And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up and greeted the church, he went down to Antioch. [During this time, he wrote both letters to the church in Thessalonica]. After he had spent some time there, he departed and went over the region of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples. (Acts 18:22-23)
Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. (Acts 18:24-26) Oftentimes we hear the Word of God, and if we believe, we get so excited about the message that we just "run with it", telling others what we know. That's good, but we have to commit ourselves to learning as much as God has revealed. We have to study the entire Word of God; Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (II Timothy 2:15 KJV)
Elders in the church have a great responsibility. But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— ...in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. (Titus 2:1-8) These are the kind of elders Aquila and Priscilla were in the church. Paul had spent much time with them; he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers. (Acts 18:3) They even accompanied Paul on one of his missionary journeys to Syria and Ephesus. (Acts 18:18-20)
So, When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. (Acts 18:26) Aquila and Priscilla did their jobs as elders, and Apollos did his job as a "babe" in the faith, he listened to the instruction and teaching given to him by the elders. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. (Proverbs 9:9) A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, (Proverbs 1:5) And when he [Apollos] desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. (Acts 18:27-28)
And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now the men were about twelve in all. (Acts 19:1-7)
We've studied this repeatedly, where people have heard and believed the Word of God, but had not been "sealed by the Holy Spirit" yet. These believers, just like all of us who first believed, In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14) God makes sure His Word spreads throughout the world. So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world.” [Psalm 19:4] (Romans 10:17-18) For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. (Isaiah 61:11)
God also makes sure that all who believe will come to know the whole Truth and salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11) So Paul, And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God. But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. (Acts 19:8-10)
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