Acts 18:24-19:7 - The Way of God More Accurately

Introduction

[READING - Acts 18:24-19:7]

Acts 18:24–19:7 NASB95

24 Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. 25 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; 26 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. 27 And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. 1 It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. 2 He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. 7 There were in all about twelve men.

[PRAYER]

[INTER] Where are you on your journey with Jesus? What’s your next step?

[CIT] In our passage this morning, we meet a man and a group of men who take their next steps with Jesus.

The man is Apollos, an effective preacher of Christ although he was only acquainted with the baptism of John.

The group of men are disciples of John the Baptist, sincere enough I’m sure, but men who had not even heard of the Holy Spirit.

Apollos took his next step with Jesus thanks to Paul’s friends, Priscilla and Aquila.

The disciples of John took their next step thanks to the Apostle Paul himself.

[INTER] What is the next stop we need to take with Jesus?

Who will help us take that step?

Who will we help to take their next step?

[TS] Notice Apollos’s next step…

Exposition

#1: Apollos’s Next Step with Jesus (Acts 18:24-28)

Acts 18:24–28 NASB95

24 Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. 25 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; 26 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. 27 And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

[EXP] The first thing we notice about Apollos is that he was gifted.

Verse 24 tells us that he was eloquent.

He was so eloquent that some in the Corinthian church preferred his preaching to Paul or Peter’s.

Verse 24, 25 tell us that he was educated.

He was mighty in the Scripture.

That word “mighty” is where the word “dynamite” comes from. We could say that he was exploding with knowledge of the OT Scriptures.

He had also been instructed in the way of the Lord.

Some think that this refers to be instructed in the morals and principles of the OT, but it likely refers to being instructed in the way of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Apollos was eloquent and educated, and verse 25 says that he was also eager.

He was fervent in spirit, which likely refers to his eagerness to work for Christ, but it could refer to his being fervent in the Holy Spirit.

When he came to Ephesus, verse 26 says that he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue.

We also see his fervency in his desire to go minister in Corinth after being helped by Priscilla and Aquila.

Apollos was eloquent, educated, eager, and also exact.

Verse 25 says that he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus.

What Apollos said about Jesus, he said correctly.

In all of this you can see, that Apollos was gifted, but Apollos was also limited.

Verse 25 says that he was only acquainted with the baptism of John.

Does this mean that Apollos only knew about the life of Jesus up to when John baptized Him?

Does this mean that Apollos had only experienced the baptism of John, which was a water baptism of repentance, and hadn’t yet experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit by trusting in Jesus as the Messiah?

It seems to me that Apollos did believe on Jesus as Messiah as John the Baptist did, but apparently Apollos had not yet fully grasped some crucial aspect of Jesus dying on the cross, rising from the dead, ascending to Heaven, and/or pouring out His Holy Spirit.

Whatever Apollos’s limitation was, God had Priscilla and Aquila there to help him take the next step.

Apollos was gifted but limited until he was corrected by Priscilla and Aquila.

Notice in v. 26 that it says, “But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.”

Apollos already taught accurately the things concerning Jesus (v. 25), but Priscilla and Aquila aimed to help him to each the things concerning Jesus more accurately (v. 26).

In preaching about Jesus, close enough will not do; one must be more accurate.

Priscilla and Aquila took Apollos aside. The NIV says they took him into their home.

Priscilla and Aquila provide us a great model in correcting others.

They did stand up in the middle of Apollos’s sermon and shout “No!” when they heard something that wasn’t quite right.

Instead, they took him aside privately; they befriended him, and then explained the way of God in Jesus Christ more fully.

Apollos also provides us a great model in receiving correction. Proverbs 11:2 says…

Proverbs 11:2 NASB95

2 When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom.

Apollos had the humility to receive the help from Priscilla and Aquila.

If we want to take the next step with Jesus, we will have to have the humility to receive help and correction from others who are a little farther along.

Having received instruction from Priscilla and Aquila with humility, Apollos was then eager to go to Achaia (i.e., Corinth) and preach there.

Those in Ephesus recognized his giftedness, his knowledge, and his humility, so they wrote to the disciples in Corinth to welcome him.

And when he arrived he greatly helped those who had believed through the gift of God’s grace; he helped by powerfully refuting unbelieving Jews in public and demonstrating from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

Good thing God gave Priscilla and Aquila the willingness to help him take the next step.

Good thing God gave Apollos the humility to listen.

[TS] Notice John’s disciples’ next step…

#2: John’s Disciples’ Next Step with Jesus (19:1-7)

Acts 19:1–7 NASB95

1 It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. 2 He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. 7 There were in all about twelve men.

[EXP] While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul came to Ephesus. When he arrived, he found some disciples; verse 3 tells us that they were disciples of John the Baptist.

As disciples of John the Baptist they would have believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but Paul asked if they had received the Holy Spirit when they believed.

Their answer was astonishing to Paul, I’m sure; they said, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”

This is confusing because John the Baptist said in Luke 3:16…

Luke 3:16 NASB95

16 John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

So, if these disciples of John in Acts 19 hadn’t even heard of the Holy Spirit, they weren’t very attentive disciples of John or maybe the marginal note in the NASB is correct in saying that their answer could be translated, “No, we have not even heard whether the Holy Spirit has been given.”

In any case, Paul told them about Jesus. As v. 4 says…

Acts 19:4 NASB95

4 Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”

When these 12 men believed on Jesus, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus; and when Paul laid hands on them in fellowship, they received the Holy Spirit.

Like the Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles before them, they spoke in tongues and prophesied—i.e., they preached the Gospel in languages previously unknown to them.

Good thing God gave Paul the willingness to help them take the next step.

Good thing He gave these twelve men the humility to listen.

[TS]…

Illustration

A professional football team once drafted a quarterback that they thought could potentially be a once-in-a-lifetime talent.

He was a great college quarterback, and had a super-strong arm—the story goes that he could throw it 70 yards down the field while kneeling on one knee.

The team paid him millions and gave him professional coaches whose sole job was to help him take the next step as a football player.

But the highly drafted quarterback never looked like he was taking the next step.

The coaches noticed that he was making the same mistakes over and over again. They began to suspect that he wasn’t trying to take the next step.

They gave him some game film and asked him to watch it and let them know what plays he liked and didn’t like.

He returned to the practice facility the next day and said that he watched the film and liked all the plays.

That’s when the coaches told him that they had given him DVDs with nothing on them. They were blanks; and if they didn’t already know it, they likely knew then that their prized quarterback wasn’t going to take the next step.

He didn’t have the humility to listen.

[TS]…

Application

What is our next step on our journey with Jesus? Well, where are we supposed to end up on this journey?

Most of us would say that we are supposed end up in Heaven, and that’s true; but the real destination on this journey is being more like Jesus.

As Romans 8:29 says, God foreknew and predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son.

We aren’t just like Jesus yet, so we have next steps to take in trying to become more like Him.

Maybe we need to take the next step in holiness, the next step in service, the next step in witness, the next step in compassion, the next step in giving, the next step in knowledge, the next step in prayer, the next step in leadership, the next step in sacrifice, or the next step in love.

Until we are just like Jesus, we have a next step to take.

We should ask God to give us people to show us the next step.

Do we have the humility to listen to those who try to help us take the next step with Jesus?

Pride stops up our ears, hardens our hearts, and prevents us from taking the next step with Christ.

Humility wants us to be like the humble Jesus, so humility makes us listen; it softens our hearts and moves us to step in the direction of being more like Him.

No matter how gifted we are; no matter how much we know; no matter who has taught us, we all need to take the next step with Jesus.

We should ask God to give us the humility to take that step.

Do we have the willingness to help others take the next step with Jesus?

Priscilla and Aquila could’ve just went home from synagogue and complained about the new preacher.

They didn’t have to explain the way of God more accurately to him.

But they did, because God them the willingness.

Paul could’ve just scoffed at the ignorance of the disciples of John the Baptist.

He didn’t have to tell them about the coming of the Messiah in Jesus of Nazareth; he didn’t have to tell them about the crucifixion of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, the ascensions of Jesus, or any of it.

But he did, because God gave him the willingness.

We should ask God to give us the willingness to help others take the next step with Jesus.

[TS]…

Conclusion

The other night Cheryl asked who had influenced me most in my life. She said she thought she knew but wanted to see if my list would match her guess.

I honestly thought I would name two or three people, but when I started listing people, the names just kept coming.

After our conversation, I thought about how fitting it was to remember so many people right before Thanksgiving who had helped me take the next step with Christ.

I thank God for all those people who helped me take the next step with Jesus and continue to help me take the next step with Jesus.

I pray that God gives me the humility to keep listening.

I also know that one day very soon there are going to people in some distant part of the world that thank God for you because you have helped them take the next step with Jesus through these Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes.

Perhaps through your shoebox you’re going to help someone take the first step with Jesus.

Perhaps through your shoebox you’re going to help someone take their next step with Jesus.

Either way, I thank God that He has made you willing, and I believe that those who receive these shoeboxes with humility will thank God for you too.

What is your next step with Jesus? Have you taken your first step?

The first step on your journey with Jesus is the step of faith in Jesus, which you can only take by God’s grace as the Holy Spirit reveals to you the meaning of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection as told in the Bible.

Jesus came to live the life of righteousness we failed to live as sinners.

Jesus came to die, paying the price for our sins, as He suffered in our place on the cross.

Jesus came to came to give us eternal life by forever defeating sin and death in His resurrection from dead.

All who trust in Him shall not be put to shame.

Whoever calls on the name of the Lord Jesus shall be saved.

Has God given you the humility to take the first step on your journey with Jesus?

Has He given you the humility to take the next step?

[PRAYER]