Acts 18 — Part 2 WHEN OPPOSITION DOESN'T STOP THE ASSIGNMENT

LIGHT WAY CHURCH

The Book of Acts Teaching Series

Acts 18 — Part 2

WHEN OPPOSITION DOESN'T STOP THE ASSIGNMENT

Acts 18:12–23

CENTRAL THOUGHT

Opposition does not automatically mean you are outside the will of God, and the removal of opposition does not automatically mean God approves of everything you are doing.

Our responsibility is to remain faithful to what God has actually called us to do.

Paul had already received God's word:

“Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: For I am with thee.” — Acts 18:9–10

Then opposition came.

That is important.

God's promise did not prevent the opposition.

God's promise carried Paul through the opposition.

OPENING REVIEW — WHERE DID WE LEAVE PAUL?

Last time, Paul arrived in Corinth.

He had come from Athens, where he encountered philosophers, idols, and the intellectual culture of Mars Hill.

Corinth presented a different environment.

It was prosperous.

It was commercially important.

It was religiously diverse.

And it was morally troubled.

Yet God told Paul something remarkable:

“For I have much people in this city.” — Acts 18:10

Paul could see Corinth's condition.

God could see Corinth's potential.

That became the central thought of our previous lesson.

Paul also met Aquila and Priscilla.

They had been displaced from Rome because Emperor Claudius had ordered Jews to leave.

Their circumstances had changed because of a political decision they did not control.

Yet their displacement eventually brought them into contact with Paul.

We were careful about how we interpreted that.

The Bible does not say:

“God caused Claudius to expel the Jews so Aquila and Priscilla could meet Paul.”

What Scripture demonstrates is something different:

Human circumstances do not prevent God's purposes.

God can work through situations He did not morally approve.

That means every difficult event does not have to be labeled:

“God did this.”

Sometimes people make decisions.

Governments make decisions.

Employers make decisions.

Families make decisions.

People sin.

Circumstances change.

Yet God remains sovereign enough to work in the middle of those circumstances.

WE ALSO SAW PAUL WORKING

Acts 18:3 told us:

“For by their occupation they were tentmakers.”

Paul preached, but Paul also worked.

That reminded us:

MINISTRY IS BIGGER THAN A PULPIT.

Your workplace can become a place where Christ is demonstrated.

Your profession does not have to compete with your Christianity.

Paul could make tents and still be an apostle.

THEN THE OPPOSITION STARTED

Paul reasoned in the synagogue.

Some rejected the message.

But Crispus—the ruler of the synagogue—believed.

Many Corinthians also:

heard,

believed,

and

were baptized.

Then God spoke to Paul in a vision:

“Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace.”

Why?

“For I am with thee.”

Paul remained in Corinth for approximately eighteen months, teaching the Word of God.

And that brings us directly to today's passage.

Because the same Paul whom God told:

“I am with you”

is about to be dragged before the judgment seat.

ACTS 18:12

OPPOSITION BECOMES ORGANIZED

“And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat.”

The opposition has changed.

Earlier, Paul experienced disagreement.

Now the opposition becomes organized.

They bring Paul before Gallio, the Roman proconsul of Achaia.

This is not merely someone arguing with Paul after synagogue.

This has become a legal matter.

Paul is brought before the judgment seat, commonly associated with the Greek word bēma.

This was the place where a Roman official could hear disputes and render judgments.

Paul's opponents are attempting to use governmental authority against his ministry.

WHO WAS GALLIO?

Gallio was not an imaginary biblical character.

He was a Roman official and the brother of the philosopher Seneca, who was associated with Emperor Nero.

Historical evidence helps place Gallio's service as proconsul of Achaia around AD 51–52.

That makes this passage historically important because it gives scholars one of the strongest chronological reference points for dating Paul's ministry.

But Luke's purpose is not merely to give us a date.

He is showing us what happens when religious opposition reaches the civil authorities.

APPLICATION — OPPOSITION CAN ESCALATE

Sometimes opposition begins with words.

Then it becomes organized.

People may attempt to use:

authority,

influence,

reputation,

policy,

government,

social pressure,

or institutions

to stop something they oppose.

But notice something important:

PAUL DOES NOT PANIC.

Why?

Because before Acts 18:12 ever happened, Acts 18:10 had already happened.

God had already told him:

“I am with thee.”

Paul did not know exactly how the situation would turn out.

But he knew what God had told him to do.

That is an important distinction.

DON'T BUILD YOUR FAITH AROUND PREDICTING OUTCOMES

Sometimes Christians say:

“I know God is going to make this work exactly the way I want.”

But did God actually say that?

Faith is not convincing ourselves that our preferred outcome must happen.

Biblical faith is trusting God while remaining obedient even when we do not know the outcome.

Paul knew:

God told me to speak.

That was enough.

ACTS 18:13

WHAT WAS THE ACCUSATION?

“Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.”

Notice the accusation.

They do not simply say:

“We disagree with Paul's theology.”

They frame the matter in a way that could potentially interest Roman authority.

They accuse Paul of persuading people to worship God contrary to the law.

The critical question becomes:

WHAT LAW?

The accusation appears deliberately broad.

Were they referring to Jewish religious law?

Or were they attempting to suggest that Paul's activities violated Roman law?

That distinction matters because Gallio represents Rome.

Gallio is not there to determine whether Paul correctly interprets Moses.

He is there to administer Roman government.

APPLICATION — HOW SOMETHING IS FRAMED MATTERS

People can describe the same situation very differently.

One person says:

“Paul is preaching Jesus.”

Another says:

“Paul is persuading people to worship contrary to law.”

Same activity.

Different framing.

This is why believers should not immediately react simply because somebody makes an accusation.

AN ACCUSATION IS NOT EVIDENCE.

Proverbs 18:17 gives us an important principle:

“He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.”

In other words:

The first version of a story may sound convincing—

until the other side is heard.

This applies in church.

It applies in families.

It applies at work.

It applies in leadership.

It applies on social media.

Do not determine guilt merely because somebody told the story first.

ACTS 18:14

PAUL IS READY TO DEFEND HIMSELF

“And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews...”

I love this detail.

Paul is getting ready to speak.

Paul is preparing to answer.

But before Paul can defend himself—

Gallio speaks.

Sometimes we are preparing a defense God never requires us to give.

Sometimes we spend hours rehearsing:

“What am I going to say?”

“How am I going to answer?”

“How am I going to prove them wrong?”

And sometimes circumstances resolve before we ever get the opportunity.

This does not mean Christians should never defend themselves.

Paul does defend himself elsewhere in Acts.

There are times when speaking is necessary.

But there are also times when we should recognize:

EVERY ACCUSATION DOES NOT REQUIRE A RESPONSE.

Jesus sometimes answered His accusers.

At other times Jesus remained silent.

Spiritual maturity requires wisdom to know which response is appropriate.

GALLIO'S RESPONSE

Gallio says:

“If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you.”

Gallio essentially says:

If Paul had committed an actual crime, I would hear the case.

That is significant.

Gallio is not saying:

“Paul's theology is correct.”

Gallio is saying:

“You have not brought me a matter that belongs before this Roman court.”

That distinction is important.

ACTS 18:15

GALLIO REFUSES TO SETTLE THEIR THEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT

“But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters.”

Gallio recognizes that this dispute concerns:

words, names, and Jewish law.

From his perspective:

This is an internal religious dispute.

And he refuses to adjudicate it.

IMPORTANT THEOLOGICAL GUARDRAIL

We should not preach this passage as though Gallio became a supporter of Christianity.

He did not.

We have no indication that Gallio believed the gospel.

We have no indication that Gallio became Paul's friend.

We have no indication that Gallio recognized Jesus as Messiah.

Gallio simply made a governmental decision.

Yet that governmental decision benefited Paul.

GOD CAN USE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT KNOW HIM TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING THAT BENEFITS HIS PURPOSE.

This is an important biblical pattern.

God does not need someone to understand everything He is doing in order for their decision to fit within His larger providence.

But again, we must be careful.

We should not say:

“Everything Gallio did was God's will.”

Scripture does not say that.

Instead:

God's purposes were not stopped by Gallio's courtroom.

ACTS 18:16

THE CASE IS DISMISSED

“And he drave them from the judgment seat.”

Paul never gives his defense.

Gallio dismisses the matter.

Now remember what God told Paul earlier:

“No man shall set on thee to hurt thee.” — Acts 18:10

God never said:

“Nobody will accuse you.”

They accused him.

God never said:

“Nobody will bring you to court.”

They brought him to court.

God never said:

“Nobody will oppose you.”

They opposed him.

The promise was not the absence of opposition.

THE PROMISE WAS THAT THE OPPOSITION WOULD NOT STOP THE ASSIGNMENT.

That is a major lesson.

DON'T MISREAD TROUBLE

Sometimes we encounter resistance and immediately conclude:

“Maybe God doesn't want me doing this.”

But resistance by itself proves nothing.

Paul encountered resistance while doing exactly what God told him to do.

On the other hand, we must also avoid the opposite mistake.

Some people assume:

“If people oppose me, that proves I'm doing God's will.”

No.

Sometimes people oppose us because we are wrong.

Sometimes people oppose us because our attitude is poor.

Sometimes people oppose us because we have handled something badly.

OPPOSITION BY ITSELF PROVES NEITHER FAITHFULNESS NOR UNFAITHFULNESS.

The question is:

Does what I am doing agree with God's Word and the assignment He has actually given me?

ACTS 18:17

SOSTHENES IS BEATEN

“Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things.”

This verse needs careful treatment.

Sosthenes, the synagogue ruler, is beaten.

Gallio does nothing.

We should not celebrate this.

This is not:

“Look how God got Paul's enemy.”

That is not the lesson.

Someone was assaulted while a government official ignored it.

Luke simply reports what happened.

THE BIBLE DESCRIBES MANY THINGS IT DOES NOT ENDORSE.

That principle is essential for interpreting Scripture.

Just because the Bible records an action does not mean God approved the action.

The Bible records:

murder, adultery, betrayal, war, deception, persecution, and injustice.

Description is not automatically prescription.

AN INTERESTING POSSIBILITY ABOUT SOSTHENES

Later, Paul begins 1 Corinthians 1:1:

“Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother...”

Could this be the same Sosthenes?

Possibly.

If it is, then the man associated with the synagogue in Acts 18 later became Paul's Christian brother.

But Scripture does not explicitly tell us they are the same person.

So we should not preach a possibility as certainty.

That gives us another important Light Way principle:

WHERE SCRIPTURE IS CLEAR, WE CAN BE CLEAR.

WHERE SCRIPTURE LEAVES SOMETHING UNCERTAIN, WE SHOULD LEAVE ROOM FOR UNCERTAINTY.

We do not strengthen Scripture by pretending to know what Scripture does not tell us.

ACTS 18:18

PAUL DOESN'T LEAVE IMMEDIATELY

“And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while...”

Think about that.

Court case dismissed.

Opposition defeated.

Paul could have said:

“I better get out while I can.”

But he stays longer.

Why?

Because fear is not controlling his schedule.

Eventually Paul leaves Corinth.

But he does not leave simply because somebody opposed him.

APPLICATION

Don't allow difficult people to make every decision for you.

Don't let opposition decide when you leave.

Don't let criticism decide what you stop doing.

Don't let fear determine your direction.

At the same time, don't stay somewhere merely to prove something.

Paul eventually leaves.

The issue is not:

stay versus leave.

The issue is:

WHO IS DIRECTING THE DECISION?

PRISCILLA AND AQUILA GO WITH PAUL

Acts 18:18 tells us that Paul sailed toward Syria:

“and with him Priscilla and Aquila...”

The people Paul met because they had been displaced from Rome are now traveling with him in ministry.

Think about the progression.

They were displaced from Rome.

They met Paul in Corinth.

They worked together.

They ministered together.

Now they travel together.

God is building relationships along the journey.

Some relationships are for a season.

Others become part of the assignment.

PAUL'S VOW — ACTS 18:18

The verse also says Paul:

“having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.”

Luke does not tell us exactly what vow Paul had taken.

It may have had similarities to Jewish vow practices, perhaps involving a temporary Nazirite-type commitment, but the text does not give enough information for us to be dogmatic.

What matters is that Paul remained a Jewish believer in Jesus who could participate voluntarily in certain Jewish practices.

This is important.

SALVATION DID NOT COME FROM THE VOW.

Paul did not shave his head to become saved.

Paul did not keep Jewish customs to earn justification.

Paul's salvation was through faith in Jesus Christ.

This helps us distinguish between:

personal religious practice

and

requirements for salvation.

That distinction remains important today.

Someone may choose to fast.

Someone may choose a particular day for worship.

Someone may observe a personal discipline.

Someone may refrain from something for conscience.

Those practices can have value.

But we must not turn our personal discipline into a requirement God did not impose on everyone.

ACTS 18:19

PAUL ARRIVES AT EPHESUS

“And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.”

Here we go again.

Paul enters another city.

What does he do?

He reasons.

Notice the consistency.

Acts 17—Paul reasons.

Acts 18—Paul reasons.

Paul's ministry involves proclamation, but it also involves explanation.

CHRISTIANITY SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID OF THINKING.

Questions are not enemies of faith.

Good questions can drive us deeper into Scripture.

At Light Way, our objective should never be:

“Don't ask questions.”

It should be:

“LET'S SEE WHAT SCRIPTURE ACTUALLY SAYS.”

And sometimes the answer will be:

“The Bible does not tell us.”

That is an acceptable answer.

ACTS 18:20

THEY WANT PAUL TO STAY

“When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not.”

Notice the contrast.

In Corinth, Paul encountered opposition and stayed.

In Ephesus, people wanted him and he left.

That is powerful.

If Paul made decisions based entirely on people's reactions, he would have done the opposite.

Corinth:

“We don't want you.”

Paul stays.

Ephesus:

“Please stay.”

Paul leaves.

PEOPLE'S APPROVAL CANNOT BE OUR COMPASS.

Neither rejection nor popularity should determine obedience.

Sometimes people want you somewhere God is not telling you to remain.

Sometimes people want you gone from somewhere God has told you to stay.

The question is not:

“Do they like me?”

The question is:

“What is the right thing for me to do before God?”

ACTS 18:21

“IF GOD WILL”

Paul says:

“I will return again unto you, if God will.”

There is tremendous theology in four words:

IF GOD WILL.

Paul makes plans.

But Paul recognizes that his plans remain subject to God's will.

This does not mean Christians should never plan.

Paul planned constantly.

He traveled strategically.

He organized ministry.

He sent people ahead.

He collected offerings.

He arranged visits.

Christian faith is not opposed to planning.

But mature planning says:

“Here is what I intend to do—subject to God's direction.”

James later warns against arrogantly saying:

“Today or tomorrow we will go into this city, stay there, buy and sell, and make profit,”

without acknowledging:

“If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.” — James 4:15

LIGHT WAY APPLICATION — PLAN, BUT DON'T WORSHIP THE PLAN

Make plans.

Set goals.

Prepare.

Save.

Build.

Schedule.

Organize.

But leave room for God to redirect you.

Acts 16 already taught us this.

Paul wanted to go one direction.

The Spirit redirected him toward Macedonia.

Now Paul says:

“I will return...if God will.”

Mature faith can make a plan without making an idol out of the plan.

ACTS 18:22

PAUL RETURNS AND REPORTS

“And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch.”

Paul eventually returns to Antioch.

This is significant because Antioch had been an important sending church for Paul's missionary work.

Paul had traveled enormous distances.

He had experienced:

conversion,

opposition,

beatings,

imprisonment,

miracles,

arguments,

court proceedings,

and church planting.

Now he returns.

Ministry has movement.

There are times to go out.

There are times to return.

There are times to report.

There are times to rest.

And then there are times to go again.

ACTS 18:23

PAUL GOES BACK OUT

“And after he had spent some time there, he departed...”

Paul doesn't remain comfortable for long.

He goes again through:

Galatia

and

Phrygia.

Why?

“strengthening all the disciples.”

Notice the language.

Paul is not only interested in making converts.

He wants to strengthen disciples.

That distinction is important.

EVANGELISM IS NOT THE END OF THE ASSIGNMENT

Jesus said:

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations...” — Matthew 28:19

The Great Commission is about making disciples.

Getting someone to say:

“I believe in Jesus”

is the beginning.

Then comes:

learning,

growing,

correction,

discipline,

understanding Scripture,

developing character,

learning prayer,

serving others,

and becoming spiritually mature.

Paul went back through areas where people already believed.

Why?

THEY STILL NEEDED STRENGTHENING.

That is why mature Christians still need Bible study.

That is why pastors still need teaching.

That is why teachers still need teaching.

That is why nobody reaches the point where they can say:

“I know enough Scripture.”

LIGHT WAY CHURCH — WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO BUILD?

We are not simply trying to produce people who attend church.

We are trying to develop people who understand Scripture and follow Christ.

There is a difference.

Church attendance is good.

Fellowship is good.

Corporate worship is good.

But attendance by itself does not equal discipleship.

A person can sit in church for thirty years and remain biblically immature.

Discipleship requires growth.

That is why we study entire passages.

That is why we ask:

What does the text actually say?

What did it mean in context?

What does it teach about God?

What does it teach about us?

What principle legitimately applies today?

And equally important:

WHAT DOES THE PASSAGE NOT SAY?

That last question protects us from building doctrines out of assumptions.

THE BIG PICTURE OF ACTS 18:12–23

Look at everything Paul experiences.

HE IS ACCUSED.

But the accusation does not stop him.

HE IS BROUGHT BEFORE GALLIO.

But Gallio dismisses the matter.

PAUL IS READY TO DEFEND HIMSELF.

But he never needs to speak.

HE EXPERIENCES OPPOSITION.

But he remains in Corinth.

HE EVENTUALLY LEAVES.

But not because fear drove him away.

PEOPLE IN EPHESUS WANT HIM TO STAY.

But popularity does not control him either.

HE MAKES PLANS.

But says:

“If God will.”

HE RETURNS TO ANTIOCH.

But eventually goes back out.

WHY?

To strengthen the disciples.

The assignment continues.

FIRST MAJOR APPLICATION

OPPOSITION DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY MEAN STOP

Paul was opposed while obeying God.

Therefore, difficulty cannot be our only method for determining God's will.

If every difficult door means:

“God doesn't want me here,”

Paul would have left Corinth.

Jesus would never have gone to Jerusalem.

The apostles would have stopped preaching.

SOMETIMES THE RIGHT ROAD IS STILL A DIFFICULT ROAD.

SECOND MAJOR APPLICATION

NOT EVERY ACCUSATION DESERVES YOUR ENERGY

Paul prepared to speak.

Gallio dismissed the case before Paul could answer.

There are times when defending truth is necessary.

There are also times when constant self-defense becomes a distraction from the assignment.

Somebody may misunderstand you.

Somebody may criticize you.

Somebody may misrepresent you.

If every accusation becomes your new mission, eventually you will spend all your time answering critics instead of doing what God called you to do.

DON'T ALLOW YOUR CRITICS TO REWRITE YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION.

THIRD MAJOR APPLICATION

DON'T CONFUSE GOD'S PROVIDENCE WITH GOD'S APPROVAL OF EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS

Gallio's decision benefited Paul.

Gallio was not necessarily serving God.

Sosthenes was beaten.

That violence was not something Christians should celebrate.

God can accomplish His purposes in a broken world without approving everything people do within that world.

This protects us from saying:

“Everything happens for a reason, so everything that happened must have been God's will.”

Scripture is more careful than that.

God is sovereign.

Humans remain responsible.

Sin remains sin.

And God remains capable of accomplishing His purposes despite human sin.

FOURTH MAJOR APPLICATION

DON'T LET REJECTION OR POPULARITY CONTROL YOUR DECISIONS

Corinth rejected Paul.

He stayed.

Ephesus wanted Paul.

He left.

That teaches us something.

REJECTION DOESN'T ALWAYS MEAN LEAVE.

ACCEPTANCE DOESN'T ALWAYS MEAN STAY.

Popularity is a poor compass.

So is criticism.

The believer's question should be:

“What is faithful?”

FIFTH MAJOR APPLICATION

HOLD YOUR PLANS WITH AN OPEN HAND

Paul said:

“I will return again unto you, if God will.”

Make plans.

But remember who is God.

We can say:

“This is what I intend.”

“This is what I believe is wise.”

“This is where I am headed.”

But mature faith adds:

“IF THE LORD WILLS.”

Not as a meaningless religious phrase.

As an acknowledgment:

God sees what I cannot see.

SIXTH MAJOR APPLICATION

CONVERSION SHOULD LEAD TO DISCIPLESHIP

Acts 18:23 says Paul was:

“strengthening all the disciples.”

The Christian life is not:

Believe → attend church occasionally → wait for heaven.

It is:

Believe → learn → grow → obey → serve → mature → help somebody else grow.

That is discipleship.

QUESTIONS FOR PERSONAL APPLICATION

Ask yourself:

1. Have I interpreted difficulty as proof that God wants me to quit?

2. Am I spending too much energy answering people who oppose me?

3. Do other people's opinions determine too many of my decisions?

4. Have I confused something working out in my favor with proof that God approves of everything involved?

5. Do I make plans while genuinely remaining open to God's redirection?

6. Am I growing as a disciple—or merely attending church?

7. Who am I helping become stronger in Christ?

That last question is important.

Paul did not simply ask:

“How many people have I reached?”

He returned:

“strengthening all the disciples.”

A WORD TO LIGHT WAY CHURCH

We should never measure the success of our ministry only by how many people gather.

The better questions are:

Are people learning Scripture?

Are people growing spiritually?

Are people becoming more like Christ?

Are people learning to distinguish Scripture from tradition?

Are people becoming capable of explaining their faith?

Are mature believers helping younger believers grow?

That is discipleship.

We don't simply want a larger gathering.

WE WANT STRONGER DISCIPLES.

CLOSING CHALLENGE

Paul's opponents brought him before the judgment seat.

The assignment continued.

Paul left Corinth.

The assignment continued.

Paul arrived in Ephesus.

The assignment continued.

Paul traveled to Caesarea.

The assignment continued.

Paul returned to Antioch.

The assignment continued.

Then Paul left again.

Why?

Because the mission was bigger than one city.

Bigger than one disagreement.

Bigger than one court case.

Bigger than one congregation.

And bigger than Paul.

THE ASSIGNMENT WAS ABOUT JESUS CHRIST.

So when opposition comes:

Don't automatically quit.

When people praise you:

Don't automatically stay.

When someone accuses you:

Don't automatically fight.

When plans change:

Don't automatically panic.

When God opens another opportunity:

Don't become so attached to the old one that you cannot move.

And when people come to Christ:

Don't leave them as spiritual infants.

STRENGTHEN THE DISCIPLES.

The mature believer learns to say:

“I have a plan—but if God wills.”

“I face opposition—but I will remain faithful.”

“I have critics—but they will not become my assignment.”

“I have people around me—and I will help strengthen them.”

That is how the mission continues.

KEY SCRIPTURES TO REMEMBER

Acts 18:14–15

Gallio recognizes that the accusation against Paul does not involve a Roman crime.

Application: An accusation and a proven wrong are not the same thing.

Acts 18:18

Paul remains in Corinth for a time even after the confrontation.

Application: Opposition does not automatically mean leave.

Acts 18:20–21

The Ephesians ask Paul to remain, but he leaves, saying:

“I will return again unto you, if God will.”

Application: Approval does not automatically mean stay.

Acts 18:23

Paul travels:

“strengthening all the disciples.”

Application: Our goal is not simply conversion. It is discipleship.

NEXT WEEK — ACTS 18 PART 3

GIFTED, SINCERE — AND STILL TEACHABLE

Acts 18:24–28

Next we meet Apollos.

Scripture describes him as:

eloquent,

mighty in the Scriptures,

instructed in the way of the Lord,

fervent in spirit,

and a diligent teacher.

That sounds like a man who has everything together.

But there was something missing from his understanding.

And Aquila and Priscilla:

“expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.” — Acts 18:26

That will raise an important question for all of us:

CAN I BE SINCERE, GIFTED, KNOWLEDGEABLE, AND STILL BE WRONG ABOUT SOMETHING?

Acts 18 says:

Yes.

And what Apollos does when someone corrects him may tell us as much about his spiritual maturity as his ability to preach.

CLOSING PRAYER

Father, thank You for Your Word.

Give us wisdom to distinguish opposition from direction.

Help us not to quit simply because something becomes difficult.

Protect us from allowing criticism or popularity to control our decisions.

Give us humility to make plans while acknowledging that Your wisdom is greater than ours.

Teach us when to speak and when to remain silent.

Teach us when to stay and when to move.

Help us become more than church attendees.

Make us disciples who understand Your Word, obey Your Word, and help strengthen others.

Keep Jesus Christ at the center of everything we do.

And when opposition comes, remind us that opposition does not have authority to redefine the assignment You have given us.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.