Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. 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. 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. (Acts 18:24-26)
The Heart Of Apollos
Pride and arrogance are one of the deadlier sins that plague the hearts of men. Wealthy men can exalt themselves above others because of their financial status. Knowledge often makes men think more highly of themselves and look down on those with less learning. Some men are gifted in the art of speech, making them great orators. If a man is filled with great knowledge and the ability to pontificate deep thoughts in the meaning of words, he is regarded as a man of great position unmatched by any. He can also intimidate others who cannot match his superior presentation.
Aquila and Priscilla, fellow workers of the apostle Paul, were working with the church in the city of Ephesus when a man from Alexandria (a seaport in Egypt) came to the synagogue and began to teach. His name was Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man mighty in the Scriptures. Alexandria was the world’s center of knowledge. The city had a large Jewish population, a leading Hebrew college, and the world’s largest and most significant library, the Great Library (it is unknown how many scrolls were housed at any given time, but estimates range from 40,000 to 700,000).
Luke does not explain why Apollos came to Ephesus. The man from Alexandria did what Paul did when he visited a city: he went into the synagogues and discussed Scripture. Apollos was a man eloquent in speech and ideas. He was a formidable presence who was blessed with great talents. People were in awe of his eloquence. Apollos was also mighty in scripture suggesting he had spent much of his life in the study of the word of God. Manuscripts of holy text were not as accessible to most men, yet Apollos had gained knowledge from much study of the manuscripts. It is likely that Apollos knew much of the Scriptures by heart and could recall and proclaim them with ease.
Somewhere in his learning, he had come across disciples of John. These disciples knew only the teachings of John and his baptism. After the death of John, some of his disciples could have found themselves in the Egyptian city teaching what they knew from John. What they did not know was the rest of the story of Jesus, who had been crucified, and the beginning of the church, showing the gospel of Christ. Apollos accepted the teachings of John and boldly shared them with all who would listen.
When Apollos came to Ephesus, Aquila and Priscilla heard him speak boldly about John’s baptism. They took Apollos aside and explained the story of Jesus to him more fully. Apollos’s reaction could have gone two ways. After Apollos was finished and Aquila and Priscilla took him aside, he could have shown an arrogant spirit against those who would try to refute his powerful testimony about John. His intellectual prowess was challenged by these husband and wife who were most likely not as skilled as he was in the scriptures. An arrogant, proud heart could easily have led Apollos to reject the admonition. Apollos’s heart was devoted to the word of God, and he readily understood and accepted the teachings of Aquila and Priscilla.
Although Apollos had much to take pride in, he was not bigoted. He was glad to admit his past mistake and change his message. He felt a debt of gratitude to Aquila and Priscilla for their courage in helping him see his error and change his teaching. He received letters from brethren to be used as he went from church to church preaching. Luke says that Apollos vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. Because of the courage of a husband and wife to point out the errors in the teaching of an eloquent man mighty in the Scriptures, the gospel of Christ went throughout the world saving souls. Apollos had a heart for truth. He changed his message because he was wrong. He wanted to teach the truth because he had a humble heart.
