Acts 18:23

Down to Antioch and into Syria, Phrygia and Galatia, where I trow he had established churches, i. e., little holiness bands in private houses, while at home, in Tarsus, A. D. 35-38, “establishing all the disciples.” Here, we see Paul take a great tour over sea and land, through many countries, and never mentions a single conversion. What is he doing? “Establishing the disciples.” Is not sanctification the establishing grace? God help us to walk in the footprints of Paul, going round and round among the churches and getting them sanctified and established. John Wesley said only one in three in his day stood, for the want of establishing grace. He also said: “It is more to retain the grace of God than to receive it.” Oh, how we all need stirring up along this line!

MINISTRY AND SANCTIFICATION OF APOLLOS

Alexandria, Egypt, under the patronage of that celebrated literary and enterprising monarch, Ptolemy Philadelphus, became the greatest literary emporium on the globe during the centuries preceding Grecian pre- eminence, at the same time under the generous philanthropy of this monarch having become the rendezvous of a vast number of Jews, for whose especial benefit, calling a convention of the seventy most learned Jews of the age, he had them translate the Old Testament out of Hebrew into Greek, thus giving a grand impetus both to Greek literature and the Jewish religion in his kingdom. Amid these auspicious environments the gifted Apollo was brought up at Alexandria, Egypt, excelling in learning and preeminent in native eloquence, becoming not only the sensation but the wonder of the age. In the days of John the Baptist, having come from Africa to Palestine, he enjoyed the ministry of that wonderful prophet, becoming one of his brightest converts; responsive to the call of God, became a powerful preacher of the gospel under the Johanic dispensation. Gloriously regenerated and baptized under the preaching of fiery John, the greatest of all the prophets.