NLT Illustrated Study Bible - Book of Acts - Flipbook - Page 59
A cts 1 9 : 4
2015
18:27
2 Cor 3:1
18:28
Acts 9:22
19:1
Acts 18:24
19:2
John 7:39; 20:22
Acts 8:16
19:3
Acts 18:25
b baptizo- (0907)
Acts
22:16
19:4
Mark 1:4
However, he knew only about John’s bap
tism. 26 When Priscilla and Aquila heard him
preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took
him aside and explained the way of God even
more accurately.
27 Apollos had been thinking about going
to Achaia, and the brothers and sisters in
Ephesus encouraged him to go. They wrote
to the believers in Achaia, asking them to
welcome him. When he arrived there,
he proved to be of great benefit to those
who, by God’s grace, had believed. 28 He
refuted the Jews with powerful arguments
in public debate. Using the Scriptures,
he explained to them that Jesus was the
Messiah.
Paul’s Ministry in Ephesus
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul
traveled through the interior regions
until he reached Ephesus, on the coast,
where he found several believers.* 2 “Did you
receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
he asked them.
“No,” they replied, “we haven’t even heard
that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 “Then what b baptism did you experi
ence?” he asked.
And they replied, “The baptism of John.”
4 Paul said, “John’s baptism called for re
pentance from sin. But John himself told the
people to believe in the one who would come
later, meaning Jesus.”
19
19:1 Greek disciples; also in 19:9, 30.
PROFILE
APOLLOS Eloquent Advocate for Christ
Acts 18:24–19:1
1 Cor 1:1012; 3:39;
4:1, 67; 16:12
2 Cor 10:10
Titus 3:13
Apollos was a Hellenistic (Greek-speaking) Jew, well versed in Scripture, who became a strong
evangelist and Christian apologist. A native of Alexandria in Egypt, where there was a large
Jewish community, Apollos apparently came under the influence of John the Baptist’s fol
lowers. He then became a bold and enthusiastic preacher of Jesus in Hellenistic synagogues,
though he knew nothing of Christian baptism.
When Priscilla and Aquila heard Apollos preach in Ephesus, they invited him to their home
and explained the way of Christ to him more fully. With the encouragement of the believ
ers in Ephesus, who recognized his G
od-given gifts and ministry, Apollos then traveled on to
Achaia (i.e., Corinth). There he greatly helped the believers as an effective defender of the
Good News in public debate with the Jews, boldly demonstrating that Jesus is the Messiah
predicted in Scripture (18:2428).
A dynamic communicator, Apollos was popular with some of the Christians in Corinth
because of his intellectual style and his powerful speaking abilities. As a result of his
powerful ministry, some in Corinth were more drawn to Apollos than to Paul (1 Cor 1:1112).
When they began to criticize Paul for not matching up to Apollos (cp. 2 Cor 10:10), Paul was
forced to defend himself and his simpler, unimpressive way of preaching the Good News.
Significantly, Paul nowhere criticized Apollos himself. He called Apollos a fellow servant and
was grateful for the follow-up work he had done—Apollos watered the seed that Paul had
planted, and God blessed the work of both (1 Cor 3:59; 4:1). Paul only criticized the shallow
perspectives and divisiveness of those drawn to Apollos for superficial reasons (1 Cor 1:1012;
3:34; 4:67).
Perhaps Apollos’s reluctance to return to Corinth from Ephesus (1 Cor 16:12) was due to
concern over the divisions that resulted from his ministry. Yet Paul encouraged him. Several
years later, when Apollos was ministering on the island of Crete, Paul encouraged Titus to
make sure Apollos’s needs were met as he set off to an unknown destination for further mis
sionary service (Titus 3:13). Apollos, with his strong intellectual gifts and powerful speaking
abilities, had a significantly different approach and style from that of P
aul—yet both men
proved effective and useful in the service of Christ.
Holy Spirit as a present energizing real
ity. Fortunately, Priscilla and Aquila
took him aside and corrected his spiri
tual understanding.
19:17 Paul traveled to Ephesus after
Apollos had left. Subsequently, Apollos
returned to Ephesus while Paul was still
working there (1 Cor 16:12). The two
PROPHETS OF ISRAEL
men had different personalities, gifts,
and roles, but God worked through both
of them. • Some believers in Ephesus
still had an inadequate understanding
of the Christian faith (cp. Acts 18:26)
and did not receive the Holy Spirit when
they believed. They had accepted John’s
baptism, which called for repentance
GOSPELS & ACTS
from sin, but had not received Christian
baptism, which included the gift of the
Holy Spirit. When Paul had instructed
them further, they were able to receive
Christian baptism (19:5) and the Holy
Spirit (19:6).
L E T T E R S O F PAU L
OTHER LET TERS
