precedence (13-18)

Sometimes children have a battle over who gets to go first, such as lining up at school or for a ride, etc. There’s something about who gets to go first. Paul takes the time to explain to the Thessalonians that their dead loved ones were not only going to be there for the second coming, but they were actually going first. As he’s telling them this good news, he lays out the order of events on that day. “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air...” (16-17).

Notice that Christians are the only ones being addressed in this resurrection that Paul describes. Precedence determines residence. Children of God, both those who are asleep and those who are alive will be resurrected prior to the resurrection of the children of the Devil. Judgment begins with the household of God (1 Pet. 4:17), and this resurrection described in Thessalonians takes place before the judgment. Though there is one general judgment, Jesus describes the fate of those who are saved and those who are lost (Jn. 5:29).

Jesus is coming back prior to the judgment, according to Mt. 25:31ff. However, notice that it doesn’t say anywhere that He will set foot on the earth. There is no rapture that will take place as some have advocated, nor a reign by Christ for a thousand years (Rev. 20:4 is figurative). I won’t take the time to elaborate on the falsity of this theory, but I did want to bring it up since we’re dealing with the second coming of Christ. Regarding the outcome of that day, notice that the Christians are the ones who will always be with the Lord (17).

Principles of Preparation (5:1-11)

There’s a song by the Temptations where they sing “get ready cause here I come.” We know about the idea of preparation. We prepare for many things in life: school, work, vacation, etc. We get prepared so that when the time comes we are ready to act. Paul told the Thessalonians they knew the Lord was coming as a thief in the night (2). This means we don’t know when He coming, so we have to be prepared. Jesus said “...if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect” (Lk. 12:39-40). Jesus elsewhere said that He didn’t even know when He would be coming back, but only His Father knew (Mt. 24:36). Look back to this great chapter for more descriptions of the return of Christ which I will not place in this sermon.

Preparation station requires reservation. Are you one who sleeps, or are you one who is sober? Paul uses these terms to describe the preparation or lack thereof by people. Sleeping is something that people do at night when bad things happen (7). Sober people are alert and are able to be on the watch, especially pertaining to the coming of Christ (8). Paul uses the word sleep in two different contexts here. He used it in chapter four pertaining to those who had died. He starts out using it in chapter five pertaining to those who are not ready spiritually for the coming of Christ, but then he transitions back to the sleep of death in verse ten.

He finishes up this section by telling the brethren to “...encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing” (11). We’re all in this together, and we need to encourage one another to be ready for the day when Christ returns. In his exhortation to the church at Thessalonica, he taught them about propriety: proper behavior was expected of them; he taught them about precedence: their dead loved ones would actually precede those who were still alive at the resurrection; he taught them about preparation: they needed to be ready because the Lord was coming as a thief in the night. 1^st principles of the 2^nd coming are just as applicable for those of us today who are waiting on the Lord to return.

A More Accurate Explanation

A More Accurate Explanation

Acts 18:24-28

In the history of the church, we are told of some of the preachers in the brotherhood who were considered princes in the pulpit; very eloquent speakers who would preach the message of God: Batsell Barrett Baxter & N.B. Hardeman are some among that number to name a few. As I think back to the Scriptures one particular name comes to mind from the church of the first century: Apollos. Before Paul writes to the Corinthians about the watering that he would do or the group who supposedly was trying to follow him, we see our first glimpse of Apollos when he was in Ephesus when Priscilla and Aquila heard him speaking in the synagogue. Let’s take a look back at this encounter to see what we can learn.

Our text from Acts 18:24-28 reads as follows:

Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus, and he was mighty in the Scriptures. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he helped greatly those who had believed through grace; for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

As we look at this account in Acts, let’s try to get a better understanding of what Priscilla and Aquila gave to Apollos, that being a more accurate explanation.

Concerning Jesus, he was teaching accurately

Notice the description of Apollos. He was an eloquent man. This is a term that can be defined as eloquent in speech or in the sense of learning or education. As Jimmy Allen puts it, the term could refer to “a man of words or ideas”.[1] From a consultation of different scholars, it appears that most believe that both of these probably apply to Apollos. It also says he was mighty in the Scriptures. This is more than just a knowledge of the Scriptures, but it’s also implied that he would be one who “knew how to handle them in argument and exposition with great effect”.[2] He used these traits to even greater strength as Luke records for us that he was “fervent in spirit”[3] and “he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue”.[4] This is a man who had the makings of a powerful preacher of the gospel. When we look at someone who is eloquent and mighty in the Scriptures, that individual has the potential to do great things for God. Sometimes there are preachers who might be very eloquent, but they don’t have the knowledge of the Scriptures they need. Sometimes there are preachers who are mighty in the Scriptures, but they are not very good communicators. When you have the combination of both traits in a preacher, think about the possibilities of what he can do in the kingdom of God.

Notice the teaching of Apollos. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he was teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus. It would appear that Apollos was right on target with what he was preaching. However, he was only acquainted with the baptism of John. This seems to tell us that Apollos was limited in what he was preaching to people. The baptism of John was not valid to be applied after the establishment of the church. Apollos was from Alexandria, which is on the northern coast of Egypt. We don’t know all the information behind his knowledge, but it seems that he didn’t know about the events behind the gospel, because if he did he would have known there was a different baptism. The baptism of John and Jesus had some similarities, but there was a difference. Without going into the long version of this, the baptism of John was a baptism of repentance for remission of sins.[5] The baptism of Jesus which went into effect on the day of Pentecost when the church was established was a baptism of repentance, for the remission of sins, to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.[6] It was a baptism into the death of Christ.[7] It was a baptism of burial unto death where the recipients are raised to walk in the newness of life.[8]

With all of this in mind, it seems as though he was probably teaching the things concerning Jesus in the fulfillment of prophecies with Him as the Messiah, possibly even including His teachings and miracles, signs and wonders. But why did Apollos stop with the baptism of John? No one can really answer this question sufficiently. It is highly probable that someone came to Alexandria and taught Apollos about John and Jesus while both were in ministry, but for some reason Apollos was not aware of what happened later concerning the death, burial and resurrection of Christ and also the establishment of the church, where the baptism of Christ took effect. The church was established roughly in A.D. 30, and this encounter of Apollos in Ephesus would have occurred around A.D. 52.[9] There was a reason that Apollos didn’t have the updated information, but whatever that reason was Apollos was preaching what he knew as accurate as he could.

Concerning baptism, Priscilla and Aquila explained more accurately

With us having established the fact that John’s baptism was no longer in effect, Priscilla and Aquila heard Apollos preaching about it in the synagogue in Ephesus. Keep in mind they were close companions with the Apostle Paul, so they knew that what Apollos was preaching was something they needed to help him with. Notice how they handled it: “they took him aside”.[10] Evidently there is more involved with their explanation instead of just pulling him aside as this phrase possibly means they took him to their home.[11] Whatever is implied with the wording, it is clear that Priscilla and Aquila did not embarrass Apollos by correcting him publicly in front of those he was preaching to in the synagogue.

In addition to taking him aside, they “explained to him the way of God more accurately”.[12] Evidently this would be the information he had been missing, which would include the death of Jesus on the cross, his burial and resurrection, his ascension, the establishment of the church and the baptism of the new covenant. Not only was Apollos preaching this incomplete message, but people were hearing it. We wouldn’t label Apollos as a false teacher, but rather as one who didn’t have the complete message. We will see in our next lesson concerning the disciples at Ephesus in chapter nineteen how people had been affected by this teaching. Thanks be to God that Priscilla and Aquila explained more accurately the way of God to the mighty preacher, Apollos.

Concerning the brethren in Achaia, he helped them greatly

Once Apollos received the correction by Priscilla and Aquila, he wanted to go to Achaia, where he came to Corinth.[13] The brethren from Ephesus not only encouraged him to go, but they also wrote to the brethren in Achaia to welcome Apollos.[14] What confidence this must have placed in Apollos to have the brethren believe in him. It seems as though they knew what he was capable of since he was such a powerful and effective preacher, now of the gospel instead of his former message which was accurate up to a certain point.

The text says “...he helped greatly those who had believed through grace; for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ”.[15] He could send the arguments of the Jews crashing to the ground[16] by proving that Jesus was the promised Messiah, but this time he could go further with a more accurate message. In refuting these Jews, the brethren in Achaia were helped greatly.

While I will hold off until next time to discuss the inferences drawn between this text and the one of the disciples in Ephesus as recorded in chapter nineteen, let us consider what a more accurate explanation will provide. In our introduction of the preacher, Apollos, we see a man who was a powerful preacher with a limited explanation of Jesus turn into a more powerful preacher who could reach more people with a complete understanding of the Christ. Priscilla and Aquila helped further God’s kingdom in their encounter with this eloquent preacher because they took the time to explain to him the way of God more accurately.

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[1] Jimmy Allen, Survey of Acts, Vol. 2 (Searcy, AR:1986), 70.

[2] J.W. McGarvey, Commentary on Acts, Vol. 1 (Cincinnati, OH: Standard, 1892), 147.

[3] Acts 18:25

[4] Acts 18:26

[5] Luke 3:3

[6] Acts 2:38

[7] Romans 6:3

[8] Romans 6:4

[9] Jimmy Allen, Survey of Acts, Vol. 2 (Searcy, AR:1986), 70.

[10] Acts 18:26

[11] J.W. McGarvey, Commentary on Acts, Vol. 1 (Cincinnati, OH: Standard, 1893), 148.

[12] Acts 18:26

[13] Acts 19:1

[14] Acts 18:27

[15] Acts 18:27-28

[16] Wayne Jackson, The Acts of the Apostles: from Jerusalem to Rome (Stockton, CA:Courier, 2000), 244.