A Great Messenger with an Incomplete Message
Acts 18:18 – Acts 9:17
November 28, 2010 – Evening Service
¾ A Zealous but
Disciple (18:24-26a)
His Abilities:
ƒ He was
ƒ He was an Old Testament
ƒ He had a clear understanding of the expectation of the
ƒ
He was a man of
The Problem: (18:25)
ƒ He had an accurate knowledge of the Old Testament but
that is still
ƒ He would never be able to give others
about their own eternity
ƒ He did not know about the
and
of Jesus
¾ A Little Help From New
(18:26-28)
Qualities of 2 Disciples:
I Corinthians 1:11-12
Deficient Disciples (19:1-5)
Paul's spiritual discernment:
Rom. 8:9, 16; I John 5:9-13
Question #1 “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"
Question #2 "Into what were you baptized?"
Knowledge of Jesus Christ, His life, death and resurrection are
to truly be born again!
I Corinthians 15:3-4
Romans 10:9
A Distinction in Baptisms:
ƒ John the Baptist's baptism was preparatory; it looked
to Christ's coming.
ƒ Believer's baptism is a testimony, it looks
Christ's completed work on the cross
John 20:25, 29
What we learn:
What Impresses Us About Apollos?
ƒ He would let two members of the congregation
him.
ƒ Though a teacher he was
ƒ His full knowledge of Jesus would now make him almost
impossible to
¾
The Basis of His Question - Romans 8:9
Those who preach and teach need a thorough
of Jesus Christ
No amount of zeal can
truth
Sincerity is no substitute for
¾ The Almost Saved are Now
(Acts 19:6)
a knowledge of
!
to
1
A Great Messenger with an Incomplete Message
Acts 18:18 - 9:17 – November 28, 2010 – Evening Service
Intro: From time to time we hear people speak who have great abilities and passion for
something. They are exciting to listen to because they just exude enthusiasm. They are
humorous and very gifted at speech. These kind of rare people always attract a crowd.
There is a danger with this, however. The danger revolves around the content of their speaking
matter. We live in a day and age when very gifted “Televangelists” convince people of different
things ... simply by their great skills as speakers. Great cautions need to be applied by those who
listen.
Aquilla and Priscilla are about to hear one of these superbly gifted men talk about the Messiah.
They would be thoroughly impressed. They would be impressed by his abilities. They would
even appreciate his zeal and passion for his subject matter. But they would also realize a
problem. The problem would be clear to them ... but not to the speaker.
Let's remember the context of this passage by setting the state for what is about to happen
The Setting: (18:18-22)
1. Paul has just met a dear couple - Aquila and Priscilla and become great friends …
2. Paul was wrapping up this particular journey ... he was thinking about home
3. Paul, as a Jew, had a practice of following some O.T. disciplines solely to maintain
his
* A Nazarite vow to not cut his hair for a while (18:18)
* Paul was not telling others they should do the same ... he was merely
doing something that helped him remain focused on his Jewish heritage
3. He wanted to visit the cities he had previously visited ...
Transition:
1. He took Priscilla and Acquila with him to Ephesus
2. He left them there ... obviously to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ ...
3. Paul continued his trip back to his home church (18:22-23)
... we pick up the story of a disciple ... a follower of God ... but we also learn something else
about this man. For he is ...
¾ A Zealous but DEFICIENT Disciple
(18:24-26a)
Acts 18:24-26
Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to
Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures.
18:25 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;
2
18:26 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.
Apollos - A Greek name ... but a Jew
His Background: (18:24)
1. He was a Jew ... a very intelligent man ... astute in Greek philosophy of literature
2. Trained perhaps at one of the most exclusive universities of the world - Alexandria
* Alexandria had one of the largest libraries in the world
His Abilities: (18:24b-25)
1. He was ELOQUENT * A captivating speaker ... the kind that dazzled you with natural skills or oratory
* These kinds of speakers in the church are rare ... they make public speaking
entertaining and captivating!
2. He was an Old Testament SCHOLAR
"mighty in the Scriptures" – the Old Testament
Observation:
There are some Bible teachers who have an amazing ability to understand the
Scripture and correlate related passages ...
3. He had a clear understanding of the expectation of the MESSIAH
"had been instructed in the way of the Lord"
He knew the teaching of the prophets and the prophecies concerning the Messiah
He was looking for the full manifestation of the Messiah of Israel
4. He was a man of ZEAL
"fervent in spirit"
(Not the Holy Spirit … mighty in his human spirit)
"Fervent" = means boiling hot
He had a interest in Jesus … and what he knew about Him impressed him!
"he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus
The Problem: (18:25)
1. He had an accurate knowledge of the Old Testament but that is still INCOMPLETE
Acts 18:25
“… acquainted only with the baptism of John
2. He would never be able to give others CONFIDENCE about their own eternity
3
3. He did not know about the DEATH and RESURRECTION of Jesus
*** Apollos is a man with an incomplete message ...
Transition: We will discuss the nature of Apollos' problem in just a moment ... but we want to
observe two familiar disciples at work. We look at two who were needed big time. Apollos
would need …
¾ A Little Help From New FRIENDS
(18:26)
Once again we meet Priscilla and Aquila (18:26)
Acts 18:26
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.
Qualities of Two Disciples:
1. They WISELY looked for a time and place to approach Apollos
* They were warm and tactful in their approach … very gracious
2. They did not CRITICIZE his incomplete knowledge
3. They did not PUBLICLY challenge Apollos
* They probably had him into their home
* Probably commended him for his boldness
* Expressed an appreciation of his abilities
4. They emphasized the need for a PRECISE understanding of Jesus
The Point:
It is not good enough to simply know ABOUT Jesus ... one must know
that He is to be known PERSONALLY
Illustration:
In our Discipleship Evangelism we have several maps of Fresno ... those
maps are very accurate ... the problem is ... the city has grown so rapidly
that the maps or now INCOMPLETE. The old ones are correct ... just
incomplete!
AND WHEN YOU DRAW A MAP FOR SOMEONE … ALWAYS
REMEMBER TO PUT NORTH AT THE TOP … which is unnecessary if
you have a GPS unit …
What Impresses Us About Apollos:
1. He would let two members of the congregation TEACH him.
Acts 18:26
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.
4
2. Though a teacher he was TEACHABLE
Implied from 18:27 ... He listened!
Acts 18:27
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 helped greatly those
who had believed through grace;
3. His full knowledge of Jesus would now make him almost impossible to REFUTE
(18:28)
Acts 18:28
for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that
Jesus was the Christ.
Transition: Apollos would become very dynamic ... so much so that some believers would
create a sect ... a special following would develop ...
I Cor. 1:11-12
"... I have been informed ... that there are quarrels among you."
".... each one of you is saying, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I
of Christ."
*** But we have no evidence that Apollos encouraged any such following
Transition: It appears that many Jews were present in Palestine when John the Baptist baptized
people. Many heard his stirring messages ... messages that moved people to get ready for the
coming Messiah. Messages that brought conviction of sin and a desire to get right with God.
Some heard John's messages and were baptized. Some left Israel shortly thereafter never
knowing that Jesus was right on the heals of John's ministry. We meet several of them in chapter
19.
For here we see #3
¾ MORE Deficient Disciples (19:1-5)
Acts 19:1-5
And it came about that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper
country came to Ephesus, and found some disciples,
19:2 and he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they
said to him, "No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit."
19:3 And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" And they said, "Into John's baptism."
19:4 And Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to
believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus."
19:5 And when they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Why Disadvantaged?
9 Like Apollos, had not heard the story about Jesus Christ
5
9 They did not have the complete story concerning Jesus
The Setting:
Paul is back in Ephesus
He meets 12 men … very sincere in their faith … but incomplete in that faith (19:7)
Paul's spiritual discernment:
Paul comes upon 12 men who are very sincere in their believe in a Savior
He notices something is wrong ...
* Paul notices it ...
* Tries to determine what it is
The Basis of His Question is Romans 8:9
Romans 8:9
However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells
in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
The Simple Truth:
If you do not have the Spirit of God living in you ...
9
9
9
9
Confirming that you are family of God
Convicting you of sin
Helping you understand the Bible
Causing you to display visible manifestations of Christ's presence by the fruit
of the Spirit
THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE YOU ARE NOT A TRUE CHRISTIAN!
The Crucial Point:
The witness of the Holy Spirit is one significant PROOF that a person is truly born again
(Rom. 8:9, 16; I John 5:9-13)
Romans 8:16
"The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God."
Paul asks some questions: 19:2-3
Acts 19:2-3
and he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they
said to him, "No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit."
19:3 And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" And they said, "Into John's
baptism."
Question #1 "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"
Do you have an internal confirmation that you are right with God?
6
Questions #2 "Into what were you baptized?"
Who did you identify yourself with when you believed?
The Disciples of John:
1. Knew that there was a Holy Spirit
2. Knew that the Holy Spirit would be given by the Messiah
3. Anxiously awaited the coming of the Messiah
* But some would not be in Israel when Jesus came ...
Important Note:
Knowledge of Jesus Christ, His life, death and resurrection are CRUCIAL to truly be
born again!
I Corinthians 15:3-4
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for
our sins according to the Scriptures,
15:4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the
Scriptures
An Important Thought:
The recording of this encounter teaches us that a knowledge of some basic facts
concerning Jesus are absolutely ESSENTIAL for salvation.
Note a simple statement of fact in Romans 10:9
Romans 10:9
that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that
God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved;
There must be an openness about one’s belief in Jesus
The Response of the 12 (19:5)
When they were given the complete story ...
Implied: They believed!
Stated: They were baptized!
* They would take a public stand for Christ
A Distinction in Baptisms:
ƒ John the Baptist's baptism was preparatory; it looked FORWARD to Christ's coming.
ƒ Believer's baptism is a testimony, it looks BACK to Christ's completed work on the
cross
Work that was accomplished in the saint’s life at salvation
* There would be no resistance by these seekers ... because they were
prepared and were waiting for the truth about the Messiah!
7
When they heard the rest of the story … they were not like doubting Thomas …
John 20:25, 29
“… Unless I shall see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the
place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."
20:29 Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are
they who did not see, and yet believed."
Watch this
If you heard the preaching of John the Baptist and were baptized by John … this was a
very good thing. But it was not believer’s baptism.
Acts 19:6-7
And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they
began speaking with tongues and prophesying.
19:7 And there were in all about twelve men.
What we learn:
9 Those who preach and teach need a thorough KNOWLEDGE of Jesus Christ
* Some say
"It doesn't matter WHAT you believe as long as you believe"
"Don't all roads ultimately lead to heaven?"
"Sincerity is all that really matters"
WRONG! Truth is truth ... many people are sincere in their religions ... but
Jesus would say "THEY ARE SINCERELY WRONG!"
9 No amount of zeal can REPLACE a knowledge of truth
9 Saving faith requires an understanding of basic FACTS
Many things about Jesus can be known but SAVING truth requires a knowledge of
facts about Christ as Savior and God!
The Point:
"Many things about Jesus may be known, and still the saving truth may be
unknown"
What We Learn:
ƒ Those that receive the first bits of truth about Jesus will be given more information
later so that they can believe the whole story!
ƒ Receiving eternal life is not gained by SINCERITY but upon TRUTH
John 14:6
"Jesus said, I am the way the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but by Me!"
* Many are sincere ... but many sincere people are sincerely wrong"
8
Compare:
When I took geometry … I sincerely tried to understand the theorems. But I got poor
grades. I was wise enough to know that it would foolish to try and reason with the
teacher that I was sincere in my desire to understand though I failed some key tests.
Sincerity is no substitute for TRUTH!
¾ The Almost Saved are Now COMPLETELY SAVED (Acts 19:6)
Acts 19:6
And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began
speaking with tongues and prophesying.
The Purpose of the Gift of the Spirit:
To AUTHENTICATE the completed work of Christ to Old Testament believers.
* These disciples would be very needy for something to validate the
message of Paul ... God would validate their salvation by the gift of tongues
Three Steps not repeated today …
#1 - They BELIEVED (because they followed that with baptism)
* v. 5 - they were baptized
#2 - They received the Holy Spirit AFTER believing {by the laying on of hands}
*** v. 6 - They received the Spirit
#3 - They began SPEAKING in a language they had never learned
Important To Note:
ƒ Today, speaking in tongues is not an EVIDENCE of the baptism of the Spirit
I Cor. 12:30
"... all do not speak with tongues, do they? ..."
ƒ
Nowhere in Scripture are told to SEEK a baptism of the Spirit
* It comes automatically at the point of salvation
Ephesians 1:13
In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,
ƒ
The Acts 19 incident is not NORMATIVE today because it was never repeated!
Transition: We need to be guarded and not take the unique means God used in Acts and expect
them today.