And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.
Apollos was a Jew born at Alexandria who came to Ephesus. He arrived just after Paul had left Aquila and Priscilla at Ephesus, after Paul had lived and labored with that couple in Corinth, instructing them more perfectly in the truth while supporting himself by tentmaking. To be called eloquent means he had the highest Greek culture and education and was a scholar and brilliant orator, and to be called mighty in the Scriptures means he was a thorough student of the prophecies and an able public expounder of them.
He had heard John the Baptist preach, had received John's baptism of repentance, and stood as a living witness that John's work had not been in vain. Instructed in the way of the Lord, he taught diligently, fervently and eagerly about the Lord and publicly proclaimed his faith in Christ according to the light he had received. Yet he knew only John's baptism, with incomplete understanding of Christ's mission, resurrection and ascension and of the work of the Holy Spirit. Aquila and Priscilla explained the way of God to him more fully, which he received gladly, giving him a clearer understanding of Scripture and making him an able advocate and powerful defender of the Christian faith.
The setting shows that manual labor is no shame or fear to a minister and in no way lowers the work of the ministry. His eloquence and talent show that human ability, even combined with deep learning and restless energy and with all human effort together, is weakness without the deep moving of the Spirit of God and falls infinitely short of convicting and bringing even one soul to repentance. The Lord Himself is the worker; man can do nothing without God, yet God works through the human channel, and the frail human instrument, when soul, body and spirit are prepared to cooperate with divine power, can accomplish much. His great preaching talent shows that even preaching as eloquent as his or Paul's will not build up and widen the work without pastoral effort joined to preaching talent, with personal, aggressive effort carried into homes and communities. The same description of being mighty in the Scriptures applies to the later reformer, whose diligent study of the Bible, including in its original languages, prepared him to teach and preach its truths with clarity and power.
Apollos was a Jew born at Alexandria who came to Ephesus. He arrived just after Paul had left Aquila and Priscilla at Ephesus, after Paul had lived and labored with that couple in Corinth, instructing them more perfectly in the truth while supporting himself by tentmaking. To be called eloquent means he had the highest Greek culture and education and was a scholar and brilliant orator, and to be called mighty in the Scriptures means he was a thorough student of the prophecies and an able public expounder of them.
He had heard John the Baptist preach, had received John's baptism of repentance, and stood as a living witness that John's work had not been in vain. Instructed in the way of the Lord, he taught diligently, fervently and eagerly about the Lord and publicly proclaimed his faith in Christ according to the light he had received. Yet he knew only John's baptism, with incomplete understanding of Christ's mission, resurrection and ascension and of the work of the Holy Spirit. Aquila and Priscilla explained the way of God to him more fully, which he received gladly, giving him a clearer understanding of Scripture and making him an able advocate and powerful defender of the Christian faith.
The setting shows that manual labor is no shame or fear to a minister and in no way lowers the work of the ministry. His eloquence and talent show that human ability, even combined with deep learning and restless energy and with all human effort together, is weakness without the deep moving of the Spirit of God and falls infinitely short of convicting and bringing even one soul to repentance. The Lord Himself is the worker; man can do nothing without God, yet God works through the human channel, and the frail human instrument, when soul, body and spirit are prepared to cooperate with divine power, can accomplish much. His great preaching talent shows that even preaching as eloquent as his or Paul's will not build up and widen the work without pastoral effort joined to preaching talent, with personal, aggressive effort carried into homes and communities. The same description of being mighty in the Scriptures applies to the later reformer, whose diligent study of the Bible, including in its original languages, prepared him to teach and preach its truths with clarity and power.