Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Acts 18:25

Acts 18:25. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord. The phrase ‘way of the Lord' is used again in relation to the work of the Baptist (Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:3). ‘The Lord' here signifies ‘Christ;' the expression thus signifies ‘the doctrine of Christ.' Apollos, as John had been, was a firm believer in the Messiahship of Jesus. But Apollos and the school of John had much to learn; they had no conception that Jesus was the Messiah of the world; they only regarded Him as ‘He who should redeem Israel.' The grand thought, that the dwellers in the countless isles of the Gentiles, too, were now fellow-heirs of the kingdom, was a thought which never occurred to one trained like Apollos. But a short intercourse with souls like Priscilla and Aquila, on whom a portion of Paul's broad generous spirit had fallen, threw a flood of light into the heart of Apollos, and the truth as preached by Paul flashed on him in all its length and breadth.

And being fervent in the spirit. Zealous, earnest in his disposition. It is better to understand ‘spirit' here as used for the spirit of the man, not for the Holy Spirit of God. So Romans 12:11, ‘fervent in spirit,' certainly must be understood.

He spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord. Or, as in the more ancient authorities, ‘the things concerning Jesus;' that is, all he knew of the life of Jesus Christ. This no doubt included a great deal more than the mere facts of that life which happened during the career of the Baptist. It is certain that the main features of the crucifixion and the resurrection were well known to one instructed in the ‘way of the Lord;' but though he knew the main facts of the gospel story, he was in ignorance of the special teaching which belonged to the later scenes of the Lord's life.

Knowing only the baptism of John. We cannot attempt to describe with any precision the amount of knowledge which this ‘knowing only the baptism of John' included. As we have said above, such an one instructed as was Apollos, while knowing well the story of the great events of the life of the Holy One and Just, would certainly be ignorant of much if not all of the sacramental teaching of the Lord Jesus.

He had probably never heard, or even if he had heard, only dimly comprehended the signification of the outpouring of the Spirit on the first Pentecost morning after the resurrection. Indeed, these disciples of John the Baptist (see Acts 19:2-3) appear to have been in total ignorance respecting the person and office of the Holy Spirit.

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Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Acts 18:25

Old Testament

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