Partners in the Gospel

MEMORY VERSE: “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.” —I Corinthians 3:6,7

ACTS 18:18-28

IN REALITY Paul had many partners in the Gospel. There were Timothy, Titus, Silas, Luke, Barnabas, and Lydia, to name a few of them. Today’s lesson calls our attention to Aquila and his wife, Priscilla, and also to Apollos. Aquila by trade was a tentmaker, like Paul. They would thus have this in common, as well as the Gospel of Christ, which was the strong spiritual tie that bound them together as workers in the divine cause.

During Paul’s ministry of a year and a half in Ephesus he seemingly lived with Aquila and Priscilla. After this Paul visited various other places and confirmed the brethren, returning to Ephesus. Upon his return he found Apollos there, “an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures” This man “was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.”—Acts 18:24,25

Here was a man who was earnestly desirous of serving the Lord, and who, realizing that he had a talent for presenting a message, was doing this zealously and effectively up to a point. His weakness at the moment was that he was not too well grounded in the doctrines of the Gospel. In his letter to Timothy, Paul states that one of the qualifications for a minister in the church is aptness to teach. To Titus he wrote that a teacher should “be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.”—I Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:9

Apollos was “apt to teach” so far as the ability to impart information was concerned, but he was not skilful in imparting a full knowledge of the Gospel of Christ until he himself became better equipped with a knowledge of that Gospel. The account states that he was preaching the “baptism of John.” The baptism of John was one of repentance, and it symbolized a desire to return to God within the framework of the Law given to Israel at the hand of Moses. It was a preparation for receiving the Messiah.

When Jesus went to John and asked to be baptized, John hesitated. He knew that Jesus had not sinned against the Law, and he saw no point in immersing him. Instead, he said to Jesus, “I have need to be baptized of thee.” (Matt. 3:14) Jesus insisted, and John baptized him without understanding the reason. But it was John’s baptism that Apollos was teaching.

The result of the incomplete and partially erroneous nature of Apollos’ message comes to light in Acts 19:1-6. Apollos went to Corinth, and while he was there, Paul came into closer contact with those in Ephesus who had been reached through the ministry of Apollos. Paul asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit, and they replied that they had not so much as heard of the Holy Spirit. This revealed a further lack of information on the part of Apollos. Paul then presented to this group the truth concerning baptism, and as he laid his hands on them, they received the Holy Spirit.

A stream cannot rise above its source. Just so, pupils cannot learn more from a teacher than the teacher himself knows. So it behooves all who would be teachers of the Gospel of Christ to make sure that they understand the message they attempt to present to others. Otherwise, those who hear will fail to understand the truth in its clarity.

Aquila and Priscilla were evidently better versed in the doctrines of Christ, for when they had heard Apollos present his message they had recognized a lack of understanding on his part. So they took him with them—probably to their home—“and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.” He was evidently a humble brother in Christ, ready to learn from anyone who was able to teach him.

When he left Ephesus “the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace.” We read further that Apollos “mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ.” We can assume that by now he understood about Christ’s baptism and other points of truth which he had learned from Aquila and Pricilla.

Our memory verse indicates that Paul appreciated the services of Apollos, and recognized him as a true servant of the Lord. In Corinth Paul had planted the seeds of truth, and Apollos had gone there, and his ministry was in the nature of watering that seed. But, as Paul reminds us, the planting and the watering would mean nothing unless God gives the increase. Thus God is the important one in all our ministering.

QUESTIONS

Who were Aquila and Priscilla?

How did they help Apollos?

Why should teachers in the church be sound in the faith?

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