The Grace of Believing: Accurate, and More Accurate Text: Acts 18:24-28
Introduction: Zeal, Knowledge, and Humility
We live in an age that is suspicious of sharp edges, particularly when it comes to theology. Our generation values sincerity over accuracy, and enthusiasm over deep biblical knowledge. If a man is zealous, if he is fervent in spirit, we are told that this is what truly matters. And of course, zeal is a wonderful thing. The Lord detests lukewarmness. But zeal without knowledge is like a runaway train. It makes a lot of noise and covers a lot of ground, but the destination is disaster. On the other hand, knowledge without zeal is like a train sitting cold on the tracks. It might be pointed in the right direction, but it is of no use to anyone.
In our text today, we are introduced to a man who had both. His name is Apollos, and he was a potent combination of eloquence, scriptural prowess, and spiritual fervor. He was a mighty preacher, and he was teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus. And yet, there was a significant gap in his understanding. His knowledge was accurate, but it was incomplete. He was a formidable weapon for the gospel, but he needed to be calibrated.
This short account in the life of the early church provides us with a crucial paradigm. It shows us how God uses different members of the body, with different gifts and different roles, to build up His church. It shows us the necessity of theological precision. It demonstrates the beautiful interplay of public proclamation and private discipleship. And it gives us a sterling example of godly humility, not just in the one being corrected, but in the ones doing the correcting. This is not a story about a theological showdown or an ecclesiastical power play. It is a story about humble saints, faithfully serving the Lord, and helping one another to see the truth more clearly, all for the advance of the kingdom.
We see here a man who was gifted, a couple who was faithful, and a church that was discerning. Each component was essential for what God was doing in Ephesus and beyond. This is a picture of a healthy church functioning as it ought, where truth matters, where humility is prized, and where the singular goal is demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.
The Text
Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, arrived at 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 brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.
(Acts 18:24-28 LSB)
A Mighty Man with a Gap (v. 24-25)
We are first introduced to this remarkable figure, Apollos.
"Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, arrived at 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;" (Acts 18:24-25)
Luke piles up the commendations for this man. First, he is from Alexandria, a city famous for its learning and its great library. It was a center of Hellenistic thought and Jewish scholarship, the place where the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, was produced. So he comes from a culture of letters. Second, he is eloquent. This means he was a skillful communicator, able to articulate his thoughts persuasively. Third, and most importantly, he was mighty in the Scriptures. This was not just a passing familiarity; the man was saturated in the Old Testament. He had mastered the text.
Furthermore, he had been instructed in "the way of the Lord," and was "fervent in spirit." His knowledge was not merely academic; it was alive. He had a passion, a fire in his bones, to proclaim what he knew. And what he taught concerning Jesus was "accurate." He was not a heretic. He was not teaching falsehoods. He was on the right track. But there was a crucial limitation: he was "acquainted only with the baptism of John."
What does this mean? It means his understanding of the gospel story stopped somewhere around the Jordan River. He knew that John the Baptist had come to prepare the way for the Messiah. He knew that John had pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God. He understood the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. But it seems he did not yet understand the full significance of the cross, the reality of the resurrection, or the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. His gospel was true, but it was preliminary. It was like knowing the first act of a three-act play. Everything he said was right, but he did not yet have the whole story. This is what Paul would encounter with some of Apollos's disciples in the next chapter, men who had not even heard that there was a Holy Spirit.
This is a crucial lesson for us. It is possible to be sincere, zealous, biblically knowledgeable, and accurate, and still be deficient in your understanding. This is why we need the church. We do not grow in a vacuum. We need the corrective and clarifying input of other believers. Apollos was a tremendous gift to the church, but even he needed to be taught.
Humble Correction, Humbly Received (v. 26)
Apollos takes his mighty gifts into the synagogue and begins to preach boldly. And there, two tentmakers are listening.
"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." (Acts 18:26 LSB)
Notice the character on display here, on all sides. Apollos is bold. He is not testing the waters; he is proclaiming the truth as he knows it, without fear. But Priscilla and Aquila demonstrate remarkable wisdom and tact. They hear him, and they recognize both the power of his preaching and the gap in his knowledge. What do they do? They do not stand up and denounce him in the middle of the synagogue. They do not start a whispering campaign about the new preacher's theological deficiencies. They do not cause a public scene.
No, they "took him aside." This was a private conversation. It was done with respect and care. They honored the man and his gifts, even as they sought to correct his understanding. They treated him as a brother, not an adversary. And they "explained to him the way of God more accurately." They filled in the gaps. They told him about the cross. They told him about the empty tomb. They told him about Pentecost. They brought him up to speed.
Now, some in our day get themselves into a twist over the fact that Priscilla's name is mentioned, sometimes even before her husband's. They want to use this as a crowbar to pry open the doors for women to be pastors and elders. But this is to completely miss the context and the manner of the instruction. This was not formal, authoritative church teaching. This was a conversation, likely in their home, after the service. As I have said before, this was a conversation in the synagogue driveway. There is absolutely no biblical prohibition against a knowledgeable woman participating with her husband in a private conversation to help another believer understand the Scriptures. I have learned countless things from my wife Nancy in our conversations over the years. That is the normal course of a healthy Christian marriage. To learn from your wife is not the same thing as your wife setting up shop as an authoritative teacher. Priscilla and Aquila, together, as a ministry team, helped Apollos. They did it privately, respectfully, and effectively.
And we must not miss the humility of Apollos. This eloquent, mighty man from the great city of Alexandria allowed himself to be instructed by a couple of manual laborers. He did not let his pride get in the way. He received the correction. He knew that the truth of God was more important than his own reputation. This is the mark of a man who is truly fervent in spirit.
Sent Out for a Powerful Ministry (v. 27-28)
With his understanding now complete, Apollos is ready for the next stage of his ministry. The church affirms his calling.
"And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ." (Acts 18:27-28 LSB)
The church in Ephesus recognized the value of this man. They encouraged him and gave him letters of commendation to the church in Achaia, which was centered in Corinth. This is the church functioning as it should, recognizing gifts, equipping the saints, and sending them out. They did not try to hoard this gifted teacher for themselves.
And look at the result of his ministry. He "greatly helped those who had believed through grace." His now-complete message was a massive encouragement and support to the believers. But he did more than just build up the saints. He also took on the opposition. He "powerfully refuted the Jews in public."
This is a key function of Christian ministry that is often neglected today. We are not just called to edify the church; we are called to confront the world's false philosophies and religions. Apollos engaged in public debate. He did not shy away from conflict. He powerfully, vigorously, publicly refuted the arguments of those who denied that Jesus was the Messiah. And what was his method? He demonstrated it "by the Scriptures."
This is presuppositional apologetics in action. Apollos did not start from a neutral standpoint. He did not appeal to the unbelieving Jews on the basis of their own autonomous reason. He stood on the authoritative Word of God and argued from the Scriptures. He showed them from their own holy writings, the Old Testament, that Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled every prophecy, every type, every shadow. He proved that Jesus is the Christ. The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit, and Apollos wielded it with devastating effect. His ministry was a great help to those who had believed precisely because he was demolishing the arguments and pretensions that set themselves up against the knowledge of God.
Conclusion: The Body at Work
This brief narrative is a beautiful microcosm of the Christian life and the ministry of the church. In it, we see a number of vital principles that we must apply today.
First, we see that God loves to use gifted people, but He demands that they be teachable. Your giftedness does not grant you a free pass from correction. Eloquence and zeal are no substitute for theological accuracy. If God has given you great gifts, He has also given you a great responsibility to handle the word of truth with precision and to receive correction with humility.
Second, we see the profound importance of quiet, faithful, behind-the-scenes ministry. Priscilla and Aquila were not the stars of the show. They were tentmakers. But their wise, discerning, and private discipleship of Apollos had an impact that rippled all the way to Corinth and beyond. Never underestimate the importance of the conversations you have over coffee, the encouragement you offer to a brother, or the gentle correction you provide in private. This is the connective tissue of the body of Christ.
Third, we see that a healthy church is a sending church. The believers in Ephesus equipped Apollos and sent him on his way with their blessing. They invested in him and then released him for the good of the wider kingdom. A church that is not actively equipping and sending out ministers of the gospel, both lay and ordained, is a church that is beginning to stagnate.
Finally, we see the central task of all Christian ministry, whether public or private. It is to demonstrate by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. This is our foundation, our message, and our goal. Like Apollos, we must be mighty in the Scriptures. Like Priscilla and Aquila, we must be committed to seeing that truth proclaimed with ever-increasing accuracy. And like the believers who were helped by this ministry, we must remember that it is only through grace that we have believed at all. It is God who gives the growth, and it is Christ who must receive all the glory.