An Incomplete Picture

Acts 18:18–28 NKJV

18 So Paul still remained a good while. Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, for he had taken a vow. 19 And he came to Ephesus, and left them there; but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent, 21 but took leave of them, saying, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing.” And he sailed from Ephesus. 22 And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up and greeted the church, he went down to Antioch. 23 After he had spent some time there, he departed and went over the region of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples. 24 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27 And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; 28 for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.

1. Three observations from the story.

(1) A. Paul enjoyed fruitful ministry in Corinth for a year and a half.

This gave him plenty of time to invest in lives.

Now we will begin to see the fruit of that time.

(1) B. When Paul left, Priscilla and Aquila went with him.

I see the sacrifice of a church.

The church at Corinth was no more than a year and a half old and they were already sending out a key couple.

Size and age of the church does not limit our availability or obedience.

I see the sacrifice of lay people.

They were tentmakers.

Paul lived with them and built a deep relationship with them.

They opened their home to this man.

They packed up and headed out.

This was not a temporary move.

They had a house in Ephesus.

They were settled in to the work there.

I see the value of lay people.

1 Corinthians 16:19 NKJV

19 The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

Writing from Ephesus.

The church was meeting in their home!

Romans 16:3–4 NKJV

3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

This was written to the church in Rome.

Apparently they made it back to Rome.

They became key in planting THREE churches.

Have you ever considered your role in missions?

This couple lived sacrificially to help wherever they could planting churches.

We tend to think about missions as something that a missionary does.

How often have you considered your role in your local church?

Lay people are vitally important to the body of Christ.

There are more of you than there are pastors.

(1) C. Paul shaved his head.

I like how Luke just assumes we will understand what this means.

Paul had most likely taken the Nazarite Vow

Numbers 6

This was a Jewish vow of separation and devotion to God.

It included not cutting your hair for the length of the vow.

At the end of the vow they would shave their head and burn it on an alter at the synagogue.

Paul was on his way to Jerusalem for the Passover.

Most likely he was going to take his hair there.

Why did Paul take this vow?

This was a sacrificial act by Paul.

He most likely did it to win Jews to Christ.

1 Corinthians 9:19–23 NKJV

19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.

2. The main characters of the story.

(2) A. Barnabas

You are thinking… I don’t see Barnabas mentioned anywhere.

Write it down and we will come back to it.

(2) B. Paul

Let’s think about our title: An incomplete picture.

Paul understood what it meant to be an incomplete picture.

Paul spent time learning before he took center stage.

Paul had spent some time learning but needed help learning to serve.

Barnabas came along.

Acts 9 he vouched for Paul’s trustworthiness.

In Acts 11 we see Barnabas partnering with Paul to teach and minister to struggling Christians.

Acts 12 Barnabas takes a leading role in Paul’s first missionary journey.

There seems to be a distinct moment when Paul emerged the leader.

Even still he wrote these words.

Philippians 3:12 NKJV

12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

Paul recognized he was not yet the complete picture.

Paul understood the value of investment in his own life.

That’s where Barnabas comes into the picture.

Therefore he invested in others who were not the complete picture.

When God uses you… it isn’t just you in the story… it’s those who He used to make you who you are!

So we have Barnabas, Paul, and...

(2) C. Aquila and Priscilla

Imagine spending 18 months with Paul.

You catch his passion for God.

You catch his passion for people.

You have become someone he is investing in.

Imagine the conversations while making tents, eating, doing life together.

Now we see a couple who was an incomplete picture...

Paul has helped their picture become more clear.

1 Corinthians 13:11–12 NKJV

11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

Now they go with Paul as a third generation of ministry.

They stay in Ephesus and run into someone else.

(2) D. Apollos

A Jew.

A native of Alexandria.

A large city known for its learning.

Apollos would have been a smart man.

Taught in the way of the Lord.

Apollos was taking what he had been taught and teaching others.

An eloquent speaker.

Fervent in Spirit.

Knew the Scriptures well.

He was might in them.

Accurately taught them.

Yet we find out that Apollos is still an incomplete picture.

3. The incomplete picture.

(3) A. Apollos started as a partial witness.

Let’s start with this… what did Paul preach in the synagogues?

He preached the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 NKJV

3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

What did Apollos preach?

He was might in the Scriptures - the Scriptures were the Old Testament!

He knew only the baptism of John.

He didn’t fully understand what baptism signified.

He didn’t fully understand the magnitude of Christ.

Apollos was a talented speaker who had the right motives and desires.

It does not seem to be a put down.

It wasn’t his fault - he knew what he knew.

BUT - he was an incomplete picture.

Brad’s story about not having people qualified to serve.

What do we do?

(3). B. Apollos became a complete witness.

Acts 18:26–28 NKJV

26 So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27 And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; 28 for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.

Aquila and Priscilla taught him more accurately.

They equipped him for the ministry God had for him.

He would eventually be a great preacher and apologist.

Here is a fourth generation starting all the way back at Barnabas.

This man “greatly helped those who had believed through grace.”

We all need somebody to help us become a complete picture!