June 23
2 Kings 9-10
Psalm 74:5-11
Proverbs 16:16
Acts 18
Teachable
“This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught the things about Jesus accurately, although he knew only John’s baptism. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. After Priscilla and Aquilla heard him, they took him home and explained the way of God to him more accurately.” Acts 18:25-26 HCSB
Apollos is an excellent example of a godly man. We aren’t told a lot about him, but the details we are given provide insight into his character. Apollos was a Jew who was eloquent and powerful in the use of scriptures. As a Jew he probably grew up in the synagogue and was not only familiar with the scriptures, but he was able to use them in a powerfully effective way. We are told that he taught the things about Jesus accurately so at some point he had accepted that Jesus was the Messiah. He also was courageous and spoke boldly in the synagogue. While Apollos was not one of the apostles, God was using him in powerful ways to help spread the gospel and is one of the first evangelists. This is significant, but the best indicator of his character is found in his attitude toward correction. At some point when Apollos was speaking in the synagogue, Priscilla and Aquilla heard him. After he finished, Priscilla and Aquilla took him home with them and taught him the way of Jesus more accurately. Let’s think about how this played out. Apollos is speaking in front of crowds of people. Instead of contradicting him in front of the crowd, they went to him after and pulled him aside. We aren’t told what they said to him, but he went to their house and humbly listened to what they had to say. Instead of being offended or upset, he received their instruction.
Priscilla and Aquilla were just introduced to us earlier in chapter 18. They were not evangelists. They were tentmakers and had taken Paul in while he was in Corinth. Paul describes them in Romans 16 as being “fellow workers in Christ Jesus” and were very influential in the early church. They give us a perfect example of how to encourage one another and build each other up in faith. They did not call Apollos out or argue with him in the synagogue. They just gently took him aside and welcomed him into their home to teach him and help refine his message. We are told that his teaching was accurate, but apparently there were some points that needed clarification. Apollos was humble and able to be taught. He recognized that he didn’t know everything he needed to know and was open to learning more about the ways of God. It is important for all of us to recognize that we don’t have all the answers and we need to humbly accept instruction from others. We can also learn from Priscilla and Aquilla the proper way to build others up in their faith and the importance of coming alongside fellow believers helping them accurately understand the ways of God.
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