3rd Missionary Trip - Lorin

What I find most encouraging here is the humility of
Apollos that enabled him to learn from Priscilla and Aquila.
Many preachers I have known over the years have not felt
that the laity in the church could teach them anything. And
especially if it had a doctrinal focus. But Apollos exhibits
here a teachableness that is impressive.
Quickly through the help of Priscilla and Aquila
he became a part of the growing Christian community
in the city: βουλομένου δὲ αὐτοῦ διελθεῖν εἰς τὴν
Ἀχαΐαν, προτρεψάμενοι οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ἔγραψαν τοῖς μαθηταῖς
ἀποδέξασθαι αὐτόν, And when he wished to cross over to
Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples
to welcome him. At some point later -- how much later Luke doesn’t say -- Apollos felt the Lord’s leadership to
travel across the Aegean Sea to the Grecian province of Achaia where Corinth was located (cf. 19:1). 19 The
Christian community in Ephesus felt so positively about Apollos that a letter of recommendation was written in
his behalf to the brethren in Achaia. 20 The Greek expression προτρεψάμενοι οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ἔγραψαν, in encouraging
(him) the brothers wrote... underscores the church’s desire to help Apollos in his ministry.
When Apollos arrived in Corinth (cf. 19:1), God used him significantly in preaching the Gospel: ὃς
παραγενόμενος συνεβάλετο πολὺ τοῖς πεπιστευκόσιν διὰ τῆς χάριτος, who on his arrival greatly helped those who
through grace had become believers (v. 27b). These believers included a former synagogue leader, Crispus, and
others from the Jewish synagogue (cf. Acts 18:8). The basis for Apollos being an great help to the Corinthians
believers is given in v. 28: εὐτόνως γὰρ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις διακατηλέγχετο δημοσίᾳ ἐπιδεικνὺς διὰ τῶν γραφῶν εἶναι
τὸν χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the scriptures that the Messiah is Jesus. That
is, Apollos’ deep knowledge of the Old Testament and his understanding of how they related to Christ provided
him the foundation for powerfully arguing that Jesus is indeed the promised Messiah of the OT. His presentation
was done δημοσίᾳ, publicly. Standing as the antonym of κατʼ οἰκόν, privately, (cfr. 20:20), suggests that these
debates took place either in the market place or perhaps at Crispus’ home that was next door to the synagogue.
The focal points of his discussion with the Jews at Corinth was ἐπιδεικνὺς διὰ τῶν γραφῶν εἶναι τὸν χριστὸν
Ἰησοῦν, showing through scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah. His presentations of this central truth, Luke says, was
εὐτόνως, vigorously. Apollos became an effective proponent of the Christian Gospel to the Jewish objections. This
in turn benefitted the church substantially.
How long Apollos remained in Corinth is unknown. But we do know that by the time Paul arrived in Ephesus,
Apollos was already in Corinth. Toward the end of Paul’s almost three year stay in Ephesus, Apollos was
back in Ephesus being urged by Paul to return to Corinth to help the church (cf. 1 Cor. 16:12). His initial visit to
Corinth was long enough to have a real impact on the church as the numerous mentioning of him by Paul in First
Corinthians clearly suggests: 1:12; 3:4-6, 22; 4:6.
7.1.2.2 Ministry in Ephesus, Acts 19:1-20:1
Luke takes a substantial amount of space to describe Paul’s ministry in the city. His ministry there had
great impact and covered the full spectrum of situations to be treated (as the several scenes below illustrate).
The enormous wealth and prominence of the city to the province of Asia as well as to the northeastern Mediterranean
regions of the Roman empire gave the Christian community there great opportunity for impact. Luke will
take pains to insert time references here: ἐπὶ μῆνας τρεῖς, for three months (19:8); ἐπὶ ἔτη δύο, for two years (19:10);
ἐπέσχεν χρόνον, stayed some time (19:22). He made acquaintance with several prominent governmental leaders
in the city who helped administer the affairs of the Roman province of Asia (19:31). The apostle will have a
long and successful ministry in the city and witness the expansion of the Gospel extensively into the province of
Asia (19:10, 20). It was during this period that Epaphras from the Lycus Valley did the planting of the churches
19 38 “MSS P and D begin the verse thus: ‘Now there were some Corinthians sojourning at Ephesus who listened to him, and they
urged him to go with them to their homeland. Since he agreed with them, the Ephesians wrote to disciples in Corinth that they might
welcome the man. He traveled to Achaia and contributed much to the churches.’ See 1 Cor 1:12; 3:4–6, 22; 4:6, where Apollos’s activity
in Corinth is alluded to; in 1 Cor 16:12, Paul says that he has been urging Apollos to return to Corinth.” [Joseph A. Fitzmyer, vol. 31, The
Acts of the Apostles: A New Translation With Introduction and Commentary, Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University
Press, 2008), 639.]
20For a letter of recommendation cf. Rom. 16:1-23; 2 Cor. 3:1-3.
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