March 28, 2016 by Dennis Gulledge
Apollos has a
special application to the preacher of the gospel in many ways. He was a
preacher, teacher, debater and evangelist. There is much to be gleaned from the
life of one who holds so prominent a place in the inspired record. The
celebrated status of Apollos in the church at Corinth endears him as an object
of interest in the book of Acts. He was a Jew “born at Alexandria” Egypt (Acts
18:24). Luke’s recording the birthplace of Apollos was intentional. The
education and eloquence of one from this city would have been well understood.
It used to be that many preachers were self-taught. Other preachers are well
educated, but no better for it. Alexandria boasted the world’s greatest
library. It was a place where schools of literature, philosophy and religion
stirred the air of intellectual activity. Apollos makes for an interesting case
study as a preacher. From him we learn how an education might be used to good
advantage, and how to approach a brother who is lacking in any area of his
preaching content.
Apollos had acquired
a familiarity with Greek learning that distinguished the more scholarly
Alexandrian Jews of his day. He enjoyed, not only the advantage of access to
the great resources at Alexandria, but also the fact that he was a gifted and
powerful public speaker. His presence was felt in the church at Corinth to the
extent that a group followed him and extolled his influence among others (1
Cor. 1:12).
The Alexandrian
preacher went to Ephesus at about A.D. 54 while Paul was on his third
evangelistic tour. Luke informs us that Apollos was “an eloquent man and mighty
in the Scriptures” and that he “had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and
being fervent in spirit…spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord,
though he knew only the baptism of John” (Acts 18:25).
The word “eloquent”
means one that is learned, or skilled in literature and the arts. Eloquence
often has its own gift of style that enhances its effectiveness. The fact of
his eloquence suggests a natural endowment that was tempered by his educational
surroundings. As an added benefit Luke tells us that Apollos was “mighty in the
Scriptures,” suggesting that he had received a good education in the word of
God. Not only was he familiar with the Old Testament text, but he could
skillfully handle it in public argument and exposition. This we know “for he
vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is
the Christ” (Vs. 28). This kind of foundation in the Old Testament would help
him move toward faith in Jesus Christ as the crucified and resurrected Lord
(Gal. 3:25). Such advantages enabled Apollos to became an effective preacher of
the ancient gospel and a faithful co-worker with the apostle Paul (1 Cor. 1:12;
3:5-6; 4:6; Tit. 3:13). We note also that Apollos was “fervent in the spirit”
(Vs. 25). This suggests that he was “on fire” for the Lord’s cause. Therefore,
along with knowledge Apollos had zeal stirring up in him the courage of his
convictions.
by Dennis
Gulledge
No comments:
Post a Comment