Articles
Knowing Only
Luke, the inspired historian of the beginning of Christianity, tells us about a man named Apollos (Acts 18:24-28). Apollos was a Jew from Alexandria, Egypt who had many commendable traits. However, in spite of all of his praiseworthy points, Apollos was not saved from his sins. He was not a Christian. What qualities did he possess? Why weren’t these enough? What did he lack? What did he do to make correction? Are you in Apollos’ situation? Are you willing to do what he did to correct it? These are the questions which this issue will address.
Apollos was “mighty in the Scriptures”. Through diligent study he had gained a tremendous knowledge of the Word of God available to him- the Old Testament. He also had knowledge of the baptism of John the Baptist. He knew of John’s great work of preaching repentance and baptizing the Jews to prepare them for the Christ. But “knowing only” this (18:25), he did not have the necessary information in order to save himself and those he instructed.
Are you “mighty in the Scriptures?” Have you done the study necessary to possess a great knowledge of the will of God? If not, I pray that you will put in the time necessary to help yourself and others find wisdom and salvation. Perhaps you have done much study and are “mighty” in what you have learned, but, as Apollos, you have a “knowing only” problem. There may be important truths that you haven’t yet discovered. So, like Apollos, you may be yet in your sins. You may not be a Christian…
Zeal Without Knowledge
Apollos’s preaching in Ephesus (in Asia Minor) was a continuation of what John the Baptist had done in Palestine. He was preparing the Jews for the Christ. He was preaching the message of John where it had not been heard. Like John, Apollos was a man who was very outspoken and courageous.
Luke explained what fueled Apollos’ preaching. He was “fervent in spirit.” (Acts 18:25) As water in a tea kettle boils to the point at which it must let off steam, so the word of God worked within Apollos, until he could not contain it, but had to let it be known to others. His zeal compelled him to speak and to teach “accurately the things concerning Jesus” and he did so “boldly in the synagogue” (18:25, 26).
To speak “boldly” is to speak with great freedom- to say what needs to be said! A bold speaker does not hesitate or hold back because he is afraid of how his message may be received. Apollos was not as many today who believe that religion and politics are “taboo” for discussion and so talk only about the weather.
But, there was a problem. Apollos’ teaching was behind the times. We cannot understand how this happened since we can learn almost immediately about anything that happens around the world through television, radio, or the internet. Through some means of communication, Apollos had come to understand the pre-Messianic events in Palestine, but not the whole story. His knowledge ended with the preaching and baptism of the messenger who was to introduce the Messiah (“Christ” or “King”). Apparently, Apollos had not heard the complete account of Jesus’ ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven to be crowned the King. He would therefore not have known the conditions Jesus instructed men to meet to be saved by His blood and to enter His kingdom.
Since Apollos’ knowledge was incomplete, naturally his teaching was also. Though his knowledge surpassed many of the Jews, he was in the same position as his countryman who had not become Christians- having “zeal for God, but not according to knowledge”, and so still needed to be saved (Rom 10:1-2).
Today there are many who are “fervent in spirit” when it comes to serving God. This is evident by the time that they spend in telling others what they believe about His Word and by how unashamed they are to tell it. But, though much of their information is true, sometimes it is incomplete and even inaccurate. Their sincere efforts leave both themselves and their students drowning in the sea of sin, short of the shore of salvation. What about you? Is your zeal properly directed by knowledge?
More Accurately
Among those in the audience in the synagogue when Apollos was preaching were two disciples of Jesus, Aquila and his wife Priscilla. When Apollos finished speaking they took him aside privately and “explained to him the word of God more accurately” (Acts 18:26). Apollos taught accurately the things he explained about Jesus (18:25), but he needed to know the story of Jesus more accurately. What Apollos taught was true, but he needed to learn the whole truth.
Priscilla and Aquila told Apollos what transpired after the baptism of John. Peter gives us a good summary of the things which took place “after the baptism which John proclaimed”- “You know Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him… They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God” (Acts 10:37-41).
We can imply that once Apollos was taught these things he became a disciple of Jesus from the events which followed Priscilla and Aquila’s teaching session. First of all, when he wanted to leave Ephesus to go to Achaia, the disciples at Ephesus wrote to the disciples in Achaia and asked them to welcome him (18:27). Secondly, we can imply that Apollos was converted to Jesus from his activity once he reached Achaia. When Apollos came to Achaia, he was a great help to the cause of Christ. He “powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ” (18:28).
Apollos was a humble man. Though he was “mighty in the Scriptures” and “fervent in spirit”, he did not have a know-it-all attitude when Priscilla and Aquila approached him. He was able to swallow his pride and admit that his knowledge was insufficient. He listened to reason and saw that Jesus was the fulfillment of O.T. prophecies that he knew so well. He realized that he needed to find salvation in Jesus and became His disciple.
It could be that right now you are in Apollos’ shoes before he was saved- knowledgeable of the Scriptures, zealous, but not saved, not a Christian. Read the last page to see something you may have overlooked. Let this bulletin serve as Priscilla and Aquila to you, and in the privacy of your home, show you the way of God more accurately. Be as Apollos and humbly take some correction and then apply your zeal to what is right…
Know All Conditions?
Apollos lived at a time that knowledge of the means of salvation was incomplete. Today the means of salvation, Jesus’ Cross, has been well publicized and is understood. It is the conditions of receiving salvation that many who are otherwise “mighty in the Scriptures” seem to be ignorant of. Most within “Christianity” acknowledge and teach man must believe in Jesus, confess who He is, and repent of his sins in order to be forgiven. All of this is accurate (Rom 10:9-10; Acts 3:19). Many have done these things and zealously teach them to others. But to know, meet, and teach these conditions only is not enough.
Baptism, that is, immersion in water, is the condition Christ laid down for forgiveness that so many do not know, have not met and do not teach (See Mk 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet 3:21). We can infer from the account of 12 men that were in the same situation as Apollos, that he, like those 12, was baptized (Acts 19:1-5). In Acts, baptism is always presented as the last act of a lost person, not the first act of a saved person. In your study and teaching, have you overlooked this condition? If so, despite your knowledge and zeal, you have not been saved from your sins. You are not yet a Christian. Won’t you humbly submit to baptism yourself and then teach it to others that you, as well as they, might fully meet God’s conditions of forgiveness?
Look, Listen, and Learn
www.woodlandhillschurchofchrist.org
tinyurl/whillsyoutube (Livestream, recordings, short videos)
Hear Wilson Adams Speak On
STRONGER FAMILIES
Sept 12-14 @ 7 PM in person or YouTube
Teleconference of Sunday worship
& Wednesday AM Bible study
Dial-in number is 1-917-900-1022; Conference ID is 748-7068#
