Acts 18:18-28Paul, Priscilla, Aquila and

Apollos

http://www.ccel.org/bible/phillips/CN092MAPS1.htm

Being different

• Paul shaved his hair because of a vow (Acts 18:18)

• Paul had spent 18 months in Corinth, a city with a reputation

• Although he preached to gentiles he was still a Pharisee (Acts 23:6)

Being different

• Many believe Luke is referring to a Nazirite vow (Numbers 6:1-21)

• The Nazirite was separate to the Lord • Believers are called to be different. How

different are we?

Being a people

• Paul had wanted to go to Ephesus for two years (Acts 16:6-7)

• When he finally arrives he finds a favourable reception (Acts 18:20)

• Why did he leave to go to Jerusalem and Antioch?

• His vow was fulfilled in Jerusalem• Antioch was his home church• He had been sent out from Antioch

Being a people

• He had reported back after the first journey • Now he returns and spends some months there

before setting out on another journey• It seems Paul valued his home church • “Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to

redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14)

Serving one another

• It is fifteen hundred miles from Antioch to Ephesus

• Revisiting churches• Places where he had suffered• Strengthening all the disciples • Paul cared passionately for the churches

(Philippians 4:1)

Teaching one another

• Apollos was an educated man• He was ‘mighty in the scriptures’• He understood something about Jesus• Priscilla and Aquila invested time in Apollos • Apollos was humble enough to be taught • He set released into service

Growing up into him

• Apollos was a great help to the church in Corinth

• The order of his message gives us some clues about its content "that the Messiah is Jesus"

• “What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas’”; still another, “I follow Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:12)

Growing up into him

• “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.” (1 Corinthians 3:5-6)