Acts:18:24-28

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rwp @Acts:18:24 @{Apollos } (\Apoll “s \). Genitive \-“\ Attic second declension . Probably a contraction of \Apollonios \ as D has it here . {An Alexandrian } (\Alexandreus \). Alexander the Great founded this city B .C . 332 and placed a colony of Jews there which flourished greatly , one-third of the population at this time . There was a great university and library there . The Jewish-Alexandrian philosophy developed here of which Philo was the chief exponent who was still living . Apollos was undoubtedly a man of the schools and a man of parts . {A learned man } (\an ˆr logios \). Or eloquent , as the word can mean either a man of words (like one "wordy ," verbose ) or a man of ideas , since \logos \ was used either for reason or speech . Apollos was doubtless both learned (mighty in the Scriptures ) and eloquent , though eloquence varies greatly in people 's ideas . {Mighty in the Scriptures } (\dunatos “n en tais graphais \). Being powerful (\dunatos \ verbal of \dunamai \ and same root as \dunamis \, dynamite , dynamo ) in the Scriptures (in the knowledge and the use of the Scriptures ), as should be true of every preacher . There is no excuse for ignorance of the Scriptures on the part of preachers , the professed interpreters of the word of God . The last lecture made to the New Testament English class in Southern Baptist Theological Seminary by John A . Broadus was on this passage with a plea for his students to be mighty in the Scriptures . In Alexandria Clement of Alexandria and Origen taught in the Christian theological school . rwp @Acts:18:25 @{Had been instructed in the way of the Lord } (\ˆn kat ˆch ˆmenos t ˆn hodon tou kuriou \). Periphrastic past perfect passive of \kat ˆche “\, rare in the old Greek and not in the LXX from \kata \ and \ˆche “\ (\ˆch “\, sound ) as in strkjv @Luke:1:4 |, to re-sound , to re-echo , to teach by repeated dinning into the ears as the Arabs do now , to teach orally by word of mouth (and ear ). Here the accusative of the thing (the word ) is retained in the passive like with \didask “\, to teach (Robertson , _Grammar_ , p . 485 ). Being fervent in spirit (\ze “n t “i pneumati \). Boiling (from \ze “\, to boil , old and common verb , in N .T . only here and strkjv @Romans:12:11 |) like boiling water or yeast . The Latin verb _ferveo_ means to boil or ferment . Locative case after it . {Taught carefully } (\edidasken akrib “s \). Imperfect active , was teaching or inchoative , began teaching , accurately . He taught accurately what he knew , a fine gift for any preacher . {Only the baptism of John } (\monon to baptisma I “anou \). It was a {baptism of repentance } (marked by repentance ) as Paul said (13:24 ; strkjv @19:4 |), as Peter said (2:38 |) and as the Gospels tell (Mark:1:4 |, etc .). That is to say , Apollos knew only what the Baptist knew when he died , but John had preached the coming of the Messiah , had baptized him , had identified him as the Son of God , had proclaimed the baptism of the Holy Spirit , but had not seen the Cross , the Resurrection of Jesus , nor the great Day of Pentecost . rwp @Acts:18:26 @{They took him unto them } (\proselabonto \). Second aorist middle (indirect ) indicative of \proslamban “\, old verb , to their home and heart as companion (cf . the rabbis and the ruffians in strkjv @17:5 |). Probably for dinner after service . {Expounded } (\exethento \). Second aorist (effective ) middle indicative of \ektith ˆmi \ seen already in strkjv @11:4 |, to set forth . {More carefully } (\akribesteron \). Comparative adverb of \akrib “s \. More accurately than he already knew . Instead of abusing the young and brilliant preacher for his ignorance they (particularly Priscilla ) gave him the fuller story of the life and work of Jesus and of the apostolic period to fill up the gaps in his knowledge . It is a needed and delicate task , this thing of teaching gifted young ministers . They do not learn it all in schools . More of it comes from contact with men and women rich in grace and in the knowledge of God 's ways . He was not rebaptized , but only received fuller information . rwp @Acts:18:27 @{Encouraged him } (\protrepsamenoi \). First aorist middle participle of \protrep “\, old verb , to urge forward , to push on , only here in the N .T . Since Apollos wanted (\boulomenou autou \, genitive absolute ) to go into Achaia , the brethren (including others besides Priscilla and Aquila ) wrote (\egrapsan \) a letter of introduction to the disciples in Corinth to receive him (\apodexasthai auton \), a nice letter of recommendation and a sincere one also . But Paul will refer to this very letter later (2Corinthians:3:1 |) and observe that he himself needed no such letter of commendation . The Codex Bezae adds here that certain Corinthians who had come to Ephesus heard Apollos and begged him to cross over with them to Corinth . This may very well be the way that Apollos was led to go . Preachers often receive calls because visitors from other places hear them . Priscilla and Aquila were well known in Corinth and their approval would carry weight . But they did not urge Apollos to stay longer in Ephesus . {Helped them much } (\sunebaleto polu \). Second aorist middle indicative of \sunball “\ used in strkjv @17:18 | for "dispute ," old verb to throw together , in the N .T . always in the active save here in the middle (common in Greek writers ) to put together , to help . {Through grace } (\dia t ˆs charitos \). This makes sense if taken with "believed ," as Hackett does (cf . strkjv @13:48 ; strkjv @16:14 |) or with "helped " (1Corinthians:3:10 ; strkjv @15:10 ; strkjv @2Corinthians:1:12 |). Both are true as the references show . rwp @Acts:18:28 @{Powerfully } (\euton “s \). Adverb from \eutonos \ (\eu \, well , \tein “\, to stretch ), well-strung , at full stretch . {Confuted } (\diakat ˆlegcheto \). Imperfect middle of the double compound verb \dia-kat-elegchomai \, to confute with rivalry in a contest , here alone . The old Greek has \dielegch “\, to convict of falsehood , but not this double compound which means to argue down to a finish . It is the imperfect tense and does not mean that Apollos convinced these rabbis , but he had the last word . {Publicly } (\d ˆmosi ƒi \). See strkjv @5:18 ; strkjv @16:37 |. In open meeting where all could see the victory of Apollos . {Shewing } (\epideiknus \). Present active participle of \epideiknumi \, old verb to set forth so that all see . {By the Scriptures } (\dia t “n graph “n \). In which Apollos was so "mighty " (verse 24 |) and the rabbis so weak for they knew the oral law better than the written (Mark:7:8-12 |). {That Jesus was the Christ } (\einai ton Christon I ˆsoun \). Infinitive and the accusative in indirect assertion . Apollos proclaims the same message that Paul did everywhere (17:3 |). He had not yet met Paul , but he had been instructed by Priscilla and Aquila . He is in Corinth building on the foundation laid so well by Paul (1Corinthians:3:4-17 |). Luke has here made a brief digression from the story of Paul , but it helps us understand Paul better There are those who think that Apollos wrote Hebrews , a guess that may be correct .

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