St Paul's third missionary journey : Apollo at Ephesus

[The posts which follow make extensive use of The Acts of the Apostles, by Madame Cecilia, (Religious of St Andrew's Convent, Streatham), with an Imprimi potest dated 16 October 1907 (Westminster); Burns, Oates & Washbourne Ltd. (London). With grateful prayers for the author and her team: 

REQUIEM æternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Requiescant in pace. Amen.

ETERNAL rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.]

 

Acts XVIII :  23-28

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[23] And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went through the country of Galatia and Phrygia, in order, confirming all the disciples. 

[24] Now a certain Jew, named Apollo, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus, one mighty in the scriptures. 

[25] This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, spoke, and taught diligently the things that are of Jesus, knowing only the baptism of John.

[26] This man therefore began to speak boldly in the synagogue. Whom when Priscilla and Aquila had heard, they took him to them, and expounded to him the way of the Lord more diligently. 

[27] And whereas he was desirous to go to Achaia, the brethren exhorting, wrote to the disciples to receive him. Who, when he was come, helped them much who had believed. 

[28] For with much vigour he convinced the Jews openly, shewing by the scriptures, that Jesus is the Christ.

[23] Et facto ibi aliquanto tempore profectus est, perambulans ex ordine Galaticam regionem, et Phrygiam, confirmans omnes discipulos. [24] Judaeus autem quidam, Apollo nomine, Alexandrinus genere, vir eloquens, devenit Ephesum, potens in scripturis. [25] Hic erat edoctus viam Domini : et fervens spiritu loquebatur, et docebat diligenter ea quae sunt Jesu, sciens tantum baptisma Joannis.

[26] Hic ergo coepit fiducialiter agere in synagoga. Quem cum audissent Priscilla et Aquila, assumpserunt eum, et diligentius exposuerunt ei viam Domini. [27] Cum autem vellet ire Achaiam, exhortati fratres, scripserunt discipulis ut susciperent eum. Qui cum venisset, contulit multum his qui crediderant. [28] Vehementer enim Judaeos revincebat publice, ostendens per Scripturas, esse Christum Jesum.

Notes

    23. some time there, — i.e. in Antioch

    the country of Galatia and Phrygia. St Paul began his third journey by a systematic visitation of the Galatian churches. As he proceeded in the contrary direction from that taken on his first journey, he came to the cities in the reverse order, passing through Galatia first.

    He does not appear to have established any other churches in these districts, as the converts of Colossae, Hieropolis, and Laodicea evidently did not know him personally (sec Col. ii. 1 and 4).

    confirming all the disciples. His presence among them after an absence of over three years must have been a great consolation, the more so as the churches in Galatia had been greatly troubled by the judaizing brethren.

    24. a certam Jew named Apollo. This name is the shortened form of Apollonius (or Apollodorus), and in Codex D the former name is given. He attained later a great reputation among the brethren of Corinth, so much so, that a party spirit sprang up in the church there, which St Paul rebuked severely (see 1 Cor. i. 10-17). Apollo, however, was not to blame in the matter.

    Alexandria. See Annot. on vi. 9. This city was “destined to play a conspicuous part in Church history, as the traditional church and episcocal see of Mark, the school of the Neoplatonists, the scene of the labours of Origen, Clement, and many other men of note, and the birthplace of the Gnostic leaders Cerinthus, Basilides, and Valentinus” (Pulp. Comm., in h. h). Here, too, Judaism was tinged with Oriental ideas and Greek philosophiic theories.

    an eloquent man. The Greek word (λογιος) also means learned, and in both senses may be applied to Apollo.

    mighty m the Scriptures. The study of the Scriptures was in great honour in Alexandria, where there was a most flourishing colony of Jews. It was in this city that the Greek version of the Hebrew Scriptures was made.

    25. instructed. The Greek verb (κατηχημενος) shows that Apollo had been orally instructed. From this verb (κατηχεω) we derive our verb “ to catechize” and the noun “ catechumen,” i.e. one who receives instruction preparatory to baptism. The Bezan text adds “in his country” after “ instructed.”

    in the way of the Lord. The ordinary expression for the Baptist’s teaching and ministry. Cf. A voice of one crying in the desert; Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths (St Mark i. 3). The quotation is taken from Isa. xl. 3.

    fervent in spirit. The Greek particle here rendered “fervent” is part of the verb “to boil” (ζεω) ; hence, metaphorically, it is applied to earnestness in God’s service — Apollo was filled with zeal. There was nothing extraordinary in a layman like Apollo preaching. Among the Jews, any man over thirty years of age, who was sufficiently well-educated, could preach in the synagogues.

    the things that are of Jesus. Better, “the things concerning Jesus” (τα περιτου Ἰησου). His teaching was correct as far as it went. From St John, or from the disciples of the Baptist, he had learned some truths concerning the Lamb of God, and perhaps in Jerusalem, at the Feast of the Pasch, when Jesus was crucified, or of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit had descended on the apostles, he may have learned incidentally certain facts connected with the Life, Passion, and Resurrection of Christ, but his knowledge of the things of Jesus may not have included even as much as this, and we may infer that he had not come in contact with any of the apostles, since he did not know that the sacrament of baptism existed.

    More than twenty years after the martyrdom of St John the Baptist, we find the fruits of his preaching before his (i.e. Christ'a) coming the baptism of penance to all the people of Israel (supra, xiii. 24). Other disciples of the Baptist are mentioned in xix. 2- 4. 'I'hus the words of the three Synoptic writers are confirmed, that the Jews all held John as a prophet (St Matt. xxi. 20).

    26. Priscilla and Aquila had heard. This shews that they still attended the synagogue services.

    they took him to them. They instructed him privately and taught him “more diligently,” i.e. “more accurately” (ἀκριβεστερον) the truths of salvation.

    Justification by faith in Christ, the seven sacraments, and other things concerning Jesus and His Church on earth were explained to him. Although we do not read of his being baptized again, we may be certain that he did receive Christian baptism.

    “ Priscilla was a distinguished instance of one of those bright, earnest women whose powers were called into action by the work and teaching of Jesus Christ and His chosen friends, one of the pioneers of that devoted band of women workers who have now for eighteen hundred years done such splendid work for their Lord’s cause in all climes and among all peoples” (Schaff, Comm. Acts, p. 451).

    27. Achaia. From ch. xix. 1, we find that he chose Corinth. Priscilla and Aquila doubtless gave him details concerning this church, which helped to determine his choice, and, above all, the Holy Spirit guided his steps thither, that he might “water” where St Paul had “ planted.”

    As Apollo knew Greek philosophy, he was fitted to cope with the Greeks of Corinth, and being a Jew himself, be would be welcome by his compatriots. Whenever God chooses a man for a special mission, He selects one who is fitted for the work, and both natural talents and acquired knowledge can be utilized in the service of God.

    exhorting. The brethren exhorted the Corinthian Christians to welcome Apollo.

    when he was come, etc. The Bezan text has a striking variant reading here; “And there were certain Corinthians sojourning in Ephesus, and when they heard him, they besought him to cross over with them to their country. And when he had consented, the Ephesians wrote to the disciples in Corinth that they should receive the man. And when he had journeyed to Achaia he helped them much in the churches.”

    wrote to the disciples, etc. It was a practice in the early Church to send letters of commendation when messengers or missionaries went from one church to another.

    One of the accusations which the partisans of Apollo afterwards brought against St Paul was that he came to them without any letters of commendation. St Paul refers to this complaint in his epistle to the Corinthians. Cf. Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need (as some do) epistles of commendation to you or from you ? (2 Cor, iii. 1).

    helped them much. The Greek MSS. add “ through grace,” and some commentators join this with “helped much,” and so apply the words to Apollo ; others join them with “ who had believed,” thus giving grace as the effective cause of their faith.

    28. convinced. In the original a very strong verb is used which signifies that Apollo “ thoroughly confuted” the Jews (διακατηλεγχετο) and the use of the imperfect shews that he did this continuously.

    openly. Codex E adds “and privately.”

    shewing by the scriptures, etc. Apollo’s teaching resembled that of St Peter and St Paul, who, when preaching to the Jews, always based their instructions on the Scriptures (see chs. ii, xiii., xvii. 3, xviii. 5, etc.).

    At Corinth, Apollo was able to silence those very Jews who had been so hostile to St Paul, and against whom the apostle had shaken off the dust of his garments.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

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