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.