Word to the Wise
Saturday, May 15, 2010 - Saturday in the Sixth Week of Easter
[Acts 18:23-28 and John 16:23b-28]A Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, an eloquent speaker, arrived in Ephesus. He was an authority on the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord and, with ardent spirit, spoke and taught accurately about Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak 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.
In the story of Apollos, there is much to learn, especially by professional preachers like myself! Apollos is Jewish and from Alexandra in Egypt! That means he was from the "diaspora" - the Jews living outside the Holy Land. He is from Alexandria, a city known for its educated population and libraries (Yes, there were "libraries" in those days!). He is an "authority" on the "Scriptures" - which would mean the Old Testament! And we are told that he was eloquent, which is, again, testimony to the city of Alexandria, famed for its schools of rhetoric (the art of persuasive speech). What is unusual about him is his knowledge of Jesus. We don't know how he learned of Jesus or how he came to believe. What we do know is that his understanding of baptism is rudimentary because he knows only the "baptism of John." Since the author of Acts is Luke, who begins his gospel by an extensive comparison of Jesus and John, we learn that John's baptism is not concerned with belief in the Holy Spirit. This is supplied for Jesus on the occasion of his baptism by John (Luke 3:21-22), who claims only to do this as a symbolic ritual of repentance (Luke 3:3, 16). But we learn from the story of Apollos that there were other preachers spreading the word about "the way of the Lord." Two of Paul's associates, whom he has personally catechized, happen to be in the audience when Apollos preaches and they realize that he is not quite as "mature" as they are in his understanding of baptism. Wisely they realize he is a believer but needs "continuing education!" So they take him aside and explain things "more accurately." In short, they inform him that the Pauline/Lucan theology is the one to preach and it is still in our own day, the one to preach but broadened by other New Testament witnesses! From all of this, as a preacher, I learn that I'm not the only preacher, and that the folks in the pew might just know more about the subject than I do! Apollos' openness to being instructed by the dynamic couple, Priscilla and Aquila, is an example to be followed by all preachers! I have more than one couple like that in my life, and I'm grateful for what I learn from them. AMEN
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