Acts 18:26
And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.
At Ephesus a brilliant Alexandrian orator boldly proclaimed faith in Christ as far as he knew, yet knowing only the baptism of John he lacked full understanding of Christ's mission, resurrection and the promised work of the Holy Spirit. When the humble tent-making husband and wife heard him they saw the defect and took him aside privately and opened the Scriptures to give him a clearer understanding of the doctrine of Christ. The learned scholar received their instruction with grateful surprise and joy, showing that even the most gifted speaker can learn from humble Christians and be equipped to understand Scripture more clearly. With fuller knowledge of salvation through Christ he became one of the ablest advocates of the faith, going to Corinth to reason publicly and from house to house from prophecy that the Jesus Paul had preached was the Christ. Eloquence and talent in themselves can convict no soul without the deep moving of the Spirit of God joined with personal pastoral labor, and God still teaches believers the way more perfectly through His ministers and humble working believers, whose instruction must be received and not despised because it does not come from learned men.
Apollos Learns the Way
Apollos was an Alexandrian Jew of the highest Grecian culture, a learned scholar and thorough student of the prophecies, a brilliant, eloquent orator and expounder whose preaching power equaled Paul's. Yet eloquence and talent in themselves could do nothing to convict a soul or bring one soul to repentance. He had heard John the Baptist and received the baptism of repentance, knowing only the baptism of John. Still he boldly taught in the synagogue at Ephesus, publicly proclaiming faith in Christ as far as the light he had received. His teaching was defective and incomplete for lack of thorough knowledge of Christ's mission, resurrection and ascension, and the promised work of the Holy Spirit as the Comforter sent to remain with His people during His absence.
Aquila and Priscilla were humble tent-makers, a husband and wife blending perfectly in understanding of the Scriptures, who were not called to give all their time to gospel ministry. When they heard him at Ephesus they saw the defect and took him aside privately and expounded to him the way of God more fully. Through Scripture teaching they gave him a clearer understanding of the Scriptures and the doctrine of Christ. The educated orator received their instruction with grateful surprise, gratitude and joy. This shows that even a highly gifted speaker can learn from humble Christians and be equipped to understand Scripture more clearly.
With fuller knowledge of salvation through Christ he became one of the ablest advocates and defenders of the Christian faith and a more effective preacher. Having learned the way more perfectly he desired to visit Corinth and went with letters from the Ephesian brethren to be received as a teacher in full harmony with the church. There he labored among the very Jews who had rejected Paul, reasoning with them from house to house both publicly and privately and showing them Christ in prophecy, that the Jesus Paul had preached was the Christ and their expectation of another Messiah to come was vain. So Paul planted the seed of truth and Apollos watered it, and his support of Paul's mission gave character to Paul's past labors there.
Even such eloquence will not build up and widen the work without another kind of labor joined to preaching talent, pastoral and personal effort and aggressive warfare carried into the very gates and houses. Without the deep moving of the Spirit of God all human effort combined is weakness, for the human instrument is nothing in itself. But worked by the Holy Spirit man can accomplish much because the Lord Himself is the worker. Man is of value when soul, body and spirit are prepared to cooperate with divine power, since man can do nothing without God yet the Lord communicates His truth through the human channel.
Helping Others Learn Fully
The way of God can be understood more completely and learned more perfectly through instruction that fits believers for heaven and makes them able to glorify God, serve the Lord more effectively, and help others. A properly conducted camp meeting can serve as such a school for church members young and old, where the way of the Lord is learned so they can help others. Even one already learned and eloquent and preaching Christ according to the light received may lack full understanding and need Scripture teaching to become a more effective defender and preacher of the faith.
Those who still need to be taught the way more perfectly include those who have newly embraced the truth, those who began to keep the Sabbath through books and pamphlets but remain as scattered sheep without the watchcare of a living undershepherd to ground them fully, and even those who have already known God's love but still need to learn the way of salvation more fully. This fuller teaching is given in answer to earnest desire to learn by spending extended time with learners in personal instruction and watchcare by a living preacher. Those reached only by reading remain incompletely grounded until personal teaching supplies what print cannot give.
God teaches the way of salvation more fully through His delegated messengers, His ministers, and every message they bring, including reproof, cautions and warnings, is for the hearers' good and must be received and worked with while the Lord is working. Such teaching must not be turned away because it does not come from learned men, dismissed as not needed, or divided to accept what pleases and reject what crosses one's own track. Doubts about it are suggestions of Satan that must not be expressed, for to criticize ministers and speak lightly of them is to disrespect the ways and means God has ordained to reach people, when they are to be regarded highly for their work's sake, and to refuse their help leaves no other means in reserve to reach the case.
God uses humble working believers who are not ordained, showing that people not called to give all their time to gospel ministry can have an important part in soul-saving work and teaching the gospel. This includes a husband and wife laboring together as accepted laborers who consult and pray together, view Scripture correctly so they do not mislead, and by united work accomplish a double work and become a great strength to the leadership of the work. Gospel ministry and manual labor belong together, and the great apostle was not ashamed or afraid of work at his tentmaking trade in Corinth while teaching the Scriptures and instructing Aquila and Priscilla more perfectly, and did not treat work as lowering to ministry.
Learning the way more perfectly calls for conscientious obedience to truth even under bitter opposition, compassion and tenderness toward others, willingness to be taught and to do hard work, and valuing the soul above large wages. It includes learning to treat the sick upon hygienic principles as part of being fitted for heaven and made able to glorify God and be a blessing to others.