Series: Pauline Letters
Acts 18:19-28 ESV
As I read thru the accounts of the Apostle Paul in the book of Acts, I visualize him walking into the synagogue and striking up a conversation with groups of people gathered there.
I imagine Paul talking to one fellow and two more join in.
As the conversation continues more and more people gather until there is a small crowd.
The conversation is quite lively and there are people in the crowd who challenge Paul. I can see them opening the ‘scrolls’ to read passages in the Hebrew Scriptures Paul refers to when making the connection with Hebrew prophecies of the ONE who will come.
We read in Acts 18:19-23, “they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined. But on taking leave of them he said, “I will return to you if God wills,” and he set sail from Ephesus. When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.”
Paul left Priscilla and Aquila in Ephesus in order to strengthen the work they started. Paul knew his dear friends would be an asset to this new church.
As before, whenever Paul left friends and went on without them it would have been very difficult for him. Of course, very snail mail letter was the only means of communication from town to town.
A man by the name of Apollos spoke in Ephesus boldly. We learn from Acts 18:24-28,
“Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak 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 wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.”
In the stage play running in my head I visualize Apollos as being an eloquent speaker who had a fire in his belly when he taught from the scriptures. He was accurate. He was bold.
Apollos had been told about John the forerunner but he had no knowledge of Jesus, the Christ. We know that the teaching of Apollos was solid but when Aquila and Priscilla heard his teaching and determined he did not mention a Jesus, they gently took him aside and told him the wonderful story of John’s cousin Jesus.
We are not told how they share the story but I imagine they begin with the Virgin birth and the fulfillment of prophecy from the Hebrew Scriptures.
I imagine that as the couple told him story after story about Jesus healing the sick, calming the storms, and preaching to 4000 and 5000 people, Apollos wept.
The ONE he had read and taught about came. He came. In a miraculous way…He came.
Aquila and Priscilla would have undoubtedly have told Apollos about the betrayal and the death of Jesus on the Cross.
I’ve heard that story all my life…since I was a very young girl and it’s still a lot for me to take in. Thinking of Jesus on the Cross brings me pain. This bold articulate man Apollos would have really struggled as the couple told him the details of the crucifixion.
I imagine Aquila and Priscilla told him about the three days following Jesus’ death. They would have told him that the disciples scattered.
Then, just when Apollos was beside himself with grief, they would have told him that when Mary Magdalene went to the tomb the morning of the third day she found the very large stone had been rolled away and Jesus was not inside but He appeared to her.
More than likely they would have told Apollos all of the details about the morning Mary went to the tomb. They would have told him about the events that followed and perhaps they even told him about Jesus ascending to heaven.
From the scripture in Acts we know Apollos had studied Hebrew a scripture and read the prophesies. As he remembered what had been foretold he would have asked Aquila and Priscilla if this prophecy had been fulfilled, or if that prophecy had been fulfilled.
Learning all of it in a short period of time would have been overwhelming. I started learning the story when I was 3 years old and it was given in small doses. I can’t begin to imagine hearing it all at once as an adult. Plus, Apollos was very familiar with the Hebrew text. He knew the significance of each detail.
Scripture in Acts doesn’t tell us how long Apollos pondered the things he was told. We are told when Apollos was ready he wanted to go to Achaia and the disciplines of Jesus encouraged him to go tell the story.
They even wrote letters of recommendation for Apollos.
We know from Acts 18:27-28 that when Apollos went ‘out’ to tell the story of Jesus he was a great blessing to all.
I loved the story about Apollos because of the great descriptions the author of Acts added. Theologians believe that it was written by Luke.
I have to admit that just like the Acts of the Apostles the Gospel according to Luke is filled with wonderful stories!
Spiritual Practice: Your Favorite Story
Do you have a favorite story from Acts or the Gospels? Why?
In God, Deborah
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