Acts 18:27
And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace: And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:
The verse belongs to the account of Apollos's preparation for ministry, for after Aquila and Priscilla taught him more fully about the mission of Christ, His resurrection and ascension, and the work of the Holy Spirit as Comforter, he learned the doctrine of Christ and the way of salvation more fully and became an able advocate who taught from Scripture with greater power. When he was disposed and eager to pass into Achaia to Corinth, the brethren and believers in Ephesus wrote by letter commending him to the disciples in Achaia and Corinth and exhorting them to receive him as a teacher in full harmony with the church. They welcomed him on his arrival.
When he was come he helped them much which had believed through grace, strengthening believers whose faith and salvation were gifts of grace. At Corinth he labored especially among the very Jews who had rejected the truth as preached by Paul, reasoning with them both publicly and privately from house to house. He showed them from Scripture and prophecy that Jesus whom Paul had preached is the Christ and that expectation of another Messiah to come is vain.
In this way Paul planted the seed of truth and Apollos watered it, supporting and continuing the work Paul had begun. The fact that Apollos supported Paul's mission gave character to Paul's past labors among them. Although Apollos was an eloquent preacher like Paul, even such eloquent preaching and talent will not by itself build up and widen the work. Preaching talent must be joined with pastoral and personal effort and aggressive warfare carried into the gates and houses.
The help he gave did not come from his eloquence and talent, just as Paul's work did not come from deep learning and restless energy, for without the help and deep moving of the Holy Spirit both would fall infinitely short of convicting and bringing even one soul to repentance. The verse shows the frail human instrument is nothing in itself and all combined human effort is weakness without the Spirit, for the Lord is the worker. Yet man is of value when soul, body, and spirit are prepared to cooperate with divine power, since man can do nothing without God and God communicates truth to humanity through the human channel.