BUILT BY GOD
"Meanwhile there was a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, who came to Ephesus. He was a cultured and eloquent man, will versed and mighty in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and burning with spiritual zeal, he spoke and taught diligently and accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he was acquainted only with the baptism of John" (Acts 18: 24-25 AMP).
Apollos seems to pop up out of nowhere, carrying on the work of the Gospel. Paul had not picked him. As far as we know, he was not sent out by the church of Jerusalem or Antioch. Could it be that God raised him up and sent him to preach the Good News also? Apollos had been instructed in the way of the Lord, but who, where , when? We do not know. All we know is that he "with great power refuted the Jews in public [discussions] showing and proving by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah" (Acts 18:28). It is as though God is demonstrating that He will build His church and spread His message of forgiveness of sins.
Paul's missionary work was coming to a close. God raises up another to continue the work. Those of us who may be coming to the end of our missionary work need not be concerned as to whether the Gospel will continue to reach people. God will oversee His purposes until the whole earth is filled with His glory. As Paul said to the Corinthians in a letter, "What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth" (1 Corinthians 3: 5-7). Think about it.
"Meanwhile there was a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, who came to Ephesus. He was a cultured and eloquent man, will versed and mighty in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and burning with spiritual zeal, he spoke and taught diligently and accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he was acquainted only with the baptism of John" (Acts 18: 24-25 AMP).
Apollos seems to pop up out of nowhere, carrying on the work of the Gospel. Paul had not picked him. As far as we know, he was not sent out by the church of Jerusalem or Antioch. Could it be that God raised him up and sent him to preach the Good News also? Apollos had been instructed in the way of the Lord, but who, where , when? We do not know. All we know is that he "with great power refuted the Jews in public [discussions] showing and proving by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah" (Acts 18:28). It is as though God is demonstrating that He will build His church and spread His message of forgiveness of sins.
Paul's missionary work was coming to a close. God raises up another to continue the work. Those of us who may be coming to the end of our missionary work need not be concerned as to whether the Gospel will continue to reach people. God will oversee His purposes until the whole earth is filled with His glory. As Paul said to the Corinthians in a letter, "What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth" (1 Corinthians 3: 5-7). Think about it.
© S.M. Hudson, Hidden Treasure Ministries, December 2003. All rights reserved.
Categories: forgiveness
