Daily Thought

The case of Apollos and the ‘certain disciples’ in Ephesus brings before us believers who were acting in accordance with the light that they had received, but whose appreciation of divine truth was defective. It may be asked how they had missed Christ? How had Apollos come under the influence of John’s preaching, yet had missed the One of whom he spoke? How had these disciples, when there was an assembly in Ephesus, cp. 18. 27, failed to hear about the Lord Jesus? We cannot answer such questions. All we know is that God in His grace did not leave them in their ignorance but in His time brought them into contact with those who could enlighten them. It is interesting to see that this is not at the same time, nor does God use the same servants: in His wisdom with Apollos, who would be a great preacher, He uses Aquila and Priscilla, whilst with the other disciples He uses the apostle Paul. We might have been tempted to do it the other way round.

Apollos is testimony to the accuracy and detail of the Old Testament scriptures and to the faithful witness of John for, being ignorant of the Lord Jesus, yet he spoke accurately the things of the Lord’, v. 25 NKJV, cp. Luke 24. 27, 45, 46. For Apollos, then, it was a natural step when Aquila and Priscilla expounded the way ‘more accurately’, v. 26 NKJV. How thankful he must have been for the time that this godly couple were willing to invest, and what fruit came from it, vv. 27, 28!

In chapter 19 we find that the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit is a characteristic feature of the church age, enjoyed by every true believer in the Lord Jesus. The question, ‘Have ye . . . since?’ in verse 2 should be better rendered ‘Did you . . . when?’, that is, on believing, not subsequent to it. On accepting ‘Christ Jesus’, v. 4, as ‘Lord’, v. 5, the indwelling of the Spirit was then confirmed to them, v. 6.

When Paul ‘spake boldly’ in the synagogue, v. 8, cp. 18. 26, there were those who were hardened. Sadly, prolonged exposure to the gospel will not always result in conversion, yet the opposition led to the word being heard throughout all the province of Asia. How often that was the case then, and still is now!