SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6/4/2018
8:28 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-1 Apollos
in Transition
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Acts
18:24-28
Message
of the verses: “24 Now a Jew named
Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was
mighty in the Scriptures. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the
Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the
things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; 26 and
he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila
heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more
accurately. 27 And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren
encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had
arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, 28 for he
powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that
Jesus was the Christ.”
One of the things that I have
wondered about as I have read over this passage is what the word “eloquent”
meant and John MacArthur quotes A. T. Roberson who wrote a book entitled “Word
Pictures in the New Testament,” an older book written in 1930. He states that this is the only time that
this Greek word “Logios” is used in the New Testament. “The Word ‘can mean either a man of words…or a man of ideas.’” Not sure exactly which on Luke was talking
about, but perhaps Apollos may have been both a learned and eloquent man.
We see that Apollos was an
Alexandrian by birth, which means that he came from Egypt near the mouth of the
Nile, as there at that time was a large Jewish population there and so that is
where he learned the Scriptures and Luke says that “he was mighty in the
Scriptures.” MacArthur writes Dunatos (mighty) is related to dunamis, from which the English word ‘dynamite’
derives. Graphais (Scriptures), as always in the New Testament, identifies
the Old Testament. His learning and
eloquence, coupled with his powerful treatment of the Old Testament, made
Apollos a devastating debater (cf. v. 28).”
The church today is truly in need of a man like Apollos.
Let us look at verse 25 and the
words “had been instructed in the way of the Lord.” This does not mean that Apollos was a Christian
at that time as we will learn that he had only known the teaching of John the
Baptist. This phrase, “the way of the
Lord” means that it is an Old Testament term for instructions in the things of
God. Let us look at what God said to
Abraham in Genesis 18:10 “19 "For I
have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after
him to keep the way of the
LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring upon
Abraham what He has spoken about him."”
We will conclude this SD by looking
at some other OT verses that go along with this topic, “the way of the Lord.” “21 I
also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left
when he died, 22 in order to test Israel
by them, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk in it as their
fathers did, or not’ (Judges 2:21-22).” “8
Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He instructs sinners in the way. 9 He leads
the humble in justice, And He teaches the humble His way (Psalm 25:8-9).” MacArthur concludes “The way of the Lord,
then, was the path of spiritual and moral standards God expected His people to
follow (cf. 1 Sam 12:23; 2 Kings 21:22; Prov. 10:29; Jer. 5:4-5).”
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: In order
to walk in “the way of the Lord” I must continue to strive to have the “mind of
Christ.” Paul addresses this in some of
his letters, especially to what he wrote to the Philippians in chapter two as
he writes about the humility of Jesus Christ who submitted to the Father while
on planet earth.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Continue to study about having the mind of
Christ.
Answer
to yesterday’s Bible question: “In the
presence of mine enemies.”
Today’s
Bible question: “Which of Laban’s
daughters was beautiful and well favored?”
Answer
in our next SD.
6/4/2018
9:11 AM
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