I suppose that every parent thinks that his or
her child is a genius. However, in most cases, that is probably
not correct. I do not know if the parents of Apollos thought he
was a genius or not, but, if they did, they just may have been
correct. I believe that we can learn much from the life of Apollos
and much about preachers as well.
Apollos was from Alexandria in Egypt according
to Acts 18:24. I do not know about the education that Apollos
received, but I know that, being from Alexandria, he had the potential
to have had a well-rounded education. Alexandria was a cultural
center of North Africa.
As a preacher, Apollos was an eloquent man (Acts
18:24). He was gifted in speaking power and was apparently a very
learned man. We are told that he was "mighty in the scriptures."
It is obvious that one cannot be mighty in the scriptures without
some knowledge of the scriptures. He was "fervent in the
spirit" (Acts 18:25). In other words, he was zealous. However,
along with knowledge of the scriptures, one must also be able
to effectively use that knowledge. We are told that he had been
"instructed in the way of the Lord" and that he "spake
and taught diligently" (or accurately) concerning Jesus.
This is, of course, a necessity when it comes to preaching the
truth of the gospel. We are also told that he was bold in his
speaking. Bold does not mean that he was crude, rude, uncaring,
or unloving; it just means that he spoke the truth with great
courage. (2 Timothy 1:7).
We also learn that he was limited in his knowledge.
He knew only the baptism of John. When this was brought to his
attention, we find that he was willing to be taught. It does not
seem that he thought himself better than others, on a higher plane
than others, or more "spiritual" than others. It is
a weakness of some preachers - as well as others - that they cannot
receive correction from others. This is especially the case if
they feel that the person is in some way of less stature than
they. We are never too young or too old to receive instruction
from others. A preacher or teacher who is always learning will
always be willing to listen to what those around him have to say.
We should be glad to sit at the feet of a "Priscilla and
Aquila" and learn more perfectly the will of God.
We should also be grateful for people like Priscilla
and Aquila who had the skill and tact to take Apollos to the side
and impart to him more perfectly the truth of God's word. Apollos
became a great man of God and was very helpful, it seems, to the
Corinthian church in the future. He became a church builder, it
seems, and powerfully stood against the Jews (Acts 18:28). He
became an apologist and defender of the truth and showed by the
Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
May God raise up many more like Apollos (and Priscilla
and Aquila) who can help in the work of the Lord today! -1021
Mount Pleasant Rd., Chesapeake, VA 23322-3910.