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Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents
18:23-21:16 The Witness in Ephesus. This section reports Paul's third missionary journey (; see map), which took place primarily in Ephesus, the capital of the Roman province of Asia, a major commercial center and home of the famous temple of the goddess Artemis (see Introduction to Ephesians: The Ancient City of Ephesus).
18:23-28 Priscilla and Aquila Instruct Apollos. In Ephesus Priscilla and Aquila taught the Christian way "more accurately" to an Alexandrian disciple named Apollos.
18:23 Again sponsored by Antioch in Syria, Paul began his third missionary journey in the spring of , traveling by foot through the region of his first mission on into Galatia and Phrygia. On the second missionary journey the Spirit had prevented him from continuing west into Asia (16:6), but that did not happen this time, for Paul was headed directly toward the west, in order to reach Ephesus according to his promise in 18:21.
18:24 Alexandria was an intellectual center in Egypt with a world-renowned library. Apollos's eloquence (Gk. logios, "learned, skilled, eloquent") was undoubtedly accompanied by great learning, particularly in the OT Scriptures. He is described as being competent (or "powerful," Gk. dynatos) in his use of the OT Scriptures in public preaching and debate, no doubt accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit.
18:25 Apollos knew only the baptism of John, which suggests that he had not heard about the baptism that Jesus commanded after his resurrection (see Matt. 28:19), and which began to be administered to all believers in Christ on and after the day of Pentecost (see Acts 2:41; 8:12; etc.). Therefore Apollos's knowledge of the Christian gospel must have been deficient in some ways, though he taught accurately the things concerning Jesus as far as he knew them. He certainly knew about Jesus' life and teachings, but he may not have known about Jesus' death and resurrection, or about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
18:26 The presence of a synagogue in Ephesus (also in v. 19; 19:8) is further evidenced in an ancient inscription mentioning "the leaders of the synagogue and the elders" (on Jewish presence in Ephesus, see Introduction to Ephesians: The Ancient City of Ephesus). Presumably Priscilla and Aquila . . . explained the things about Jesus that Apollos did not yet know (see note on Acts 18:25). It is noteworthy that both of them "explained" (the verb exethento is a plural form of ektithēmi, "explain, elaborate, expound") to Apollos the way of God more accurately. They took him means they did not correct him publicly but took him aside and talked to him privately (Gk. proslambanō; cf. Matt. 16:22; Mark 8:32). As an example of the Holy Spirit's work in bringing about the growth of the church in Acts, this verse provides positive support for the idea that both men and women can explain God's Word to each other in private or informal settings (such as personal conversation or a small group Bible study) without violating the prohibition in 1 Tim. 2:12 against women teaching an assembled group of men.
18:27 Achaia refers particularly to Corinth (in the province of Achaia), where Paul had already established a church. Aquila and Priscilla were well known there, and a letter from them on Apollos's behalf would carry great weight. Later, in his first letter to Corinth, Paul acknowledged Apollos's ministry there (1 Cor. 1:12; 3:4-6, 22; 4:6). Apollos evidently returned to Ephesus after his time at Corinth, for he was with Paul when Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, which was written from Ephesus (1 Cor. 16:12) sometime during Paul's ministry there (Acts 19:1-20:1).
18:28 he powerfully refuted the Jews in public. Though Paul had been in Corinth , the church still benefited greatly from this help from a skilled scholar and speaker (Apollos) who apparently had advanced academic knowledge accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.
