Who was Apollos? (120124)
Pastor Joseph Campbell
Truth in Love (2024) • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 41:39
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Scripture Reading: Acts 18:18-28.
Title: Who Was Apollos?
Title: Who Was Apollos?
What if the only thing that you knew about Christmas, about Jesus Christ, etc. was what you learned from Linus’ reading of the Christmas story from Luke chapter 2 in Charlie Brown’s Christmas?
Do you think that you would have a complete picture of the Gospel? Do you think that you would have a complete picture of Christianity?
That’s kind of what I need you to keep in mind as we look at the end of Acts chapter 18 this morning.
Now, I need to tell you that today’s message is really a foundational message for the next one. I’m just laying the “groundwork.” Because of that, it may be a little “boring” without much application.
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey
As we come to the end of Acts chapter 18, we come to the end of Paul’s second missionary journey where we find Paul back in Antioch, his home and sending church.
And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch.
But, he didn’t stay in Antioch for too long.
And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.
This was the start of Paul’s third missionary journey which, when we come to Acts chapter 19, will find Paul back in Ephesus which is exactly what Paul’s desire had been!
When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not;
But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.
Paul has grown and matured much in the Lord to this point. He had learned many valuable lessons such as being completely surrendered to the Lord’s will.
And in doing so, Paul had learned how God blessed!
Delight thyself also in the Lord; And he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the Lord; Trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
Now, after Paul had left Ephesus, and before he returned, a man by the name of Apollos came to Ephesus.
And, before we can get into Acts chapter 19, we need to take a closer look at Apollos because it has a direct bearing upon the events in the beginning verses of Acts chapter 19 when Paul arrives in Ephesus.
Turn to and read Acts 18:24-28.
Who was Apollos?
Who was Apollos?
What do we know about him?
Apollos was a Jew.
Apollos was a Jew.
He had been born in Alexandria.
He had been born in Alexandria.
He was an eloquent man.
He was an eloquent man.
He was mighty in the scriptures.
He was mighty in the scriptures.
These last two points really should be taken together.
Eloquent: learned; skilled in words; characterized by speaking with precision, elegance, force, and persuasion; especially as the result of study.
Studying God’s word so that we can rightly divide it is an activity that we should all endeavor towards.
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
What Scriptures did Apollos study? What Scriptures was he mighty in?
Apollos had what was called the Law and the Prophets. He did not have the New Testament.
The old preacher, H.A. Ironside wrote:
Lectures on the Book of Acts Lecture Thirty-One: Advancing from John’s Baptism to the Truth of New Creation (Acts 18:23–19:7)
He knew the Word; that is, he was familiar with the Old Testament. Remember, the Scriptures that were in the hands of all the early Christians were the Old Testament books. They did not as yet have the books of the New Testament. But Apollos had studied the Old Testament and knew it well. He knew the promises and the prophecies. He knew something, perhaps, of the types and shadows, and was looking for the full manifestation of the Messiah of Israel as promised therein.
This fact is important to keep in mind.
Do you remember the “What if” scenario I posed at the beginning of the message? It’s hard to imagine - to place ourselves in Apollos’ shoes - what it would be like to only have the Old Testament Scripture and to not have any of the New Testament Scriptures.
Something brought him to Ephesus.
Something brought him to Ephesus.
We just don’t know what it was that brought him to Ephesus but we do understand that, in God’s economy, there are no such things as coincidences.
He was instructed in the way of the Lord.
He was instructed in the way of the Lord.
While I’m confident that Apollos had some type of formal education. I also believe that Apollos’ parents, as good Jewish parents, sought to be obedient to Deuteronomy chapter 6 as they trained him up in the way of the Lord.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
However, this could also be a reference to the ministry of John the Baptist.
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: And the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, Even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: Behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.
Turn to and read Luke 1:13-17.
He was fervent in spirit.
He was fervent in spirit.
Fervent: enthusiastic; excited. In the context, I believe that we can say that He was enthusiastic and excited about the things of God.
Which, I believe, led to the next description that we have of Apollos…
He spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord.
He spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord.
Before there was ever the “Great Commission,” Apollos took seriously telling others about the things of God.
This last description is what we will focus on for a few moments.
He only knew the baptism of John.
He only knew the baptism of John.
Had Apollos been to Israel? Did he personally hear John the Baptist preach? Was he baptized by John the Baptist?
Honestly, I don’t know that I can/we can answer those questions.
But I do believe that we can say that Apollos had heard John the Baptist’s message - perhaps from one of John the Baptist’s disciples that had traveled to Alexandria or some other place that Apollos was at.
And Apollos, after hearing that message, believed that message and identified with it by way of baptism.
The million dollar question (as they say) then is “Was Apollos saved?”
Yes, I believe that he was which leads us to ask another another couple of questions.
What was John the Baptist’s message? How was a person saved before Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection?
John the Baptist’s Message
John the Baptist’s Message
In Malachi chapters 2 and 3, Malachi prophesied of the coming messenger - John the Baptist - who would immediately precede the ministry of Jesus Christ.
For some 400 years, from the closing of the Old Testament (Malachi) to the opening of the New Testament, God had been silent.
The next time we hear from God, if you would, was when John the Baptist shows up on the scene.
Turn to and read John 1:19-37.
In short, John the Baptist’s message was one of preparing people to meet and accept the prophesied Messiah.
In John 1:32-34, John the Baptist identified, to those around him, that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised Messiah - He was the Son of God.
In John 1:35-37 John the Baptist pointed two of his own disciples to follow Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.
But, keep in mind, John the Baptist knew nothing of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. He was beheaded before all of that. So, John the Baptist’s message never incorporated Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.
It’s hard for us to imagine but there is no reason to believe that people outside of Jerusalem and Judea had heard of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.
In fact, that was Paul’s entire message - the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
Was Apollos Saved?
Was Apollos Saved?
How were people - before Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection - saved?
I remind you of Abraham.
And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
People, before Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, were saved by faith - faith in the coming work of the Messiah - just as we are saved by faith in the already completed work of the Messiah.
Was Apollos saved? I believe he was; he had accepted, by faith, and identified with John the Baptist’s message of the soon coming Messiah.
Enter Aquila and Priscilla..
Acts 18:26 (KJV 1900)
And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.
Can you imagine, for a moment, the conversation that these three had, over coffee, as Aquila and Priscilla began, “Apollos, we’d like to tell you about the Messiah. His name is Jesus Christ?”
With the stage set, I would like you to, before next week, to read through and consider Acts chapter 19 verses 1-7.