Atos 18:24-28

DISCOURSE: 1793
CHARACTER AND MINISTRY OF APOLLOS

Atos 18:24. And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. 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. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace: for he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ.

IT is a weighty saying of our Lord, “To him that hath, shall be given; and from him that hath not, shall be taken away that which he seemeth to have.” Universal experience attests the truth of this: the man who has talents of any kind will improve them by use, and lose them in a great measure by neglect. In religion especially this law of our nature obtains: indeed it obtains in religion more than in any thing else; because, in addition to the gain or loss which the cultivation or neglect of any thing will of necessity occasion, God himself will interpose in the things which relate to him, either to reward the observance of them by a further communication of his blessings, or to punish the neglect of them by a withdrawment of his grace. Of the former of these, namely, the increase of well-employed talents, we have an instance in the history before us. Apollos, when he began to serve the Lord, had but a very contracted view of the things which he proposed to teach: but God so ordered it, that his exertions in the cause of religion should introduce him to the acquaintance with Aquila and Priscilla, and be the means of bringing him to the full knowledge, and complete enjoyment, of the Gospel of Christ.
In the account here given of him, we notice,

I. His qualifications for the ministry—

These were certainly of the highest order: he possessed many qualities admirably suited to the work in which he was engaged. They were of two kinds;

1. Intellectual—

[He had a natural gift of eloquence; I say, a natural gift; because it was a faculty distinct from that which may be acquired by study. Some men have in the very constitution of their minds a facility of conceiving clearly, and expressing readily, whatever they wish to impart. Some, however learned they may be, can never acquire that which we call eloquence; they have some embarrassments which they cannot surmount, or some deficiencies which they cannot supply. Others, with very little learning, can talk fluently and perspicuously upon any subject on which they have bestowed the smallest attention. This is a valuable talent, especially to any one who is called to instruct or persuade others — — — and happy was Apollos in the pre-eminent measure of it which he possessed.

But, besides this, he was well versed in the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures. “He was mighty in the Scriptures,” being able to bring them to bear upon any point which he wished to discuss, and to shew from them what was agreeable to the mind and will of God. “The word dwelt richly in him in all wisdom” — — — This also is of the utmost importance to one who undertakes to teach others, since the sacred volume is the armoury from whence he must take all the weapons for his warfare, and the treasury from whence alone he can procure the riches which he undertakes to dispense.]

2. Moral—

[He was “fervent in spirit;” glowing with zeal for the honour of his God, and ardently longing for the salvation of his fellow-creatures — — — This in a minister is indispensable: the difficulties which he will have to encounter are very great, and fervour of spirit is necessary to carry him through them; nor can he hope to be extensively useful to others, unless he lay himself out in the service of God to the utmost of his power.

To this was added that most amiable of all graces, humility of mind. Notwithstanding his natural talents and eminent acquirements, he was willing to be instructed by any one who could advance him in the knowledge of the Lord. Aquila was only a mechanic, and not invested with the sacred office of a teacher: yet when he and his wife Priscilla invited Apollos to their house in order to “expound to him the way of God more perfectly,” Apollos thankfully accepted their invitation, and diligently availed himself of their instructions. This is an excellence rarely found in persons who are high in popular estimation: the admiration with which they are honoured, too often puffs them up with vain conceit, and indisposes them to learn from those, whom they regard as their inferiors in station or attainments: but the more rarely such docility is found, the more highly should it be appreciated, and the more carefully should it be maintained.]

Thus endowed, he greatly distinguished himself by,

II.

His ministerial exertions—

He improved for God whatever talents he possessed—
[When he was only partially “instructed in the way of the Lord,” and knew nothing more than what he had learned from John the Baptist, he instructed others to the utmost of his power with great boldness, and diligence. The doctrines which John the Baptist had preached were in direct opposition to the habits of the world, and were sure to call forth the enmity of those who would not part with their sins: but Apollos feared not the face of man; but both “spake” in private, and “taught” in public, and that too with unremitting activity, the things which he considered as of such vital importance to the welfare of mankind. When he himself was more fully instructed, he desired to extend the sphere of his labours, and to proceed to Corinth, to supply, as he was able, the place of Paul. Then especially did he make Christ the one great theme of all his discourses. “The things of the Lord,” as far as he understood them, he had before declared: he had warned men of the Messiah’s advent, and had called them to repent, in order to get their hearts duly prepared for a suitable reception of him: but now he saw, not only that the Messiah was come, but that Jesus of Nazareth was he, and had done and suffered all those things which had been predicted of him. Thus, in the scope of his ministrations, he determined, with the Apostle Paul, to “know nothing but Jesus Christ, and him crucified:” and, though we have not the same occasion to prove the Messiahship of Christ, since that is universally acknowledged amongst us, yet are we called to magnify the importance of that truth, and to commend it to men’s attention, as the source of all their happiness.]

In his labours he was useful to many souls—
[He “mightily convinced the Jews,” so as to stop the mouths of some of the more obdurate, and to bring the more candid of them to the acknowledgment of the truth. Nor were his labours of little service to the Church of God: on the contrary “he helped them much, who had believed through grace.” It was through the operation of divine grace alone that any had believed: “whether Paul planted, or Apollos watered, it was God alone that gave the increase:” but still, it was no slight benefit to the garden of the Lord to be watered by such a hand as his: and no doubt he contributed greatly both to the growth and fruitfulness of those trees of righteousness which God’s right hand had planted.]

Address—
1.

To those who labour in the ministry, or are preparing for it—

[Let Apollos serve as a guide for you. If you possess good natural talents, account it your honour to consecrate them to the service of your God. And, in the employment of them, do not inquire where you may gain most credit to yourselves, or most consult your present ease and interests, but inquire rather where you may do most good; and be ready to exercise your ministry wherever the providence of God may call you. Moreover, if called to labour where a more honoured servant of the Lord has gone before you, do not draw back through a pretended sense of your own insufficiency; but be willing to have your talents and services undervalued, and to be nothing yourselves, that God may be all in all.]

2. To those who have received good by the ministry—

[To God you must ascribe the praise for all that you have received; since to whomsoever you are indebted as an instrument, the benefit proceeds from God alone, who “gives to every man” according to his own sovereign will and pleasure. It is possible that you who have long known the Lord, may be called to attend the ministry of one who may be comparatively a novice in the ways of God; and you may be tempted on that account to despise him in your hearts, and to lower him in the estimation of those around you. This, alas! is the conduct of many; but it is a most sinful conduct, and utterly unworthy of their Christian profession. Instead of indulging such a proud contemptuous spirit, you should rejoice in every appearance of good, and endeavour to impart to him a fuller knowledge of the truth. This would render good service both to God and man: and it is a service which all may render, if only with meekness and modesty they watch for an opportunity, and look up to God for his blessing on their endeavours. And who can tell how “much you yourselves may be helped” afterwards by him, to whom you have been helpful in the first instance? It is worthy of observation, that Aquila did not commence preacher at Corinth, notwithstanding his clear knowledge of the Gospel, and notwithstanding Paul had just left the place: he did not think himself authorized to take on him an office to which he was not called: but he laboured in private conversation, and was made eminently useful in that way: and we cannot but recommend to every one amongst you, whether male or female, to imitate this pious couple in a modest unassuming carriage, and in an affectionate concern for the best interests of mankind.]