Acts (Written)

Washington, somewhere around the Columbia River.

Saturday, 22 July 2023 

for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. Acts 18:28

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

In the previous verse, Apollos went off to Achaia. When he went, he was given a letter of introduction. Upon his arrival, it says he greatly helped those who had believed through the grace. At that time, it was questioned whether “the grace” applied to those who had believed or if it referred to the grace bestowed upon Apollos as a gift. What seems most likely is the latter. That appears to be bolstered by the next words, “for he vigorously refuted the Jews.”

The word translated as “refuting” is found only here. It is a long compound word that signifies “to prove downright.” The Jews said one thing and he said another. Also, the adverb eutonós, translated as “vigorously,” is seen for the second and last time. It signifies well stretched, pressed to the limit, or fully extended. Thus, it gives the sense of “mightily,” or “vigorously.”

The subject is Apollos. The grace bestowed upon him was for oratory skills, the ability to understand Scripture, etc. He was able to make a convincing argument against the Jews because of these things. Further, the verb is imperfect, more rightly saying, “refuting the Jews.” He didn’t have just one argument against their interpretation of things. Rather, he was overflowing with points that silenced them time and again. And more, he did this “publicly.”

It is obvious from this that he was accustomed to speaking in front of others and he was able to form arguments that were convincing not just to himself, but to those who heard. He openly challenged the Jews on a continuing basis because of this. And more, these arguments didn’t just come from his head or from hearsay evidence. Rather, he was “showing from the Scriptures.”

The source of the faith, the Hebrew Scriptures, clearly revealed that his arguments were valid and irrefutable. As they are the basis for the Jewish religion, and as he was able to draw from them his evidence, then what he said had to be taken as a valid interpretation unless demonstrated otherwise based on the context. The tenor of Luke’s words, however, is that they could not do this. Thus, Apollos was able to demonstrate, right from the Scriptures, “that Jesus is the Christ.”

There are prophecies in Scripture that when realized would point to only one possibility for fulfillment. For example, the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. He would be from the tribe of Judah. And so forth. By comparing what was prophesied and then placing Jesus side by side with those prophecies, it was absolutely assured that He is the Messiah.

And more, the things that He did validated this fact as well. He would die for sins. He would resurrect. And so forth. The Jews misunderstood the role of the Messiah and had come to faulty conclusions about who He would be and what He would do. Apollos was able to clearly refute the Jews because he grasped these things, understanding what they meant and how they pointed to what Jesus had done.

Life application: When you speak to Jews about Jesus today, it is not as easy to refute them as you might think. The reason for this is that many do not believe in the inspiration of Scripture. Most believe that the later writings of the rabbis that are compiled in the Talmud form the proper basis for their religious and cultural life.

Therefore, you will be arguing apples and oranges. Unless a Jew (or any other person) is willing to accept the authority of Scripture, there isn’t much you can do to convince them of the truth of who Jesus is. It takes a great deal of understanding Scripture and how reliable it is to be able to break through such barriers.

This is why it is so very important to know your Bible and to be able to defend what you believe. Never stop pursuing this marvelous word. It is what is needed to change hearts and minds. By knowing it, and by demonstrating how reliable it is, you can then have a positive impact on those you speak to.

Glorious God, thank You for Your word. Give us wisdom in reading and interpreting it so that we can properly and effectively tell others about the riches contained in it. May we be responsible enough in our lives to read it daily and meditate on it constantly. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

Never go on a 50-state preaching adventure without stocking up on Juicy Fruits.

Friday, 21 July 2023

And when he 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; Acts 18:27

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

The words more correctly read, “And he, resolving to pass over to Achaia, the brothers wrote the disciples, having exhorted them to welcome him, who – having arrived – helped greatly those who have believed through the grace.”

In the previous verse, Aquila and Priscilla took Apollos aside, explaining to him the way of God more accurately. With that, and still speaking of Apollos, it next says, “And he, resolving to pass over to Achaia.”

As they are currently in Ephesus, it means that he would travel, most probably by ship, to the opposite coast. As noted in Acts 18:12, Achaia essentially formed the whole of Greece with Corinth being its capital. Apollos had a desire to evangelize in Greece. Thus, it next says, “the brothers wrote the disciples.”

The Greek here is translated in various ways. Notice the difference between the two –

the brothers, having encouraged him, wrote to the disciples to welcome him, BLB
the brethren wrote to the disciples, having exhorted them to receive him, YLT

The flow of thought seems to make more sense when translated as “the brothers wrote the disciples.” It would mean that those in Ephesus wrote a letter to the disciples in Achaia confirming the reliability of Apollos as a follower of Christ and a teacher. With that, it next says, “having exhorted them to welcome him.”

The word protrepó, translated as “encouraged” is found only here in Scripture. It literally signifies turning forward for oneself. Thus, it means to encourage or exhort. In this case, rather than “having encouraged him,” meaning Apollos, as the BLB states, it seems likely that they are exhorting those who receive their letter to welcome Apollos.

Apollos wouldn’t need encouragement as he was the one disposed to go there. Instead, those he would encounter are the likely subject. At the time, Apollos was unknown to those in Achaia. Therefore, a letter of introduction and a note that he should be received as a faithful and knowledgeable teacher would be appropriate to help establish him among those he met with. From there, it next says, “who – having arrived – helped greatly those who have believed through the grace.”

Concerning the word “helped,” Vincent’s Word Studies says, “The radical sense of the word is to throw together: hence, to contribute; to help; to be useful to. He threw himself into the work along with them.” This is perfectly in accord with Apollos’ character as already recorded. He jumped right in and became an asset to those he fellowshipped with.

As for the final words, “the grace,” the article is rightly included in the translation. It is the particular grace that is given by God. Of this, there are varying views on what it is referring to. Vincent’s Word Studies says –

“Expositors differ as to the connection; some joining through grace with them which had believed, insisting on the Greek order of the words; and others with helped, referring to grace conferred on Apollos. I prefer the latter, principally for the reason urged by Meyer, that ‘the design of the text is to characterize Apollos and his work, and not those who believed.’”

In other words, though it is true that believers are saved through grace, Vincent’s feels that the grace referred to here is speaking of the special grace imparted to Apollos to effectively minister in the gospel. Either way, both salvation and continued life in Christ are conferred upon believers by grace.

Life application: It’s good to remember that not only is salvation by grace through faith, but that our continued lives in Christ are granted by grace. And this, in more ways than one. First, any gifts we possess are given to us by God. How we use them will be the source of rewards or losses at the Bema seat. But we do not possess any gift that God did not bestow upon us.

Second, our times are determined by God. Thus, each day and everything associated with it is grace. We cannot take credit for what God has given us. How we use our time, however, will be the source of rewards or losses at the Bema seat.

If God has equipped us with a gift, and if He has granted us the time and circumstance to use that gift, we should be about using it to His glory. Let us remember this and press on in the grace that has been granted to us. Someday, we will stand before Him and must give account for what we have done with what He has bestowed upon us.

Glorious God, thank You for having blessed us with various gifts that we can use to glorify You. Help us to be mindful of the time and circumstances in which we live so that we will use them in the most effective manner possible. May our service before You be pleasing to You. Be glorified in how we conduct our lives in Your presence. Amen.

Met up with a friend, Rory, while in Washington. He went to be with Jesus not long after.

Thursday, 20 July 2023

So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. Acts 18:26

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

In the previous verse, Apollos was noted as having been instructed in the way of the Lord and he taught accurately about Jesus, even if he only knew of John’s baptism. Remembering that, it now says “So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue.”

This provides a couple of thoughts to consider. One is that he was deemed acceptable to address the synagogue by the synagogue rulers. It implies having some formal training in the Scriptures. Also, saying “boldly” either means that his fervor for the Lord noted in the previous verse is on display or that he may have had the same type of resistance to his message that Paul had, necessitating him to speak out boldly concerning what he knew.

Because he knew about Jesus, the message of Him as the Messiah would have been the key point of his address. However, though He was accurate in what He taught, he was not fully versed in the subject matter. Hence, the words continue, saying, “When Aquila and Priscilla heard him.”

The obvious meaning is that after Paul’s departure, they continued to attend the synagogue. While there, Apollos came and addressed the congregants. Some texts state Priscilla’s name first. If that is correct, it may imply that she was of Jewish heritage and Aquila may not have been. Rather, he may have converted after being a proselyte. Thus, in the synagogue, she would have standing because of her heritage. However, this is speculation based solely on a different rendering found in a Greek text. Concerning them, it next says that “they took him aside and explained.”

This would allow them to discuss what they knew privately. There could be several reasons for this, such as not stirring up those who didn’t believe Jesus was the Messiah, not wanting to embarrass Apollos while sharing their greater knowledge of Him, etc. Whatever the reason, the private setting allowed them to explain “to him the way of God more accurately.”

The word translated as “accurately” is the same word used in the previous sentence. The form of the word provides a comparative sense. He taught about Jesus accurately; they taught about him “more accurately.”

Aquila and Priscilla took the time to correct his deficiencies. These may have been doctrinal issues, but they were surely not salvific. If they were related to salvation, a further explanation of his conversion would be provided. It is not.

It should be noted that in verse 25, it used the word Lord. In verse 26 it uses the word God. This is a further indication that though he understood about the Lord, there were theological deficiencies in his belief. This is one of the most common situations in churches. People are converted and must go through the steps of growing in knowledge.

In the case of someone like Apollos, he was already well versed in Scripture, he knew and taught about Jesus, and yet, he needed further instruction to become a sound and proper teacher.

Life application: The words about Apollos can be considered from a modern perspective. Suppose there is someone, Ready Randy, who is raised in the church and has read the Bible all his life. He could be described in the same manner as Apollos in verses 24 and 25. He is a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He has been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he speaks with great fervor. He also teaches about Jesus accurately.

He would like to become a minister and so he talks to the pastor. The pastor says, “This is great. I would like you to go to a sound seminary. After you graduate with this particular degree, I will ordain you.” Randy may say, “But I am ready now! I have been reading the Bible for years. Ask me anything.”

The pastor would then let Randy know that there is a great deal more to understanding the way of the Lord than rote memory of the Bible. There are disciplines that must be drawn out of it such as original sin, the Trinity, what the doctrine of predestination means from various theological perspectives, and how to tell which of those perspectives is correct, etc.

Randy listens and agrees. He goes to seminary and discovers that he really wasn’t ready at all. He had a great knowledge of the Scriptures, but he lacked an understanding of how to rightly divide and rightly apply what is recorded there. But he also learned that his foundational knowledge of the word, prior to going to seminary, allowed him to much more easily tell which doctrines were incorrect.

Because of this, he realized that in his own ministry, the single most important thing he could ever teach his congregants was for them to READ THEIR BIBLES. They may never become theologians, trained in the great doctrines of Scripture, but they will have a greater understanding of when they are being led astray from what is sound.

Ready Randy, because of his previous knowledge of Scripture, realized that he had a foot up on everyone else at the seminary who lacked this most important foundation. Many of them were led astray by professors who themselves lacked grounding in the word. Randy’s advice to you today is to KNOW YOUR BIBLE above all else.

Lord God, Your word is too precious to not study and contemplate all our lives. There is never a time that we can say, “I have read the Bible. I don’t need to return to it again.” Rather, the wise person will say, “I have read the Bible many times. And yet, I will continue to read it all my days. I can never exhaust the wisdom of God found in this precious word.” Help us to have such an attitude. Amen.

A

An old military friend from our time in Japan.

Wednesday, 19 July 2023

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. Acts 18:25

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

The previous verse introduced Apollos, noting that he was an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures and that he had come to Ephesus. Luke next records, “This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord.”

The verb being imperfect gives the sense of “He was being instructed.” He didn’t just get instructed at a certain point, but his instruction was ongoing in nature. He continued pursuing the knowledge of “the way of the Lord.”

These words are both technical and descriptive. The faith was called “the Way” at this time (Acts 9:2, for example). At the same time, it is technical in the sense that he understood the doctrine of the Lord. Today someone might say, the “religion” of Christ in a comparable sense. Therefore, he knew both what Jesus taught and he knew what was taught concerning the Lord. Next, it says of him, “and being fervent in spirit.”

The word translated as “fervent” is zeó. It is an onomatopoeia. It describes the sound of boiling water. It means to bubble over because it is hot enough to boil. Figuratively, it means showing great zeal or being keenly passionate, as if one is boiling with great interest or desire. It is found only here and in Romans 12:11.

The words “in spirit” surely refer to his spirit, not the Holy Spirit. He was zealous for his doctrine and instruction. The words “spoke” and “teach” are in the imperfect tense and should be rendered as “speaking” and “teaching.” He continuously did these things. One can imagine Apollos simply exuded with his love of telling others about the Lord and explaining the wonderful things He has done. Therefore, it next says that “he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord.”

The Greek word translated as “accurately,” akribós, is described by HELPS Word Studies, saying, “This root (akrib-) refers to gaining exact information with the highest level of accuracy (‘exactness’) and is acquired by probing investigation to provide a comprehensive circumspect (precise) view in strict adherence to the facts.”

What this means is that his instruction and his knowledge of the Scriptures had led him to know and understand that Jesus is, in fact, the Christ. And so, this is what he proclaimed. His deficiency in the faith that will next be described was a result of a lack of instruction on doctrinal matters, but not a lack of understanding who Christ is and what role He filled. Why is this important? Why is this being relayed to us? The answer is seen in the final words of the verse, saying, “though he knew only the baptism of John.”

The implication is that Apollos was, at this time, a saved Jew. He was a believer. Because this is so it reveals an important truth. Even though he was saved, he only knew of John’s baptism. Therefore, it is sure evidence against those heretics who say that water baptism is a necessary condition for salvation, thus adding works to the simple gospel of Jesus Christ.

Rather, water baptism is an issue of obedience and right doctrine. This is what is being conveyed, and it is fully supported by verse 27 as well as what will occur in Chapter 19. Despite being a descriptive passage, the internal clues about the faith of Apollos still help us to more accurately understand Paul’s prescriptive words in the epistles.

Life application: The simple (and only gospel) is belief in the finished work of Jesus Christ. He died for our sins. He was buried. He rose again. This was in accord with Scripture and it is what we need to know in order to be saved. If we believe that He has done these things, God will accept our faith and impute to us the righteousness of Christ.

Salvation and proper doctrine do not necessarily go hand in hand, except proper doctrine on how to be saved. But for other matters, such as the rapture or how to properly conduct oneself in life as a Christian, one must learn those things. However, they have no bearing on the matter of getting saved or remaining saved.

Water baptism is an external sign of the inward change that has taken place in us. And yet, it is a command of the Lord. As such, to not receive water baptism is disobedience to His command. Thus, to refuse to be water baptized when it is clearly known that Jesus stated to do so will result in a loss of rewards, but it will not affect one’s salvation. Get these things right, be saved through belief, and then be baptized as an open profession that you are a saved believer and follower of Jesus.

Lord God, thank You for what You have done in the giving of Jesus. May we be obedient to the faith we profess and adhere to the word that has been given to us after we are saved. Help us to pursue proper doctrine all our days. May You be glorified as we do. Amen.

114,000 miles. Still running ok.

Tuesday, 18 July 2023

Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. Acts 18:24

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

The words now form an insert into the narrative to introduce a new figure into the Bible. While Paul is going through the areas of Galatia and Phrygia, the figure is introduced so that when he meets with Paul, their two accounts will properly align. Understanding this, it now says, “Now a certain Jew named Apollos.”

The name Apollos is derived from the pagan deity Apollon, meaning the sun god. It is from the same source as Apollonia which is a place in Macedonia noted in Acts 17:1. The name Apollos may be a shortened form of a longer Greek name, such as Apollonius or Apollodorus.

This person will be noted twice in Acts, six times in 1 Corinthians, and then once in Titus. Outside of these verses, nothing more is known of him. He is next noted as having been “born at Alexandria.” Of this location, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown says –

“…the celebrated city of Egypt on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean, called after its founder, Alexander the Great. Nowhere was there such a fusion of Greek, Jewish, and Oriental peculiarities, and an intelligent Jew educated in that city could hardly fail to manifest all these elements in his mental character.”

This evaluation then explains the next words, saying he was “an eloquent man.” The word in Greek is logios. It signifies being gifted with learning. It also speaks of one with excellent oratory skills. Vincent’s Word Studies explains further –

“The word is used in Greek literature in several senses. As λόγος [logos] means either reason or speech, so this derivative may signify either one who has thought much, and has much to say, or one who can say it well. Hence it is used: 1. Of one skilled in history. Herodotus, for example, says that the Heliopolitans are the most learned in history (λογιώτατοι) of all the Egyptians. 2. Of an eloquent person. An epithet of Hermes or Mercury, as the god of speech and eloquence. 3. Of a learned person generally. …the scripture-learning of Apollos is specified in the words mighty in the scriptures, and his superior eloquence appears to have been the reason why some of the Corinthians preferred him to Paul.”

The comment about Apollo being preferred by some in Corinth is found in Paul’s first epistle to them where the church was divided in who was the best example to follow. Because of his eloquence, it is assumed that some in the church preferred following Apollos. Not only did he possess the ability to eloquently convey his thoughts, but it also notes of him as, “and mighty in the Scriptures.”

Rather, the Greek contains a present participle, saying, “being mighty in the Scriptures.” In other words, he had a deep knowledge of the Jewish Scriptures. Of this, Albert Barnes rightly says, “The foundation was thus laid for future usefulness in the Christian church.”

This is the purpose of introducing him at this point. When someone will soon play a prominent role in the ongoing narrative, he or she is often introduced in advance. Then, at the right time, that person is brought directly into the ongoing narrative. Suddenly introducing Apollos as Luke has done means that this will be the case with him in the verses ahead. For now, it notes of him that he “came to Ephesus.”

Earlier in the chapter, it noted that Paul indicated that he would return to Ephesus –

“When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent, ²¹ but took leave of them, saying, ‘I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing.’ And he sailed from Ephesus.” Acts 18:20, 21

From there, the account hurriedly rushed through Paul’s trip. At this point, he has left Antioch and is in the region of Galatia and Phrygia. At the same time, Apollos is introduced and he is at Ephesus, the place Paul committed to returning to. Without looking forward, one can be reasonably assured that these two will meet up in Ephesus. What type of meeting is unknown. Maybe they will be rivals, fighting over points of doctrine. Maybe they will become close friends as Paul and Timothy have done. But it is reasonably assured that the two will be brought into the same account in the narrative in the not-too-distant future.

Life application: One of the biggest mistakes made by people looking for a church, or of churches in the selection of the pastors, is that they look, first and foremost, for a person who is a skilled orator. There is nothing wrong with good oratory skills. But they can also be a source of great encouragement or stirring of the soul by those who hear well-spoken sermons.

Another similar mistake occurs when people look first and foremost for a pastor who is incredibly intelligent and articulates his thoughts in a remarkably logical and methodical way. There is nothing wrong with this approach either. Some people or congregations are so well developed in their thinking that having this type of presentation really edifies them.

However, the problem with such selections is derived from the thought “first and foremost.” All of the oratory skills in the world are wholly useless to a church if they are not properly aligned with Scripture. Likewise, being extremely well versed in the Greek language or in the structure of literature means diddly if evaluations of such things are torn out of their proper context.

What should be the first and foremost consideration is, “How well does this person know, understand, and care about Scripture?” Without this considered, nothing else really matters. To be properly and excitingly orated into heresy can only lead to sadness. To be presented with meticulous analyses of Scripture that are not based on what is contextually proper will only lead to faulty conclusions and aberrant doctrine.

If a person does not know Scripture well and if his understanding of it is not orthodox, he shouldn’t be given two seconds of your time. Don’t look at externals! How he is dressed, what he looks like, where he went to school, what type of degree he possesses, etc., are all not to be thought of as primary considerations. Understanding of, and adherence to, sound doctrine should be looked for before anything else.

Remember this and don’t get caught up in fallacious thinking. Innumerable people have been swept up into cults and aberrant sects because they failed this first and primary consideration.

Glorious Lord God, please direct us to leaders who are mighty in Scripture and who handle it properly. We have our part in the selection of our leaders, so help us to be well-versed in Your word as well. Fill us with the strong desire to be fully aware of what Your word is conveying before we select those who we will appoint over us. If they are sound in such things, only then should we consider their other qualities. Keep us on the straight path in this matter. Amen.