Gospel Priority

Paul stayed in Corinth “Many days longer”

Set sail to Syria via Conchrea:

Got a hair cut before they set sale… (because of a vow)

1. Sailed to Ephesus

2. Left “them” there, but he sailed on

3. Landed at Caesarea, spent time there.

4. Visited the “Church”= Jerusalem??

5. Went down to Antioch for a time

Travels to Galatia and Phrygia to strengthen all the disciples

Time:

Early summer of 52 AD, to the spring of 53.

Started his 3rd Missionary Journey from Antioch

Visited the church he started on his first missionary journey.

Apollos the...

v. 24-25: Charismatic, Competent, and Catechized

v. 24: Jew. Native of Alexandria, Egypt. Came to Ephesus.

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v. 24: Eloquent (or could mean ‘learned’ Greek=logois),

competent in the Scriptures, instructed in the way of the Lord, fervent in the spirit, spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus…

Alexandria: 2nd largest city in the Roman Empire “leading intellectual and cultural center of the Hellenistic world (as Athens had been of the classical world), built around a massive museum and 400,000-volume library.” Spencer

Home of Philo! HUGE influencer at the time, steeped in the wisom of Greek liturature.

Alexandria: Birth place of the LXX

v. 25“He had been instructed in the way of the Lord”

“Been instructed”=catechemenos ‘formerly taught’

“And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus”

Fervor in spirit or “SPIRIT”

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Ephesus sends a professional to Corinth

v. 25-27: Moldable and Missional

v.25: Moldable

One issue: “He knew only the baptism of John.”

Theological issue

Checked all the boxes

v. 26: Priscilla and Aquila; “They took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.” Or ‘adequately’

We’re going to deal with this issue onJuly 3 week because Paul goes to Ephesus in Ch. 19 to baptize. It’s complicated and I’m not going to ignore it. For today’s purposes we’re going to just stick with Apollos’ character and the significance that he travelled back to Corinth.

Shows humility:

My dad once approached a pastor: “I tell the people what they want to hear.”

“How dare you questions the Word of the Lord!”

Goal: If you get at me, it’s because you’re mad at what God says in the Bible.

But please know that I’m willing to receive your feedback. The Bible is infallible. My interpretation is not!

At the same time, if you can dish it, you have to be able to take it.

“What I do on my own time is none of your own business.”

“What I post on social media is none of your business.”

v. 27: Missional

“Let me go!” Wished to go to Achaia, back to Corinth.

“The brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him.”

v. 27: Servant

“He greatly helped. those who through grace had believed.”

I Corinthians 3:6 “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”

v. 28: Apologist:

“He powerfully refuted in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.”

Right theology trumped charismatic leadership

I find it so interesting how much Luke emphasizes how eloquent Apollos is… He’s not perfect, but he’s near perfect… Had a theological hiccup that needed to be addressed, but Apollos was the man!

Timeline:

51 AD: Paul visits Corinth

52 AD: Apollos Goes

52-53: Paul writes “Tearful Letter” (Corinthians A)

55 AD: Paul writes I Corinthians

This story must be understood in light of what Paul writes in I Corinthians

Giftedness (not greater than) Gospel

The rest of the story...

Encouraged Believers and Won New Converts

He was on a roll! Church started to blow up… But then something started happening...

Received a Cult following

Apollos left Corinth joined Paul in Ephesus

Without realizing it, Apollos created a Cult of Personality

Apollos was SO gifted, that people were becoming disciples of Apollos RATHER than Christ!

I Cor 3:4-8 “4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? 5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one.

1 Co 1:10–13; 17: 10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided?...17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Paul PURPOSEFULLY Toned down the rhetoric...

I Corinthians 2:1-5 “1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

I Cor 3:21-23 “So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.”

Tip the Hat to Apollos for Spotting what was happening.

This messed Apollos up!!

Speaks only more to his character that he left Corinth when he did.

Two Hints:

“I’m not ready to go back”

I Cor 16:12 “12 Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity.”

“I’m not ready to go back there… My gifts led to division… I can’t get back there.”

“They Don’t Need My Greetings”

19 The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord.

Roy E. Ciampa and Brian S. Rosner: “Remarkable” that Paul doesn’t write Apollos doesn’t give his greetings. Door is open for Apollos to visit again someday, but this division thing needs to settle down.

Corinth needs to get back to the basics:

The Gospel is not about a personality other than Christ.

The Gospel is not about eloquence, but what is elementary.

The Gospel includes children, not Rocket Scientists.

Rob Bell: Do you think your church would be as big if you weren’t there?

“Probably not.”

Gospel doesn’t need to be souped up?

Gospel doesn’t need extra flavor.

It doesn’t take a theologian to say, “Jesus loves you, this I know...”

Gospel is simple:

Apollos: Jesus is the Christ: That’s what Apollos came to preach

Jesus is the King. His reign ain’t Rome, but over all Creation.

As the King, he came and died, proved himself worthy to be a sacrificial lamb.

Paul: Christ and him crucified

As the Christ he was crucified. The Christ must suffer for our sin...

??Prophet, Priest and King??

Much to Learn about this Guy

Leadership is Important

Temptation to follow a leader over the Gospel