A little help from my friends

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Paul’s vow

Acts 18:18 NASB95
18 Paul, having remained many days longer, took leave of the brethren and put out to sea for Syria, and with him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchrea he had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow.
Paul, in all his letters never mentioned this vow.
Luke doesn’t know or doesn’t expound on this vow.
IT WAS BETWEEN PAUL AND GOD!
Probably a Nazarite vow.
Numbers 6:1–2 NASB95
1 Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to dedicate himself to the Lord,
Separated: would cut their hair, ate or drank nothing from the grape vine.
When the vow was over they would cut their hair and make sacrifices in the temple.
Paul was a Jew.
It may have been to stay in Corinth as long as he did.
Two people in the bible were called to a lifelong Nazirite vow: Samson and John the Baptist.

Adrian Rogers of the early church.

"We ought to be living as if Jesus died yesterday, rose this morning, and is coming back this afternoon."
“I may be a nut, but I'm fastened to a good bolt, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
All his point would start with the same letter, or follow an alliteration. ALIVE.
He was fantastic.
Well I want to introduce you to the first century version of Adrian Rogers.

Apollos.

Acts 18:24 NASB95
24 Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures.
Apollo- Greek god, son of Zeus. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, music and dance, truth and prophecy, healing and diseases, the Sun and light, poetry, and more.
He was most likely a Hellenistic Jew. Born a Greek and converted to Judaism.
Alexandria - 2nd largest city in the Roman Empire. Hub of Science and education. Home of Philo, the Jewish philosopher.
Septuagint - Greek translation of the Tanakh (The Old Testament)
Paul mentioned Apollos several times in his letters.
1 Corinthians 1:12 NASB95
12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.”
1 Corinthians 3:4–7 NASB95
4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere men? 5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.
1 Corinthians 16:12 NASB95
12 But concerning Apollos our brother, I encouraged him greatly to come to you with the brethren; and it was not at all his desire to come now, but he will come when he has opportunity.
Titus 3:13 NASB95
13 Diligently help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way so that nothing is lacking for them.
Martin Luther suggested that Apollos was the author of Hebrews.
Apollos was n important figure in early church history.
The beginning:
Acts 18:24–25 NASB95
24 Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John;
Teaching of John the Baptist
Matthew 3:7–12 NASB95
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 “Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; 9 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. 10 “The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
The Lesson
Acts 18:26 NASB95
26 and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
Priscilla and Aquila:
Took him aside.
Explained to the the way of God more accurately.
HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE THAT?
You go hear someone speak that is more educated, a much better speaker than you. Passionate and riveting, they have the audience in the palm of their hand.......but they miss the mark concerning their topic. Not wrong, but incomplete.
We might talk about them.
We might dismiss them completely.
We might confront them in public to embarrass them.
Priscilla and Aquila were patient and no doubt fulfilling Ephesians 4:15
Ephesians 4:15 NASB95
15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,
Apollos:
He is gifted, smart, educated, sophisticated and he has the talent to make an audience laugh or cry on the emphasis of one syllable.
And he finished speaking and these two Rome rejects, tentmakers, come tell him that he doesn’t have all the truth.
And instead of getting puffed up. He listens to the truth of the Gospel.
Apollos became what he was because he humbled himself before the Lord.

Pride prevents learning

1 Corinthians 8:1 NASB95
1 Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.
Puffs Up.
How do we humble ourselves, so that we don’t miss the truth.
You need to know that you will learn things from talking to people with whom you don’t agree.
Ad hominem - Logical fallacy Against the man.
John says its raining
John is ugly
Therefore it isn’t raining.
That sounds ridiculous, but listen to any political debate. That’s what happens.
Racist/Liberal/Right wing/fascist/Bible thumper.... so that people will dismiss anything that is said.
Resist the comeback
Seek first to understand, then to be understood
James 1:19 NASB95
19 This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;
3. Process your thoughts in private
4. Listen and learn the arguments of the opposition.
5. Learn to think critically
Pre-mid-post trib rapture.
6. Remind yourself that you aren’t that great.
Marcus Aurelius hired an assistant to follow him as he walked through the Roman towns square.The assistant’s only role was to, whenever Marcus Aurelius was praised, whisper in his ear, « You’re just a man. You’re just a man. »
Acts 18:27–28 NASB95
27 And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
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