Acts 18:24-28 - Apollos in Transition

Acts 18 : 24 – 28

Apollos in Transition – Lesson 70

Corinth and Ephesus were full of Jews who had accepted parts of God’s unfolding revelation yet had not grasped the full meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Apollos is a vivid example of that in–between stage and of how the Lord uses patient discipleship to move a gifted person from limited knowledge into gospel-powered ministry.

1. An Impressive but Incomplete Teacher (v 24 – 25)

Background: Apollos was a Jew from Alexandria—an intellectual centre that produced the Greek Septuagint, Philo the philosopher, and a strong rabbinic tradition.

Natural gifts: Luke calls him “eloquent” and “mighty in the Scriptures.” He knew the Old Testament well and spoke with contagious enthusiasm.

His limitation: He had been “instructed in the way of the Lord” and was fervent in spirit, yet he knew only the baptism of John. In other words, he embraced John’s call to repentance and believed Messiah was coming, but he did not yet understand the cross, resurrection, or the gift of the Holy Spirit.

2. Patient Correction in a Home, Not a Public Rebuke (v 26)

Apollos began speaking boldly in the synagogue at Ephesus. Priscilla and Aquila listened, discerned what was missing, and took him aside—literally “invited him into their home”—to “explain the way of God more accurately.”

This private setting protected Apollos’ credibility and modelled grace. They filled in what John’s baptism could not: • the atoning death of Jesus, • His bodily resurrection, • the indwelling Spirit, • baptism in the name of Father, Son, and Spirit.

3. A Rapidly Equipped Evangelist (v 27 – 28)

Once grounded in the full gospel, Apollos was encouraged by the believers in Ephesus and sent across the Aegean to Achaia (Corinth). A letter from Priscilla and Aquila vouched for him.

In Corinth he “helped greatly those who had believed through grace,” refuting the Jews in public and proving from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah. The man who had lacked crucial truth now powerfully defended it.

4. Lessons for Today

Giftedness is not the same as fullness of truth. A brilliant person can still be missing the gospel’s core.

Gentle, accurate discipleship matters. Priscilla and Aquila model how to correct without shaming.

Humility unlocks growth. Apollos, already a respected teacher, was willing to learn from tent-makers.

God redeems partial understanding. What began as incomplete knowledge became a catalyst for a wide-ranging ministry once the gaps were filled.

Church partnership protects doctrinal health. The Ephesian believers commended Apollos in writing so the Corinthian church knew he was sound.

Apollos shows that transition from old covenant expectation to new-covenant fullness can be swift when the truth is explained clearly and received humbly—and that God delights to harness refined intellect, burning zeal, and a teachable spirit for the advance of His gospel.