Acts 18:24
Although Paul only had time to plant the seeds of the gospel before he caught his ship, God ensured that the church in Ephesus would grow. He sent Apollos to water the seeds that Paul planted.
We don't know a huge amount about Apollos:
We know that
- he was Jewish
- he knew the Old Testament very very well
- he was a persuasive speaker
- he was passionate about Christ
- he still had some things to learn
- he became a leading figure in the churches in Asia Minor
- he probably wrote the letter we know as "Hebrews"
We don't know how he came to faith and became passionate about Christ. We don't know how he landed up in Ephesus. Did God prompt him, was he there on business, or was he also just passing through?
Whatever his background story and whatever the reasons were for being in Ephesus, God used Apollos to be a blessing to the church in Ephesus. With his passion and skill he galvanised the congregation and in return for his dedication and commitment, God also provided Priscilla and Aquila to mentor and guide him.
Sometimes we worry about God's work and are tempted the think that people (or ourselves) are indispensable. This passage is a good reminder that this is not the case. When Paul could not be there to water the seeds he had planted, God provided Apollos, and when Apollos had some gaps, Priscilla and Aquila were on hand to guide him.
Thank You Lord that you are always providing for your church!
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
