Every so often, I feel the need to rant about the balky mule some scribe was riding when he broke the New Testament up into chapters and verses. Yeah, it makes it easier to find stuff in the Bible, but for heaven sakes, did he not read the passages before he decided where the breaks should be?

Acts Chapter 18 and the first seven verses of Chapter 19 should probably be together because both passages deal with the same issue – disciples who lacked some very important revelation.

“And 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. And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there. Now he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. And when they asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not consent, but taking leave of them and saying, “I will return to you again if God wills,” he set sail from Ephesus. And when he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and went down to Antioch. And having spent some time there, he departed and passed successively through the Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.” Acts 18:18-23

After spending a year and a half in Corinth, Paul felt drawn toward Antioch. We aren’t told why, just as his vow is not explained. The second missionary journey was drawing to a close and we see for the first time his ministry team standing on its own in new mission fields. I think this is important because it shows us that God was already moving sovereignly, preparing for a time when Paul, like the other apostles, would pass from the scene to be succeeded by those he had trained. For this reason, I’m going to focus on Priscilla and Aquila and their interaction with Apollos.

“Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. 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; 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. 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 helped greatly those who had believed through grace; for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.” Acts 18:24-28

Priscilla and Aquila, itinerate tentmakers, played a very crucial role in the life and ministry of Apollos, a man of great intellect and ability who lacked complete information. A Jew born in Alexandria, an Egyptian city of great learning and education located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, Apollos was eloquent and not only knew his subject matter well, but was skilled in communicating what he knew. Both a scholar and a communicator, his abilities all related to his love for and knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures. Well-versed in the Old Testament, Luke described him as a man of great intensity, perhaps indicating he was empowered by the Holy Spirit in the same way as the Old Testament prophets, including John the Baptist, were.  In the synagogues, Apollos accurately taught “the things concerning Jesus,” and yet he was “acquainted only with the baptism of John.”

What?!!

First note that while Apollos’ knowledge was limited, he was accurate in that which he did teach. What he taught about Jesus was correct. Where he fell short was that he only knew about the baptism of John.

This is an easily confused passage. Basically, you have to note that Apollos had been instructed in the “way of the Lord” (verse 25) and then recognize that Priscilla and Aquila more fully informed him of the “way of God.” Most of us think a Jew would understand God better than the Lord Jesus, but this speaks to the very nature of God. John the Baptist’s early teachings would not have informed Apollos as to Who the Messiah was. John pointed to the Messiah’s coming and preached that repentance was necessary to prepare for His arrival, but John didn’t know Who the Messiah was until Jesus’ baptism (John 1:19-34). Apollos, perhaps in a singular visit to the Holy Land, had heard John’s teachings, but he apparently wasn’t around by the time Jesus came on the scene. He was preaching the Messiah, but he didn’t yet know Who the Messiah was. Priscilla and Aquila recognized his lack of specific knowledge and explained what he was missing. Jesus of Nazareth was not only Messiah, but Yahweh – God in person, in human flesh.

It seems Apollos accepted this update and immediately felt called to correct his previous error and return to the synagogues where he had preached so that he could provide this corrected information to those he had unintentionally misled. Crossing to Achaia, he was recognized for his teaching by the Gentiles, who reported to other churches that he was a powerful preacher. You might also notice in the next section, that Apollos went to Corinth where Paul, Priscilla and Aquila had recently been.

“And it came about that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper country came to Ephesus, and found some disciples, and he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” And when they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. And there were in all about twelve men.” Acts 19:1-7

Immediately Luke recorded the account of the mysterious “12 disciples”. Clearly, these two incidents were linked in some way. Apollos was acquainted with only the “baptism of John” as were these disciples. Priscilla and Aquila instructed Apollos, but Paul instructed the second group.  What they shared in common was something unique for their time, something we will probably never see again. They expected the Messiah, but they did not know that He had already come and that He was not a mere messenger of God, but God Himself. This speaks volumes about those who think it is enough to know “about” Jesus, but reject the requirement to come to faith in Him. Head knowledge was not enough for these Old Testament saints. They required faith in order to become New Testament Christians.

We are at another transition point in Acts. Up to this point, Paul’s ministry has been a personal ministry – a direct, hands-on ministry. Paul will soon enter another phase of ministry when his pen and prayers will become God’s powerful instruments of ministry while the hands-and-feet work will pass to others. There is no indication that Apollos discipled under Paul. Similar to how God raised Paul up independently of the Apostles, God called Apollos independently of Paul, through the ministry of Priscilla and Aquila.

Christians should be greatly encouraged by Priscilla and Aquila. Apollos was a highly trained, highly intelligent, Bible scholar and communicator. Who would you have sent to Apollos, to tell him, in effect, that he was “not far from the kingdom of God”? Who would you have chosen to fill in the blanks so that this man’s faith was not in the Messiah to come, but in Jesus Who had already come as Messiah?

We would have chosen Paul for his own great intellect and Biblical training, but God chose Priscilla and Aquila. Why? Perhaps because God does not appeal to men’s pride. Humility is the beginning of wisdom; if Apollos was to be wise in God’s sight, he must be humble enough to believe the truth, regardless of the worldly standing or stature of those who brought him instruction. What Apollos needed to know was also very simple. It didn’t require a scholar. Apollos hadn’t overlooked some obscure point in the Hebrew text or somehow missed some hidden truth. He simply needed to know that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised Messiah, died for our sins and raised from the dead.

God can use simple (by worldly comparison) people to accomplish His great purposes because the gospel is simple; it is the power of God unto salvation. I personally am encouraged in knowing that God can use two tradespeople to tell others the simple message of the Savior. Scholarship is a cool thing, but the example of Priscilla and Aquila shows that God has more tools at His disposal than we might recognize. It’s not always the shiny flashy tools that God uses best. And, doesn’t that comfort those of us who seek to minister for the Lord who have not been to seminary or garnered fancy degrees? Two tentmakers obeying God were well used because they obeyed.