The apostle Paul left Corinth, sailed for Syria, making a stopover at Cenchrea, and then on to Ephesus, leaving Priscilla and Aquila there. From there, he went to Caesarea, greeted the church there, and then to Antioch. Next, he went through the regions of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening the disciples (Acts 18:18-23).

At Ephesus, a Jew named Apollos, who had been baptized by John the Baptizer, preached what he had learned from John about Christ. He was eloquent and mighty in the scriptures and spoke boldly in the Jewish synagogue. Luke, the writer of Acts, tells us that he taught accurately the things of the lord, “but he knew only the baptism of John.”

After Aquilla and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside privately “and explained to him the way of God more accurately.” That included the facts that Jesus had died, His church had been established, the gospel of salvation had been preached, and believers told that they were to repent and be immersed in the name of Christ for the forgiveness of their sins (verses 25, 26, and Acts 2:38).

Few of the eloquent and mighty of today will receive “the way of God more accurately,” but Apollos did. He did not open up his heart to the deceiving strategies of Satan, thinking, who are these two to think they know better than I. No doubt, the Christians there confirmed their words and, when he left Ephesus, they gave him a letter of recommendation to take with him. He greatly helped the brethren at Achaia, “vigorously” refuting the Jews publicly and showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ (verses 27, 28).

Questions To Aid Our Understanding and Spiritual Growth”

1. Can a preacher who is eloquent and mighty in the Scriptures still need to be taught the “way of God more accurately?”
2. Did Apollos know that Christ had died and believers were to be baptized in His name?
3. If one is taught wrong about baptism should he be baptized as the Scriptures teach in Acts 2:38?