Grace Bible Church Gillette, Wyoming

2. On the way to Jerusalem, they stopped at Ephesus. Paul planned to continue on to Jerusalem, but Aquila and Priscilla were left in Ephesus. They were going to set up their trade as well as minister.

3. Before leaving, Paul himself went to the synagogue in Ephesus and “reasoned” (dialegomai, arguments through dialogue, same as Ac 17:1, 17; 18:4) with the Jews.

B. Sailing From Ephesus (Ac 18:20-21)

1. [20] Unlike the Jews of other synagogues (Ac 13:14, 45; 14:1-2; 17:1, 5; 18:1, 6), Paul had made some headway with the Jews at Ephesus. In fact, when Paul was ready to leave after a short stint, they asked him to remain longer.

2. [21] Staying only a short time because he had a schedule to keep, Paul would not consent. However, realizing their receptive hearts, and the importance of Ephesus, Paul promised to return. Not being presumptuous, Paul said he would return to Ephesus if it were the will of God (cf. Jam 4:15).

C. Significant Visit to Jerusalem (Ac 18:22)

1. Paul landed at Caesarea and immediately “went up” (Jerusalem being higher in elevation and some 70 miles away) to the church in Jerusalem.

2. It can also be assumed that Paul made offerings, including his locks of hair at the temple in Jerusalem (cf. Nu 6:18).

3. After some time, Paul went down to Antioch, the church that sent him on his missionary journey (Ac 13:35, 40). This concluded his second missionary journey.

II. COMMENCEMENT OF THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY

A. Paul had spent some time in Antioch before setting out on his third missionary journey. The third missionary journey will last approximately 6 years (1^st Journey - Ac 13:1-14:28 (AD 46-48); 2^nd Journey - Ac 15:40-18:22 (AD 49-52); 3^rd Journey - Ac 18:23-21:26 (AD 53-57).

B. We know that at least one of Paul’s desired destinations was Ephesus. On the way, he passed through the Galatian and Phrygian regions.

C. These were the regions and cities, which Paul had visited on his first and second missionary journeys (cf. Ac 16:6). Paul was faithfully strengthening the believers of the churches that he had established (1^st - Ac 14:1-23; 2^nd - Ac 16:3-6).

III. COMMISSION OF APOLLOS

A. Adeptness in the Scriptures (Ac 18:24)

1. Luke introduced another key figure in the early church, a Jew named Apollos. He was a native of Alexandria but came to Ephesus.

2. Alexandria is the ancient city in Egypt that received its name from its founder Alexander the Great. It was one of the greatest cities during certain periods of history. Its claim to fame was one of the world’s greatest libraries with some 700,000 volumes that supported great schools of academia. Unfortunately, the library was burned by invaders in A.D. 642. At one time, Alexandria had as many as 10,000 Jewish residents, many of whom attended one of the largest synagogues. As a result, Alexandria was the place where the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek, known as the Septuagint.

3. This history explains in part why Apollos was an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures.

4. The word “eloquent” is the Greek word logios, which refers to a man of words and/or ideas. In essence, Apollos was learned, educated, and skilled in reason and speech.

5. But what made him a dynamic speaker was the fact that he was also “mighty in the Scriptures.” “Mighty” is the Greek word dunatos (resultant power) suggesting Apollos had a dynamic knowledge and grasp of the Scriptures with the ability to powerfully articulate its truths.

B. Acquainted Only with John’s Baptism (Ac 18:25)

1. Apollos had been instructed in the “way of the Lord.” He was a disciple of the disciples of John the Baptist. John the Baptist declared that he was “a voice in the wilderness,” and that the Jews were to “make straight the way of the Lord” (Jn 1:23 cf. Is 40:3). The “way of the Lord” was the commitment to follow the Lord according to His moral standards and ordinances (Ge 18:19; Jdg 2:22; Jer 5:5; Eze 18:29).

2. He was also “fervent in spirit” (though possibly “fervent in the Spirit (i.e. Holy) which literally meant to “boil.” So he bubbled over in exuberance for the things of the Lord (cf. Ro 12:11).

3. So fervent was Apollos that he went about speaking and teaching. He taught concerning the things about Jesus and he did so “accurately” (akripōs - exactness).

4. But Luke adds that though he spoke accurately, his message was incomplete for the extent of Apollos’ knowledge was “only” (monon - merely) in regard to the baptism of John.

5. What did Apollos know? He knew about Jesus, that He was the Messiah (Mt 11:2-5) and that he was the “lamb of God” (Jn 1:29). He knew about John’s water baptism, and only that the Holy Spirit would come to baptize (Lk 3:16). But his knowledge and message was incomplete because Priscilla and Aquila had to further instruct him (Ac 18:26). Though some speculate that Apollos was a Christian, he may be better described with the mentality of an OT saint similar to John the Baptist. Apollos would have been familiar John’s baptism, which was a baptism of repentance (Mk 1:4 cf. Ac 13:24) and a message of preparation for the coming of Christ (Lk 1:17 cf. Ac 19:4).

C. Aquila and Priscilla Disciple Apollos (Ac 18:26)

1. So bold was Apollos in His understanding of John’s baptism and the Scriptures that he proclaimed it in the synagogue.

2. Priscilla and Aquila most likely heard Apollos speaking in the synagogue and took him aside in the privacy of their home. Their purpose was to “explain to him the way of God more accurately.”

3. We might imagine that they both (Priscilla is mentioned first) explained to Apollos the ramifications of the birth, ministry, death, and resurrection of Christ. They also would have explained the coming of the Holy Spirit and His indwelling (See Ac 19:1-6). Luke is silent about the details of Apollos’ full acceptance of the gospel and receiving the Holy Spirit that most likely took place with Priscilla and Aquila.

D. Apollos’ Achaean Ministry (Ac 18:27)

1. That Apollos was now a Christian and had the complete message is evident in his desire to continue ministering and the affirmation of the the church at Ephesus.

2. Apollos wanted to evangelize at Achaia (Corinth) and the brethren wrote ahead commending Apollos and his ministry.

3. In addition, when he arrived we see he had the complete message because he was able to minister to those who had “believed through grace.”

E. Apologetics of Apollos (Ac 18:28)

1. Now under the power of the Holy Spirit, using his prior knowledge and qualities, Apollos “powerfully” (eutonōs - lit. “full stretch,” vigorously) “refuted” (diakatelechomai - completely confound) the Jews in public.

2. John Calvin stated, “Which…he was not only well and soundly exercised in the Scriptures, but that he had the force and efficacy [of it], and that, being armed with them, he did in all conflicts get the upper hand.”

3. Apollos did this by “demonstrating” (epideiknumi - prove beyond a shadow of a doubt) by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

4. Apollos was so loved by the Corinthian believers that some claimed to be “of Apollos” (1Co 3:4-5). Paul wrote of their cooperating ministries saying, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth” (1Co 3:6).

IV. OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

A. Mighty in the Scriptures in character

B. Mighty in the Scriptures in pulpits

C. Mighty in the Scriptures in church

D. Mighty in the Scriptures in the world

V. OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

A. Mighty in the Scriptures in character

1. Boldly speak what you know about Scripture, but always learn more.

2. Make it your passion and your goal to be saturated in the Scriptures, doctrine, and theology.

3. Many years ago in a church I heard a believer say about some great Bible teaching, “Oh I heard all this in Christian School.”

B. Mighty in the Scriptures in pulpits

1. John Ward

a) This is the stuff I heard in Bible College

b) But it was from exposition of the Scriptures

c) Exactness in expounding verse by verse

d) Meanings of the words - meaning of the immediate context - meaning of larger context of the Bible

e) Arguments - Scriptural arguments - logical arguments within the Scriptures

f) Application - but application from exposition - Doctrine then duty (Eph 1-3 - 4:10)

C. Mighty in the Scriptures in church

1. Mighty in the Scriptures

2. Eloquent - EXACT NESS concise - know your point

3. Fervent spirit

4. Teachable

5. Knowledge about the birth, ministry, death, and resurrection Christ and all its ramifications (from sanctification to security it all has to the person and work of Christ)

6. Knowledge about the Holy Spirit, His indwelling, His ministries in the believer.

D. Mighty in the Scriptures in the world

1. We are especially at a place in America where you must be able to articulate your beliefs from the Bible.

2. The battle for inerrancy.

3. The battle for exposition in churches.

a) This never was a game and now we are coming to a full recognition of it.

4. The battle for morality.

5. The battle for your belief in the existence of God.

Grace Bible Church · 4000 E. Collins Rd · PO Box #3762 · Gillette, WY · (307) 686-1516