Priscilla and Aquila – Seek Grow Love

We revisit the story of the early church in today’s reading of Acts 18:19-19:41. In this section we meet Apollos, an influential Jew converting many to Christ. Paul concludes his second missionary journey and begins his third. There is an encounter with the Holy Spirit and men of Ephesus. We learn about God giving Paul the ability to perform miraculous signs. We get a story about demon casting and see how God can use all things for His good. Finally, this section ends with a huge riot in Ephesus. So much happened in this section, but the undercurrent was the movement in the church, the believers. I think it’s worth taking a closer look at what the believers were actually doing, so we can follow their example.

In today’s reading, the collective term “the believers” is first used in 18:23 when “Paul went back through Galatia and Phrygia, visiting and strengthening all the believers” (NLT). Here, the church is seen hosting Paul and allowing themselves to be encouraged and strengthened through his teachings. In various letters Paul commends hospitality. The church is supposed to be a hospitable place. Soon many families will gather together for the holiday season. While this can cause stress, I challenge you to consider it a blessing and an opportunity to share God’s love by welcoming people into your home.

The believers were also strengthened by Paul’s visit. We, too, need to allow ourselves to be encouraged. It is important we put ourselves in situations where we can feel revitalized. Find what reignites your passion for the Gospel. Maybe that’s simply going to church on a weekly basis. It could be attending a Bible Study, instead of leading one. Time alone in the Word. Church Camp or conferences. Attending a Christian concert. I think it is worth noting that while the early believers were welcoming and serving Paul, they also allowed themselves to be served as Paul’s visit strengthened their faith.

Next we see believers teaching, correcting, and learning. I love the story in Acts 18:24-26. We meet Apollos, a man on fire for the Lord. In Ephesus, he meets Priscilla and Aquila, two students of Paul’s. Scripture says Priscilla and Aquila pulled Apollos aside and “explained the way of God more accurately” (18:26 NLT). They did not publicly call out Apollos, telling him he was wrong. Rather quietly and respectfully this couple sought to fill in the gaps in Apollos’ understanding of scripture. Furthermore, Apollos welcomed their knowledge. He was not so prideful, he could not learn. This is such a wonderful example of church conflict being resolved peacefully. We can learn from these early believers to have open hearts, ready to search scripture to receive truth, and share our own perspective and understanding of scripture in non-threatening ways.

This next part of Apollos’ story especially intrigues me. Apollos has a desire to go to Achaia and shared it with his fellow believers. They in turn encourage him to go. We can follow this example by sharing with our brothers and sisters in the church our desires, hopes, plans. From little side stories like these, it is clear to me the church is meant to act as a unit, not one sole individual acting on his or her own. Apollos allowed himself to be encouraged by his fellow believers then set off to do the work God planned for him. Here we see the church in movement by sharing and encouraging.

These believers in Ephesus not only encourage Apollos to go to Achaia, but intercede on his behalf. They write to their friends in Achaia asking them to welcome Apollos. Again, it is a short and sweet detail in this grand passage of Paul’s journeys. Yet, it shows how the early church was moving and interacting with one another during the time of the Apostles. It serves as a reminder to us how we should be interacting with one another. How can you intercede for those brothers and sisters around you? Are there unmet needs you may be able to provide?

Looking into Chapter 19 Paul has some interesting interactions with the people of Ephesus. These twelve men were like Apollos believing in “John’s Baptism,” understanding the repentant side of the story, but not quite grasping the Jesus-new-life part. This new creation baptism was something Paul personally experienced. Essentially, he provides these Ephesian men with the rest of the story and they are “baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (19:5 NLT). So, what are members of the church doing here? Getting baptized. Baptism is a public declaration of our faith. This symbolic action helps solidify our understanding of a new life in Christ. How can we follow the example here from the early church? Get baptized. Baptism has meant all sorts of different things to different people. However, in my opinion, scripture has made it pretty clear. Baptism is our call to action after hearing, believing, and accepting the Gospel. Baptism is not a necessity to our salvation but a consequence. It is what the early church did, it is what we should do.

The next time “believers” are collectively mentioned as a group is in Acts 19:18. In the aftermath of the Sons of Sceva story, believers still practicing sorcery and incantation confess and repent by burning books associated with sorcery. While I am certainly not advocating for the burning of books, it is the action of physically turning away from their sin that is notable here. The church today can follow this example. The church is made up of humans. We are going to make mistakes, mess up, have our good and bad days. On the bad days, it is important we take responsibility. When the Ephesian people turned away from their sin “the message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect” (20 NLT). This shows that repentance is not just for the sake of the sinner but can be used for spreading the Gospel.

Finally, the last time we see the believers in this section is during the riot in Ephesus. Here, the believers are seen as protecting and defending Paul. I found the small details in this story fascinating. In Acts 19:30 the believers prevent Paul from entering the amphitheater where the rioting was taking place. While some of Paul’s companions are swept up in the chaos, Paul is held back. The Greek word used here is translated as “would not allow.” Eventually, the people are calmed down and dispersed with nothing more than shouting and confusion to show for their rioting. I have to wonder if the situation would have been made worse had Paul been present. Even some of Paul’s friends who were province officials sensed Paul would be in danger had he gone with the rioters. While we may not be facing an angry mob head on, in what ways can we protect and defend our fellow believers? Does your church have connections with missionaries who are in danger? Can you financially contribute to these organizations? Can you organize prayer for these people? Are there justice groups for which you could be involved? The early church played a role in protecting and defending other believers, so how can we?

The believers of the early church are seen acting in so many ways throughout this section. They are welcoming. Receptive of encouragement. They are teachers, correcting and learning from one another. They are involved in each other’s lives. They are responsive to the call of baptism. They are repentant. Lastly they are seen as protecting and defending. My hope is by further looking at their actions we can seek action as well. May we learn from the example of the early church and may their actions guide us as we continue the spread of the Gospel, two thousand years later.

Reflection Questions

From above: “How can you intercede for those brothers and sisters around you? Are there unmet needs you may be able to provide? “
And, “The early church played a role in protecting and defending other believers, so how can we?”
How can you be more like the early church believers today?

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Learning More About the Way of God

Old Testament: 2 Samuel 15 & 16

Poetry: Proverbs 24

*New Testament: Acts 18

In Acts 18 Luke mentioned several workers active in the Church with Paul, giving background for some. It may miss our attention at first, but we don’t know if Aquila and Priscilla were already Christian disciples when they were exiled from Rome (v. 2-3). They were not just fellow tentmakers with Paul, he highly praised them, and a church met in their home (Romans 16:3-5). We know that Egyptians and Romans were present for the Pentecost event (Acts 2:10), so we should expect that some from those areas were present at every festival Jesus attended and perhaps learned from him all along. Logically people from those areas were present during the time John the Baptist ministered as well. There could have been people with imperfect understandings of God’s plans scattered across the empire, and outside it, waiting to encounter disciples. Alexandria was the second largest city in the empire (next to Rome) and had a very large Jewish population. No Bible book relates events there, so it basically disappears from our awareness. Apollos, from Alexandria, knew about Jesus, his identity and resurrection, but he missed some details involved with serving Jesus – particularly not having been baptized into Jesus’ death and resurrection. Fortunately, Apollos met Priscilla and Aquila and they were able to take him aside and help him by explaining “the way of God more accurately.” This allowed Apollos to then be of great use to those who believed, through grace (v. 27-28).

It is hard to visualize quite what version of belief Apollos was getting by with before he met Priscilla and Aquila. He still valued his understanding as coming from God, and wanted to share it, as John the Baptist had done. We know he was teaching accurately “the things concerning Jesus,” but what does that leave out? Was he still depending on the Law to carry him along? He understood the idea of repenting, but did he have an idea of how he was supposed to arrive at forgiveness? Perhaps Apollos simply trusted God and moved forward, expecting things to become clear. We can be thankful that he did.

Dear Lord, thank you that as your servant I am not left uncertain about being forgiven. Please help me not to put any of the old weight of sin back on myself, let me accept that the past is in the past. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you, in whatever way it comes. Please help me to grow, not to accept staying as I am, but to seek to be more useful for you and for your people. Prompt me to accept the opportunities that come to me which are within my capacities. Help me to recognize your will. In the name of your son, Jesus, Amen.

-Daniel Smead

Questions:

What do you think it would mean for someone to try to live their life as a Christian aware of Jesus, and having repented, but without the Spirit? Do you think there is a limit on how long that would be able to last, or what a person could face and still attempt it?
Does it surprise you that Apollos was trying to spread the news he had, even though it was incomplete?
What do you see represented in the fact that Priscilla and Aquila “took Apollos aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately”? How do you visualize that event taking place? How long do you think it took, for example? How do you think they introduced themselves?
How often do you think about the fact that on a given day your situation may not be the most important, but someone else you are interacting with may greatly need your attention?
Do you think much about the idea that people today are trying to serve God with what they understand, and they are waiting to encounter someone willing to help them see the truth more clearly? Are you living in a way where you would feel open to speaking for Jesus if you meet one of those people?

(Sorry this wasn’t sent out til now…I thought it was posted this morning but it appears I shut my computer lid too quickly, or some other technical issue…here’s another try…)

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Going with the Gospel

Around the World or Across the Street

Acts 18

It is interesting how some people basically stay in one place all their lives and others seem to travel about quite frequently. No one can accuse the apostle Paul of being a homebody! In Acts 18 we notice that Paul travels quite extensively staying in one place for a little while, and then traveling to another place. Sometimes the places he traveled to received the gospel message with readiness and welcomed him, and at other times he received more hostile treatment. Everywhere he went he shared the gospel message. About the first thing he would do each place he went was to go to the synagogue and teach there about Jesus being the promised Messiah and way to salvation.

Among his travels he met Priscilla and Aquila and they were strengthened in the faith. So much so that later when Paul travelled on to a new location without them they were able to teach another man named Apollos more clearly about the gospel. It seems whether near to home or far away these early Christians were ready and willing to share the message with whoever would listen and believe. They were truly ready to give an answer in season for the hope they held within them.

We should be ready and willing just as they were to give an answer for the hope that we hold within us. Whether God gives us the opportunity to travel from place to place, or whether He asks us to be the light within our own community. Our willingness should always be present, just as it was with the early Christians, to share the hope we have in Christ.

-Pastor Merry Peterson

Today’s Bible reading passages can be read or listened to at BibleGateway here – 2 Samuel 17-18 and Acts 18

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How to be an Apollos

Acts 18:19 – 19:41

Because the book of Acts spends a great deal of time tracking the apostle Paul’s missionary journeys, it’s easy to overlook others who only have a few verses written about them, but they played a significant part in the spread of the Gospel. One of these is a man named Apollos.

We meet up with Apollos in Ephesus and immediately we are informed of his cultural background, his hometown, and his status in regards to his knowledge of the Scriptures. We know that he was enthusiastic about continuing his own understanding as evidenced by his time spent with Priscilla and Aquila. We read that Apollos is very enthusiastic and bold about sharing the Gospel to other Jews. And if we take a sneak peak in 1 Corinthians 3: 4-5, we see that his influence of converting believers is compared to Paul! Wow!

So what can we apply to our own lives just off of these verses at the end of Acts 18?

1 – We each need to be reading and studying Scripture regularly. If you’re reading this blog post, chances are…you do this already! Great! If digging into Scripture isn’t a consistent habit you have in place – ask yourself how you can restructure just a portion of your day to include an infusion of the Word. I know a couple of people who have found that listening to the Bible while on their way to or from work or school has made a difference. Try it out! You might like it!

2- Be willing to continually learn more about the Word of God from others who have been around a while. And if you’re one who has experience living a Christian lifestyle, make sure that you are connecting and investing in others’ spiritual walks. When Apollos met up with Priscilla and Aquila, he only knew about the baptism of John. After spending time with the couple, Apollos’ ministry became even more influential. This could be you!

3 – Acts 18:28 states that “Apollos vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate”. If you’re on any kind of social media platform, I’m sure that you’ve witnessed hotly contested debates in the last few months over a variety of issues and I am certainly not advocating for that in regards to faith-based ideas. Instead, think about it this way: Apollos was ready to give a logical response to those who asked questions. AND he was prepared to thoughtfully challenge (I’m sure in a calm and respectful manner) others’ thinking. We must also be prepared to do the same. 1 Peter 3:15 tells us to “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” If the situation ever presented itself, could you share your testimony of how and why you became a child of the Most High God? If not, spend some time thinking about what you would say…you never know when you might be asked to share your story.

Apollos, while not as prolific as the apostle Paul, had incredible influence over the spread of the Gospel of Christ. You and I can also lead consequential lives in which our love for God and His love for us is shared with others. To be effective, we must continue to study Scripture, learn from others, and be prepared to speak boldly. This is what makes us modern day disciples of Christ.

-Bethany Ligon

Today’s Bible reading passage can be read or listened to at BibleGateway here – Acts 18:19-19:41.

Tomorrow we will finish the week with the beginning of 1st Corinthians (chapters 1-4).

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The Perfect Team

Acts 18 26

ACTS 18

Shoes and socks, salt and pepper, peanut butter and jelly. Some things just go together, complement one another and make the perfect team.

Priscilla and Aquila are just such a pair. They are spoken of at least three times in this chapter by Luke, and then Paul will speak highly of them in three of his letters – and each time they will be mentioned together – a team. They were a team in marriage and a team in ministry.

They endured storms together – banished from their home in Italy when Emperor Claudius removed all Jews from Rome. Together they opened their home to others. Paul would stay in their home, and later they would host a house church. Together they risked their lives for the sake of Paul (Romans 16:3-4). They learned together and taught together. They traveled together. They mentored together. Together – they served God.

If you are married already – consider how you can work on your teamwork skills today (and all your tomorrows, too). Neither you nor your spouse is perfect – that is true, of everybody else’s spouse too – but together you CAN be a perfect team – complimenting each other’s skills and working together for God’s glory. What acts of service to God and others can you work on together?

If you are not married now – but might be in the market to be married at some point…consider wisely. Rather than seeking out the hottest athlete or the cutest nerd (or whatever characteristics are already on your to-find list), be intent upon finding one who will be a great mate to serve the Lord with you.

-Marcia Railton

Tag: Priscilla and Aquila

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