I'm going to be reading this morning from acts, the
eighteenth chapter and fascinating set of passages.
Here acts the eighteenth chapter starting in verse 24, is it
work? All right and obviously I'm
heard here. I don't need to be tied.
There is this okay if I stand down here and speak but actually
18th chapter, the last few verses of the chapter starting
with verse 24 and going on down through verse 28 is where we
want to take our text. There are many fascinating
passages and many fascinating characters in the scripture
there. And I've never been one to say.
This is one of my favorites or this is a favorite.
I've never been one to call Favorites because the next time
I read something else, then I have another favorite there in
that it because it just keeps going like that way.
But here's a man that's in a fascinating individual.
That's introduced to us in this passage here in Acts the
eighteenth chapter. We don't know anything about him
before this time. But it's a man by the name of a
paulus. And here, we read these words
Upon A Certain Jew named Apollo's born in Alexandria and
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 and he began
to speak boldly in the synagogue, whom win Aquila and
Priscilla had heard. They took him unto them and
expounded unto him the way of God more.
Perfectly anyway, he was disposed to pass into aquella,
the Brethren wrote exhorting, the disciples to receive him,
who, when he was come help them much, who have believed through
Grace for, he mightily, convince the Jews and that publicly
showing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ and borrowed.
My mistakes. So weeds here in Reading from
the King James version this morning here.
So introduced to us this man by the name of a Us Bible says he
was a Jew but he has a Greek name.
And he was from Alexandria. Alexandria was a hotbed of the
Jewish of Jews in Egypt, and Northern Egypt, there over in
over in Africa. And here was a man.
The Bible says, he was eloquent, he was mighty in the scriptures
and he came to Ephesus and taught the T, the, the teaching
about the Lord here to these people.
So, here is a man who is obviously from his background, a
very religious man. He was Heritage a Jew.
He had this Greek name. So you see some influence here
of him and he comes up to Ephesus.
Ephesus is as the crow flies about 200 miles, north of
Alexandria, if I can, if I can use a rough estimate there, but
a crow would only fly there because you sure can't drive
there. You sure can't walk there
because it's across the Mediterranean Sea.
And I don't know. And we don't know how that he
came the the route that he came to come to Ephesus but he comes
to Ephesus and Ephesus is a place where the Apostle Paul has
been with two of his cohorts that is with two of his people
that he co-workers in that sense.
Aquila and Priscilla were there, they had come there, they had
preached the gospel there, they worked in the synagogue there
and then Paul left and had gone to Jerusalem as I understand it
here from the Pictures here going into Judea and then he was
going to come back later. The Bible says that a policy
appears on the scene and we understand this about him here
that he accurately had a knowledge had an accurate
knowledge of Jesus notice here. And verse 25 is a Jew named
Apollo's born in Alexandria. Eloquent man.
Mighty in the scriptures, came to Jesus, as a 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. But he knew only the baptism of
John, so it qualifies what he said and what he knew about the
Lord, because notice it says, he was he instructed in the way of
the Lord, he talked accurately or diligently, the things of the
Lord. But he knew only the baptism of
John. So I think we can safely say in
conclude from the scriptures that that last phrase that he
only knew the baptism of John. As a qualifier to his knowledge
of the Lord. Now, we know about the Lord, and
we know the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And this is what he understood. It seems like we have.
You know, the Bible says in First Corinthians, the fifteenth
chapter speaks concerning the gospel.
The Apostle Paul says, and he's talks about the complete Gospel
of Jesus Christ. He says, I declare unto you the
gospel, which I preached unto you which you've received and
wherein you stand by which you are saved if ye keep in memory.
What? I preached unto you unless I
believed you unless you have believed in vain What is that
gospel for? I delivered unto you that which
I also received, how that Christ died for our sins, according to
the scriptures, how that he was buried and that how he rose
again the third day, according to the scriptures.
And so the essential facts of the Gospel, the death, the
burial, the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
All of this done in fulfillment, of God's word and fulfillment of
the scripture. Now did a Polish know, all of
that. And that is that what he taught?
Well, he knew it apparently he taught it, but he taught it in
perfectly. In the Bible in Acts and Romans
a sixth chapter, we speak concerning baptism because that
was a problem that Apollo's had notice.
It says there in that 25th verse he taught accurately, or taught
diligently, the things of the Lord, but he only knew the
baptism of John. So apparently, he did not know
the things of that. We understand in Romans the 6th
chapter verses 3 and 4. No, you're not that so many of
us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his
death. Therefore we are buried with him
by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the
dead by the glory of the father, even so we also should walk in
newness of life. So, apparently, he understood
some things about the Lord, but I don't know that he understood
completely about the Lord. Obviously, he did not because he
did not understand these things about baptism.
Baptism in Jesus Christ because that was not under the baptism
of John there. And that's what he knew about.
Baptism the baptism of John and so there is some completeness
about what he knew, but some incompleteness about what he
knew we run into people like that.
Today when we talk to them, there are people who they know
the gospel. They know the church, they know
about the church but yet at the same time, their understanding,
and their background and their past is the worship of the Or
the service of the church is different is different.
Sometimes it's lacking in what the Bible teaches about, the
worship of the church. And so these are people who are
kind of like a paulus. There are people today, who
speak about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and they talked about
Jesus and they understand the death burial and resurrection of
Jesus, but they speak different things.
Concerning baptism, they say, baptism is only is only a form,
is only a pattern of the death burial Resurrection.
Jesus Christ has No relationship really is for forgiveness of
sins and so they're kind of like a policin that they know things
and they know accurately many things about Jesus but there's
some imperfections about their understandings there.
And that's kind of how he was here.
Notice what the Bible says about him, the Bible says, some
glowing things about this, man. He was instructed, he taught And
so he was perhaps one of the Disciples of the first
commission that was given in Matthew the tenth chapter.
Remember Matthew, the 10th chapter Jesus calls, some of his
disciples, a number of his disciples to him and he says
this, he called him, he sent them forth and he says, go not
into the way of the Gentiles and into the city of the Samaritans,
neither do not enter there, but he says go to the lost sheep of
the House of Israel. And so, he called the twelve and
he sent them out. And they went out and they
preached the gospel of Us, that was known at that time, that he
instructed them to that. The Messiah is here, the kingdom
is coming, he taught them and that they needed to repent.
They needed to turn to God. They need to turn back to God,
because because wonderful things are going to happen.
And that's what happened. That's what went out.
And perhaps a policy was one who was perhaps influenced by them
or by some who had heard them teach their down in Alexandria
there and that's where he came from.
We really don't know that much about about.
Paulus about where about that except what is.
So shown here in these scriptures at this point, this
man had natural gifts Now, sometimes we read in the
scriptures and we read about those who in the first century,
who preach the gospel, the apostles, they preached, the
gospel, and they would speak by inspiration and work miracles
and they spoke concerning wrap up by Revelation from God.
God told them what to say, and they would say that.
And remember, that's what Jesus told his disciples when his
Apostles when they were brought before, Kings and rulers.
And when they were brought before, the leaders of the Jews
that they were, Were simply to speak what God had told him to
say. Speak.
Which what will be given to them in that our apology didn't have
that ability? Apollo's, could not work
miracles. How do we know that?
Well, let's just use some logical reasoning here to
understand where a policy was Apollo's.
Could not work miracles because those who work miracles were
those who had the hands of the Apostles laid upon him.
Now, that's very clear from scripture there and acts the 8th
chapter verses 14 through 19. Remember when Philip goes down
to Sumerian preaches, the gospel to them.
The Bible says there in that. Passage that, when the apostles
that were at Jerusalem, when they heard that Samaria had
received the word of God, they sent Peter and John who, when
they were come down, they prayed for them that they might receive
the holy spirit for Shetty has fallen upon.
None of them, only they were baptized in the name of the Lord
Jesus. Then they laid their hands on
them and they received the Holy Spirit.
So that's how the Holy Spirit the miraculous abilities of the
Holy Spirit, were imparted unto people in those days through the
laying on of the Apostles hands. And I believe that I think we
can be very sure about that Apollo has had not had his had
the apostles hands laid on him or in Apostles hands laid on
him, why? Because we had had an Apostles
hands laid on him. He would have known Better than
to preach the baptism of John. He would have known the Full
Gospel of Jesus and he could have preached in any would have
preached, it accurately there. So he did not have that ability.
He did not have that knowledge. Therefore he did not have that
ability and so this is how he was now.
Now, this makes him me like him even more because he preached.
The gospel and he preached the word of God, like you and I
preach it. Now we're not inspired and we
don't have miraculous abilities from the Holy Spirit in order to
preach the gospel. We don't have Revelation from
God through the holy spirit for us to preach the word of God.
Neither did a policies. And so look what he says.
Look what it says this man was instructed in the way of the
Lord. Verse 24, he was mighty in the
scriptures. He was an eloquent, man.
He was a good speaker. And notice here, later in verse
28, he mightily convinced the Jews that publicly showing by
the scriptures, that Jesus was the Christ, was the Messiah.
So what a Polish would do is through his knowledge and his
study of the scriptures as ability to teach and persuade,
he would speak the word of God based upon what he read, but
what was read in the Old Testament scriptures and he
would teach and show that Jesus fulfilled, that picture of the
Messiah, that's what we do. And that's how we do it through
studying the scriptures and then we explain these things about
the Lord. He taught just like we teach
today. So that makes me like him even
more. That makes me like him even
more. I don't think I could speak like
he could, obviously, I don't think I owe.
You know, he was a man who was eloquent and the scriptures
eloquent man. Mighty in the scriptures.
I don't know that I qualify in either of those cat those
categories but he came about it the same way that I would come
about it. And that's what we understand
here about a policy in this. So this makes me like him even
more. There, he would had a profound
understanding the scriptures. He was enthusiastic in
proclaiming. The Lord, the Bible says here in
this, but he had this Gap in his knowledge.
He did not fully know the things of the Lord there in this
situation. So we have these two people that
are introduced to us are here, he began to speak boldly in the
synagogue and verse 26. Whom went Aquila and Priscilla,
heard this heard him, they took him to him and expounded in him
the way of God more perfectly. So Aquila and Priscilla to of
the co-workers of the Apostle, Paul Aquila, the husband of
Priscilla the wife, they took him and they taught him.
I don't think they caught him publicly in the synagogue but
they took him. Aside, is the indication here in
this here, you have a woman a woman also helping to teach a
man in this. So that's a scriptural thing.
Obviously, we understand from the scriptures, that women are
not to teach in the church that they're not to speak in the
church, and they're not to take a teaching role in that or
Speaking role in that. And here we find that they do
have a role to play. And here is a role.
By example that Priscilla played here in this in helping to teach
him the way of God, more completely more completely, he
was incomplete in his knowledge. And so this is what we learn
about him here in this and this is what we have taught to us.
This role here that was played by Aquila and Priscilla in this.
Now. At this point verse 27, it says
he was disposed to pass into a KO.
Now, he was over here in, in in Asia, Asia Minor.
There at Ephesus, he wanted to go over into a KO, which was
over in Europe. It's where Greece is, and
basically what he's talking about is Corinth, we don't know
why he wanted to go to Corinth, but yet it says he was disposed
to go there. And so when he went the Brethren
from Ephesus wrote to Corinth and encourage them to accept
him. You know, sometimes that's what
we do as well. With people, they go into a new
area, we want Brethren there to accept and we write him a letter
of commendation or letter of recommendation.
Sometimes, there's letters that are written that are not letters
of recommendation, in that sense there.
But do we have, always have to write a letter to send somebody
over somewhere. I don't think we do because we
can sometimes pick up a telephone in there or as we do
now, take out our cell phone and send a text to somebody there
and tell them this is a good brother.
You know, please. Yeah, except him here.
But here it gave introduction to it.
And so he goes to aquella in. The Bible says here that he
went, they hear they exhorted the brother and to receive him.
And when Apollo's was come to aquella, he helped them much who
had believed through Grace. Now here we understand and this
goes back to the 18th chapter, the earlier part of the 18th
chapter will, Paul was at Corinth, Paul goes to Corinth
there and what does he do? The Bible says that when he was
at Corinth, he reasoned verse 4 of Acts 18.
He reasoned in the synagogue, every Sabbath and persuaded the
Jews and the Greeks. And when Silas and Timothy came
Paul was pressed in the spirit. He testified to the Jews that
Jesus was Christ. And so he became more bold when
he had his backups with him. There, I don't think it's a
matter of Boldness. I think it was a matter of
planning that there was more work, that would be brought up
with Timothy our yes, with Timothy and and Silas that came
there. And so this is when he began to
fully, press the gospel and prove to them, that Jesus is the
messiah. Verse 6 says, when they oppose
themselves, that is the people in the Jewish synagogue there in
Corinth, when they oppose themselves and blasphemed.
That is they really, they defeated their own spiritual
purposes in how they reacted to the preaching of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ here, by Paul Paul shook his raiment, he said unto
them, your blood be upon your own heads.
I'm clean. I will henceforth turn unto the
Gentiles. So, Paul took the gospel first
to the Jews. And then he took it to the
Gentiles after that he gave them opportunity first to do this.
And what was he doing? What was he doing when he
preached to them? Well let's look at the 17th
chapter because I think it's a good example of what Paul was
doing their acts of 17th chapter.
Here is Paul and thessalonica verse 2 and 3 Paul as his manner
was This is Paul how he customarily operated when he
went into a area where the gospel had not gone before.
And so if they Paul did it at thessalonica, that's probably
what Paul did at Corinth or what he was doing there.
How did he behave? How did he, what was, what was
his plan of operation, as his manner was he went unto them in
the synagogue there. According to verse 13 Sabbath
days, he's reason with them out of the scriptures, he reasoned
with him out of the scriptures. Now, it's not the New Testament
scriptures, but the Old Testament scriptures there.
He use the prophecies, he used the teachings of the Old
Testament and he reasoned with them.
Paul would read them or they would read them and he would
talk to them reasonably logically about what the
implications and the teachings of the scriptures were verse 2.
Verse 3 says Paul did this, he opened and alleged he opened it.
Alleged that is his argument and is documentation backing that
up. He says his argument and is back
as documentation, backing that up, is that Christ had to suffer
and Rise Again from the dead. The Jews.
Often times, did not believe that about the Messiah.
They wanted a Victorious. Messiah, not a suffering
Messiah, but this is what Paul said.
This was his argument, and this is what he proved to, then, he
opened an alleged that the Messiah had to suffer and to
rise again, on the third day. That is, that's what the
scriptures. Taught here.
And that this Jesus whom I preached unto you is the Messiah
is the Christ. And so that's how he did it.
He's taught them, he taught them correctly, the Prophecies of the
Old Testament and then he showed how that Jesus fit the profile
fit, the teaching of the Old Testament prophets there.
And that's how I convinced many of the Jews that Jesus was the
Christ and that they need to follow after Christ.
That's what he tried to do in Corinth.
In the Bible says that when he did that, there it says They
oppose themselves and they blasphemed they didn't like it
at all. I didn't like it at all.
And so Paul turns away from him and goes to the Gentiles, but
there was enough to start a little congregation.
Apparently they're at Corinth, Paul stays there for some time
and this is where a policy goes and you know how to polish was
doing Paul Apollo's was using the same methods that Paul was
using. In teaching, that's what we just
said there. Now the difference is or
difference is Paul had the benefit of inspiration from God.
On his side Apollo's, did not paulus taught like you and I
did. It.
And so a Polish goes there. The Brethren have been
encouraged to accept him and receive him verse 27 of Acts 18.
He says, when he was come He helped them much, which had
believed through Grace. So Paul is came there at Corinth
and he was a great help to the church there in Corinth because
notice what happens here in verse 28, for he mightily
convinced the Jews and that publicly showing by the
scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah was the Christ.
And so he did it. What?
Paul opened an alleged there? Apollo's was the closer I guess
you could say there because he put it over the top for many of
them. Their and apparently he was very
successful in doing that. And so, this is some things we
have about a policy that's not all we read about a policy in
scripture. He's mentioned, if I'm not
mistaken in 10 different verses in the New Testament scriptures,
where we have him next, is, we have him next in, in First
Corinthians, 1st Corinthians. Chapter chapter one.
Who's talked about here, he's mentioned here in this.
Passage. And so I want to turn over there
and let's read some of that because there are some things to
be gained from the teaching about a policy or the mention of
a policy here in these passages. Here the Paul writes to the
church at Corinth Church of Corinth.
As we just said, is the church that Apollo Swit to and help
them a lot by his teaching there after he was straightened out,
after he was straightened out. Before I get there.
There's a question that burns in my head.
When I read this in Acts the eighteenth chapter, if you are
returned, the First Corinthians, just keep your finger there or
Mark, that will come back to that.
But right now, I want to go back to ask the 18th chapter because
I have this, in my, in my sketchy notes Here.
I don't want to talk about this. The question is this?
Aquila and Priscilla taught a policy of the way of the Lord,
more perfectly. Apollo's came knew only the
baptism of John. When a policy has taught the way
of the Lord more perfectly. Was he re-baptized you read
acts? The 18th chapter, doesn't say
that. But you relax, the 19th Chapter.
And here's what we do, read. AXA 19th Chapter, the first few
verses. The first five verses it says it
came to pass. This is sometime later.
Came time is sometime later. Came to pass when Apollo's was
at Corinth. Paul.
This is the Apostle Paul returns to Ephesus.
He did not return by land but he passed the upper Coast.
It says he passed Inland there and came to Ephesus back to
Ephesus. He came to Ephesus, he found
some disciples. There were there.
And he said unto them, have you received the Holy Spirit since
you believed? They said it to him.
We have not so much as heard. Whether there be any Holy
Spirit. He asked them under what then
were you baptized? They Senator John's baptism. so,
With these disciples. Who were followers?
Of what a paulus had preached were these some converts of a
policies there in Ephesus, we don't know.
We don't know, Ephesus. Was a metropolitan City.
There would be probably several synagogues a number of
synagogues in the city of Ephesus.
This may have been a different synagogue that was not even
connected where a policy had been where he had been taught
the way of the Lord more perfectly with the cool and
Priscilla. Maybe may not be.
We don't know at this point. But the thing is that the
Apostle Paul talks to them about this.
What were you baptized into? They sent it to John's baptism.
And so Paul says, this about John's baptism, Paul said, John
truly baptized with the baptism of repentance saying to the
people that they should believe on him, who should come after
him that is on Christ Jesus. So, here was the problem, they
were baptized into John's baptism but baptism of
repentance. If you read back in Mark, the
first chapter, it was a baptism of repentance for the remission
of sins. They're so remission of sins was
even Associated and affiliated with John's baptism.
But it was all conditional upon their acceptance of Jesus.
When Jesus came notice he says there, John baptized the
baptism, repentance saying that you should believe on Jesus on
him and she come after that. Is on Christ Jesus.
They had not done that and that was the problem with the
policies baptism here either. He did not know that Christ had
come or somehow it was, there was a problem here with this.
He preached the baptism of John But not fully to the acceptance
of Jesus. Apparently, that's what had
happened here. This was after the resurrection
of Jesus Christ. This is after the resurrection
of Jesus Christ, is after the time of which now Jesus is now
claimed as the Messiah, as the Risen and ascended Messiah.
Now the king over God's kingdom and they somehow had missed part
of that. They had not accepted in as the
king over God's kingdom. They not had accepted him as the
Risen Christ. As the ascended Christ.
And so when Paul teaches these disciples, what they say about
that, they need to accept Jesus Christ.
What they do. They say, oh okay, we'll accept
them now. No, they didn't do that.
They Under the guidance of Paul here.
Obviously, if this had been wrong, Paul would have corrected
him there since when they heard this, they were baptized in the
name of the Lord Jesus. These people were baptized.
Sometimes we call that they were re-baptized.
But that's the appropriate thing to do.
So my question would be then going back to a paulus.
This is what was in Acts chapter 19.
Is this what was done in? Check Acts chapter 18 and I
would say yes. Indeed, it was, yes, indeed.
It was When a Polish found out that his baptism, the baptism he
was preaching and obviously the baptism that he had obeyed was
wrong. He did the same thing that Paul
later instructed the Ephesians to do down here If not, then we
have confusion and how the scriptures are put together.
And there's some people today that I've believed are
confusing. The idea of baptism they want to
say this, they want to say it really doesn't matter.
Why you're baptized just as long as you're baptized.
And that's not what the scriptures say.
That's not what the scriptures say because it does matter.
It does matter baptism according to Acts 2:38 is for the
remission of sins. 1st Peter, chapter 3 verse 21 says baptism
also. Now saves us Acts 22:16 arise,
and be baptized and wash away your sins.
That's what it's for and the intention makes a difference. if
you fall off a bridge, I guess the end result is the same,
whether you jump or whether you're pushed right, the
intention is, the end result is the same, but baptism is not
falling off a bridge. Baptism is not falling off a
bridge, it understands and it makes a difference what you
understand, what you believe in the purposes for which you're
doing it. It does.
And so the idea that sometimes, sometimes we hear said well just
as long as they're baptized just as long as they're baptized,
That does not add up to scripture here, that does not
act to the context of Acts chapter 18.
Our Acts chapter 18 in Acts chapter 19, does not does not
add it. To the purpose of baptism as is
taught in the New Testament scriptures there.
And so that's what stands out to me here.
A part of this story of a policy.
Let's go on next. It's notice this.
According to the book of Acts here.
Not look at First Corinthians. That's where we're going, right?
Thank you. Thank you for reminding me where
we're going here and, and we'll be done.
Let's notice here. What Paul says One of the
problems in Corinth Paul addresses.
A number of difficulties that took place in the church at
Corinth. One of the problems was there
divisions. Here's what he says in First
Corinthians chapter 1. He says, now this I say every
one of you says, I am appalled, I am of a paulus.
I am of cephas or Peter and I am of Christ.
Now, apparently, Paul lays out here that there were divisions
among them there. Is Christ.
Divided was Paul crucified for you.
Are you baptizing? And Paul.
I think God, I baptized none of you.
But Crispus and Gaius he says, there were divisions among you
in verse 10. I beseech you Brethren by the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, he speak all that.
You speak the same things. If there be no divisions among
you, but be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in
the same judgment. Because I understand there's
some saying, I am a follower of Paul.
I'm a follower of a policy. I am a follower of Peter.
I'm a follower of Christ. That doesn't work.
Paul was not. Crucified for them.
They were not baptized in the name of Paul or of a paulus
nopales, was not crucified for them.
They don't qualify to be one who people follow.
Christ. Jesus Christ is the one who
qualifies there. so he urges them urges them to follow after
Christ chapter 3, Start in the beginning of chapter 3.
Paul says, I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual that
as unto those who are influenced by spiritual things.
Under more mature, people could not speak unto you as mature,
Christians, spiritually, minded Christians, but even carnal.
Those who are influenced by the world, even like babes in
Christ, I fed you with milk. I've not fed you with meet up
into this point. You have not been able to Bear
it, neither yet. Now, are you able to Bear?
He says, this is a sign of carnality among you.
This is sign of being influenced by the world and immaturity
spiritual immaturity for. Whereas among you, there is any
among you envying and strife and divisions, are you not carnal
and walk as men? Now, what's the evidence?
He's saying that they were immature and they were
influenced by the world. He says this.
Verse 4. First Corinthians 3:1 says, I am
a follower of Paul another. I'm a follower of Apollo's or I
am of Paul, or I am of Apollo's. Are you not carnal?
Who's Paul? And who is Apollo's.
They're simply ministers by whom ye believed even as the lord
gave to every man. I have planted Apollos, watered
God gave the increase. So, they neither see the planet.
Anything to the? He that water.
But God gave the increase now. Think back after reading that
thing back over there in Acts the 18th chapter, what happened
there? Paul went to Corinth, Paul
started, the church there, but to a great degree.
Paul is frustrated in preaching the gospel at Corinth.
Paul planted. the end of Acts, the eighteenth chapter Apollo's
comes and where Paul had planted and was frustrated, a paulus,
preach, the gospel there Apollo's watered Apollo's was
highly successful, He helped him much, he believed that through
faith because he convinced the Jews mightily through the
scriptures proving that Jesus was the Christ.
So, a Polish wins the ticket right here.
Impalas wins. Because he did, he was more
successful than Paul at Corinth there, right?
No. And one way of accounting, we
can say he was more successful. But he just played a different
role. Paul was the planter a paulus,
was the water there and that's kind of how it is sometimes.
Sometimes how it is parents, they'll teach their children all
their lives and someone comes through.
And some preacher comes through, from out of town has never been
there before. Hold the gospel beat him and
they baptized him and, you know, Wonderful.
It's everybody playing the road. That's how it is here because
that's what Paul says here. I planted Apollo's watered God
gave the increase. So is neither the he the plans
plants anything? Neither, is he that Waters?
But it is God who gives the increase.
That is the one who really makes the difference there.
We play our roles and without planting and watering there
would not be the increase to be made, but God gives the increase
and we play our roles. Paul played his role Apollo's
played his role. You play your role.
I play my role, those in the congregation, they play.
A their role, it is God who gives the increase?
So, these are some things we can learn from the palace.
Another thing we learned from the policy here is this idea of
this division of this falling after different people.
There Paul says, is a sign of carnality, being influenced by
the world, and it's a sign of spiritual immaturity.
It results in here. He says, envy and strife and
divisions among you, he says this is a symptom of your
carnality and spiritual immaturity in this And sometimes
today we don't do that. Sometimes we don't say, I'm a
follower of this brother. I'm a follower of that brother.
I'm a follower of that person there but we do is we turn it a
little bit different. And we'll say this, will say we
change that phrase a little bit will say, do you agree with
them? You do agree with that person.
Do you agree with them that person there?
It's sometimes. It said tool that you use to
divide up there and identify each other.
And sometimes it's born out of strife and Division.
And sometimes, oftentimes, sadly, it is a sign of
carnality. Oftentimes though, that's an
it's necessary to identify those who are teaching false Doctrine,
teaching false things. But sometimes we use it in the
much the same way that it was used in 1st Corinthians.
The third chapter there, to the detriment of the cause of
Christ. Now, Now let's go next and see
another place in which it's used here in chapters and verses 21
through 23. Paul says the roles are this
that they were just working together in this verses 21
through 23. Therefore let no man.
Glory in man for all things are yours.
So it's not the individual leaders or teachers that we are
to follow. After let, no, man glory in man,
for all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollo's, or
Peter, or the world to come or life, or if their death, nor
things, present, or things to come.
All are yours. You are.
Christ's and Christ is God's. It says, the thing is, we're in
this together. and then in chapter 4, Verse 6, Paul, erases
all the names. Now, what do we mean by that?
Looking 4:6? He's used Paul a paulus and
Peter and Christ all along here. In chapter 6, verse 6 of chapter
4 seems to indicate to me that really the problem wasn't some
were saying I'm a follower of a policy and some say my man
followed appalled. Because in Chapter 4 Verse 6,
Paul says it's these things Brethren.
I have in a figure transferred to myself and to apologize for
your sakes. Notice he says, I have in a
figure transferred him to myself on a policies.
Used Paul says I've used myself a nopales is examples here.
I don't think they were following after Paul or polish.
They might have been following after brother so-and-so in the
congregation and some saying I'm a leader.
I'm, I'm, I'm following the leadership of brother so-and-so
in the congregation there at Corinth there.
The Paul just used himself in a policies examples.
So sometimes we, you know, you seen those shows where it says
the names were changed to protect the innocent Here I
guess you'd say. Paul says the names were changed
to protect the guilty and that sense there.
Having to figure transferred Paul myself in a policy in this.
But the point is this. The point is still clear.
The point is still the same that you may learn in us, not to
think of men above that, which is written.
And then no one of you be puffed up against another.
The point is still the same. God is the one who gives the
increase. We are simply workers together.
For God or with God, in his Vineyard and his kingdom one.
Last thing I want to point out about a paulus here.
Is in. the last chapter of the book of Corinthians, First
Corinthians chapter 16. One thing I learned about Paula
Paul is, if we look at it here Apollo's finally did meet up
with Paul. He did meet up with some
Apostles and so he could have in his later career, in his later
life, he could have had miraculous gifts imparted to him
because he came in contact with Paul.
He came in contact, perhaps with others as well.
That we do not know of Paul mentions him at the book of
Titus, Titus Chapter 3, I believe verse 13.
He mentions a paulus. It apparently seems like Paul is
may have been the one who delivered the letter to Titus
there and so he was associated with the Paul's, but here in 1st
Corinthians chapter 16, we learned something about how God
works and God's plans for us 1st Corinthians chapter 16 and verse
12. Paul rights.
In his closing remarks to the Corinthians as touching our
brother Apollo's. I greatly desired him to come
unto you with the brethren. But as will was not at all to
come at this time but he will come when he shall have a
convenient time. You know, this verse seems to
tell me this verse seems to seems to indicate and gives me
understanding that. God does not always have a
specific plan for your life on what you to do and what work
here involved. I guarantee you there are times
in life when we draw the conclusion, when we're faced
with an issue, when we're faced with the work.
Frank you ever had this who you? Those words, the Old Testament,
who knows? But what you've come to the
kingdom for such a time as this and sometimes you feel like that
the task in front of you, is the task that you're called to do.
And indeed it is. But look here in 1st
Corinthians, the 16th chapter verse 12 and inspired Apostle
greatly desire to polish to go to Quarry if and work there.
But the Paul says a paulus. Didn't want to come at this
time. Don't know why?
He was not willing to come at this time.
You'll come later when he has a convenient time.
And so that tells me also there that it's not that God says,
this is the work that you are to do, and you have to do this
work, we have a choice in the matter.
We have a choice in the matter. But we follow the wisdom and the
teaching of scripture in this. And so that tells me that tells
me and that seems to indicate to me that God doesn't have a
roadmap for my life on, on where I'm going to go, what I'm going
to have for breakfast, what I'm going to have her lunch and, you
know, things like that, it does not do that.
He tells me, I need to obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I need to live for him. I need to serve and I need to be
a part of the body of Christ. I need to serve him in the
church. I need to worship as he teaches
here. Those are things that he does
plan for my life and he does direct for my life.
But some of the details he leaves to my choice as to where
and when and how some of these Works go forward there.
Some things for your consideration.
A paulus a man whose fascinating to me in Scripture.
A man who I take a lot of Hope him because he was a man, kind
of like me. It's kind of a goal to Aspire to
but he's a man that I can learn a lot about and preaching the
gospel to others and in learning how the gospel Works in people's
lives for the saving of their souls.
We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the
Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you
would like any additional information or you would like to
receive a free Bible correspondence, course by mail.
Please email us at info at True Church of Christ
Bakersfield.com. Our service times are on Sundays
at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.
Please make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our
honored guest.