APOLLOS WAS WRONG ABOUT BAPTISM

“And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John” (Acts 18:24, 25).

Apollos was an eloquent preacher, he was mighty in the Scriptures, and he was instructed in the way of the Lord, but he was wrong about one thing in his teaching – baptism. Apollos had still been baptizing people with John’s baptism. He did not realize that since Christ had risen and ascended to heaven and the church had been established, people needed to obey the Gospel of Christ – they needed to be baptized in the name of Jesus, into the body of Christ, the church (Acts 19:5; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Colossians 1:18). Brother Garland Elkins says that a horse does not have to jump over every section of the fence to get out; all he has to do is jump over one section and he is out. Even though Apollos was very knowledgeable, he was wrong on this very important subject, and the husband and wife Aquila and Priscilla took him aside and taught him the truth: “And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly” (Acts 18:26).

Apollos apparently had a good heart and accepted the truth which Aquila and Priscilla had taught him, because after this Apollos was mentioned in a very favorable manner: “And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace: For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ” (Acts 18:27, 28). Paul also wrote favorably concerning Apollos: “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6); “As touching our brother Apollos, I greatly desired him to come unto you with the brethren…” (1 Corinthians 16:12); “Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them” (Titus 3:13).

Apollos is a prime example of a humble servant of the Lord who truly sought the Lord’s will, not his own. When he found out he was wrong, he apparently repented, corrected his error, and began preaching the truth. It is interesting that while Apollos was in error he spoke boldly in the synagogue (Acts 18:26). This tells us that he was very confident in what he was preaching, and apparently his conscience was not bothering him, even though he was teaching error. There are many preachers and teachers in the world today who teach error on subjects such as baptism, yet they speak boldly and eloquently, and (just like Apollos) their conscience may not be bothering them. Like Apollos, they need to be taught the truth.

Will the false teachers of today heed the truth like Apollos did after he learned
the truth, or will they continue in fatal error? (Galatians 1:6-10)

Jason Hilburn