PT-1 "Apollos in Transition" (Acts 18:24-28)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6/4/2018 8:28 AM

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  PT-1 Apollos in Transition

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Acts 18:24-28

            Message of the verses:  “24 Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; 26 and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27 And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.”

            One of the things that I have wondered about as I have read over this passage is what the word “eloquent” meant and John MacArthur quotes A. T. Roberson who wrote a book entitled “Word Pictures in the New Testament,” an older book written in 1930.  He states that this is the only time that this Greek word “Logios” is used in the New Testament.  “The Word ‘can mean either a man of words…or a man of ideas.’”  Not sure exactly which one Luke was talking about, but perhaps Apollos may have been both a learned and eloquent man.

            We see that Apollos was an Alexandrian by birth, which means that he came from Egypt near the mouth of the Nile, as there at that time was a large Jewish population there and so that is where he learned the Scriptures. Luke says that “he was mighty in the Scriptures.”  MacArthur writes Dunatos (mighty) is related to dunamis, from which the English word ‘dynamite’ derives.  Graphais (Scriptures), as always in the New Testament, identifies the Old Testament.  His learning and eloquence, coupled with his powerful treatment of the Old Testament, made Apollos a devastating debater (cf. v. 28).”  The church today is truly in need of a man like Apollos. 

            Let us look at verse 25 and the words “had been instructed in the way of the Lord.”  This does not mean that Apollos was a Christian at that time as we will learn that he had only known the teaching of John the Baptist.  This phrase, “the way of the Lord” means that it is an Old Testament term for instructions in the things of God.  Let us look at what God said to Abraham in Genesis 18:10 “19  "For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him."”

            We will conclude this SD by looking at some other OT verses that go along with this topic, “the way of the Lord.”  “21 I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, 22 in order to test Israel by them, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk in it as their fathers did, or not’ (Judges 2:21-22).”  “8 Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He instructs sinners in the way. 9 He leads the humble in justice, And He teaches the humble His way (Psalm 25:8-9).”  MacArthur concludes “The way of the Lord, then, was the path of spiritual and moral standards God expected His people to follow (cf. 1 Sam 12:23; 2 Kings 21:22; Prov. 10:29; Jer. 5:4-5).”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  In order to walk in “the way of the Lord” I must continue to strive to have the “mind of Christ.”  Paul addresses this in some of his letters, especially to what he wrote to the Philippians in chapter two as he writes about the humility of Jesus Christ who submitted to the Father while on planet earth.

My Steps of Faith for Today:   Continue to study about having the mind of Christ.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “In the presence of mine enemies.”

Today’s Bible question:  “Which of Laban’s daughters was beautiful and well favored?”

Answer in our next SD.

6/4/2018 9:11 AM