Acts 18:1-28

 Acts 18:18-28

There is here an easily overlooked moment that expresses a truly beautiful encounter. At the synagogue in Ephesus, the remarkable Apollos had come to teach. He was Jewish but named after the god Apollo and was from the premier intellectual city south of the Mediterranean. Perhaps a convert to Judaism, or perhaps his parents converted after he was born. He was raised Jewish. He was himself a scholar; the word “eloquent” is indicative of a well-educated man, and he was a lawyer. After his teaching he is taken aside by the couple Priscilla and Aquila and taught a more complete understanding of the gospel. There is here a powerful picture of personal grace.

Priscilla and Aquila take him aside, likely to their home, perhaps to a meal, or as their houseguest, to teach him. There’s no public embarrassment or one-upmanship of knowledge, but a tender attention and protection of his reputation and standing. They are practicing the valuable principle of praise in public and correction in private. There is not a battle of credentials, or name-dropping, or ego. They were more interested in the message than in themselves.

We also need notice the humble spirit of Apollos. He was clearly from the upper classes, a white-collar intellectual from one of the prestigious communities of the world. Likely he was wealthy since it appears that he is self-financed on this trip. But he is willing to listen and be taught by this couple. Interestingly, Priscilla is named first, indicating she was likely the primary teacher or intellectual of the couple. Aquila was from Pontus, a region noted for a sort of perpetual dark age. They were recently expelled from Rome by the emperor’s decree; they were, in effect, recent refugees. They were very much blue-collar laborers who made tents for a living. You would have a hard press (apart from a slave couple) to find a more, by the world standards, humble couple. But because of the combination of their gracious way and Apollos’ humble willingness, this excellent ministry is greatly blessed, and the gospel is advanced. How unlike the pompous ‘know-it-alls’ that infect so much of the church today.

"Grant me the force, oh Lord, to be gracious both as a teacher and student. AMEN"

Acts 18:1-17

 Acts 18:1-17

We have a picture in our minds of Paul the great missionary crisscrossing Palestine, Asia Minor, and southern Europe with his hair on fire for the gospel, ministering without hesitation or encumbrances. Often that picture keeps us on the sideline of ministry. We feel like we lack the bold swagger of Paul and can’t get in the game. The problem is that the picture is false.

After arriving in Corinth, Sin City of the first century, Paul begins one of his most prolific and largest churches, which was also the most troubled and dysfunctional. As the church grew, opposition began to develop. This is always the case! Peaceful churches and ministries are almost always stagnant and without evangelistic disciple-making effect. We see something important and easy to overlook in verse 9. In the midst of this growing ministry, the Lord appears to Paul and says, “…do not be afraid any longer.”. (NASB) Literally translated Jesus says in a bit of a rebuke to Paul, “Stop being afraid “. The grammar is clear: Paul was afraid already, so much so that it was shaping his ministry. The contrast and grammar of the next phrase indicates that Paul had begun to curtail his preaching because he was afraid of what might happen. Paul had good reason to be afraid. Looking back over the last several chapters, we see Paul beaten, stoned, abused, and nearly killed. There was a recognizable pattern that had so far ended badly physically for Paul, and he was afraid history would repeat itself.

Faced with fear, what can we do? We can try to say that we are always going to be protected. But that is not what the Lord said to Paul. Ultimately Paul was killed for his faith. There was in Corinth a season of protection, but that was not a lifelong promise of continued peaceful ministry. Instead we should take the advice of one Christian who said, “I desire to have a faith that causes a fear of God so rich that I will never fear any man or circumstance.” We will have fluctuations of fear and faith, but we are to grow in the one that can cause fear of God and not a fear of man so that our moments of earthly fear become more and more rare.