QUESTION: Who is APOLLOS?
ANSWER 1: Apollos was a well-known early Christian evangelist, apologist, and church leader who was also a close friend of the apostle Paul. Apollos was a Jew who lived in Alexandria, Egypt. He was known for his eloquence, his mastery of the Scriptures, his fervor in the spirit, and the fact that he was “instructed in the way of the Lord” (Acts 18:24). In the year 54, he embarked on a journey to Ephesus, where he boldly taught in the local synagogue. At that time, however, Apollos only had a limited understanding of the gospel because he was “acquainted only with the baptism of John” (Acts 18:25). This most likely indicates that Apollos preached repentance and faith in the Messiah; in fact, he may have even believed that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah; however, Apollos was unaware of the full extent of what Jesus had accomplished through his death and resurrection. Apollos’ knowledge of Jesus Christ was incomplete, but Paul’s friends Aquila and Priscilla spent some time with him and helped fill in the gaps in that knowledge (Acts 18:26). Apollos immediately began a preaching ministry after receiving the full message, and God used him as an effective apologist for the gospel during his time on earth (Acts 18:28).
Apollos made his way through Achaia and ultimately arrived in Corinth (Acts 19:1), where he “watered” the seeds that Paul had planted there earlier (1 Corinthians 3:6). When you are studying the first letter to the Corinthians, it is essential to keep this in mind. Apollos had gained a following among the church in Corinth due to the natural gifts that he possessed; however, what had begun as simple admiration was developing into contention. There was a group in Corinth that, contrary to Apollos’ wishes, asserted that they should look to him rather than Paul or Peter as their spiritual guide. This group did not include Paul and Peter. Paul addresses partisanship in 1 Corinthians 1:12-13, which can be found here. Christ is not divided, and we should strive to follow his example. Personality cannot take precedence over the truth.
The last time Apollos is mentioned in the Bible is in Paul’s letter to Titus. In this letter, Paul instructs Titus to “Do everything you can to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way and see that they have everything they need” (Titus 3:13). At this point in time, Apollos was most likely traveling through Crete, which is where Titus was located. And it should come as no surprise that Paul continued to value Apollos as a valuable co-worker and friend even after everything that had happened between them.
Some people think that Apollos ended up going back to Ephesus in order to continue serving the church there. Although there is no biblical evidence to support this particular assertion, it is a distinct possibility that he did. Again, there is no biblical support for the identification of Apollos as the author of the book of Hebrews; however, this does not stop some people from making the connection. The author of Hebrews has never been identified.
In a nutshell, Apollos was a learned man who had a burning passion for the Lord and a natural gift for teaching others about him. He dedicated himself to working in the Lord’s vineyard, assisting the apostles in their ministry and diligently edifying the church. His life ought to inspire each one of us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord” (2 Peter 3:18) and to make use of the gifts that God has given us in order to advance the cause of truth.
ANSWER 2: Apollos was a Jewish Christian who lived in Alexandria during the first century and is mentioned multiple times in the New Testament. He was Paul the Apostle’s contemporaries and worked with him, and he was a colleague who played a significant part in the early development of the churches in Ephesus and Corinth.
Apollos is first mentioned as a Christian preacher who had come to Ephesus (probably in AD 52 or 53). There, he is described as “being fervent in spirit: he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.” Apollos was the first person to mention Apollos in connection with Christianity. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more adequately. Apollos was instructed by this Jewish Christian couple who had come to Ephesus with the Apostle Paul. “When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more adequately.”
Since Apollos “knew only the baptism of John,” the disparity in their perspectives most likely stemmed from the Christian practice of baptism, which John wasn’t familiar with. After some time had passed, during Apollos’ absence, the author of the Acts of the Apostles recounts an encounter that took place between Paul and some disciples at Ephesus: And he asked them, “When you believed, were you given the Holy Spirit?” (And they said, “Yes.”). They responded by saying, “No, we are not even aware that there is a Holy Spirit.” And he asked me, “Then into what were you baptized?” They greeted him with the words, “Into John’s baptism.” And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” This refers to the fact that John preached that the people should put their faith in Jesus. As soon as they heard this, they submitted themselves to being baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And as soon as Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit descended upon them, and they immediately started prophesying and speaking in tongues.
Before the arrival of Paul, Apollos had relocated from Ephesus to Achaia and was now residing in Corinth, which served as the capital of the Achaian province. According to the book of Acts, Apollos traveled to Achaia with a letter of recommendation from the Christians in Ephesus. Once there, he greatly assisted those who had come to believe as a result of God’s grace because he effectively refuted the Jews in public by demonstrating through the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
Apollos is mentioned as a significant figure in Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians, which is addressed to the Corinthians. Paul explains Apollos’ part in the work that was done in Corinth by saying, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”
The epistle of Paul makes reference to a rift that occurred in the church of Corinth between four factions, two of which attached themselves to Paul and Apollos, respectively, and called themselves by those men’s names (the third and fourth were Peter, identified as Cephas, and Jesus Christ himself). However, it is possible, as Msgr. Ronald Knox suggests, that the parties were actually two, with one party asserting that they followed Paul and the other party asserting that they followed Apollos. “It is surely probable that the followers of St. Paul alleged, in defense of his orthodoxy, the fact that he was in full agreement with, and in some sense commissioned by, the Apostolic College. This is something that has been proven to be the case. This is why I say, “I am for Cephas.” What kind of a response was the Apollos faction going to give? It devised a strategy, which has been imitated by sectarians on multiple occasions in subsequent times; it appealed behind the Apostolic College itself to him from whom the Apostolic College derived its dignity, saying, “I am for Christ.” Paul asserts that the schism occurred because the Corinthians were spiritually immature at the time it did.
Apollos was a devoted follower of Judaism and was born in Alexandria. The fact that Apollos was born in Alexandria has given rise to the hypothesis that he would have preached in an allegorical manner, similar to that of Philo. For instance, theologian Jerome Murphy-O’Connor made the following observation: “It is difficult to imagine that an Alexandrian Jew could have escaped the influence of Philo, the great intellectual leader,” particularly considering the fact that Philo seems to have been especially concerned with education and preaching.
There is not a shred of evidence to suggest that Apollos supported or sanctioned an exaggerated assessment of his person. Paul attempted to persuade Apollos to go to Corinth at that moment; however, Apollos declined, claiming that he would come to Corinth at a later time when he had the chance.
One more time throughout the New Testament, Apollos makes an appearance. In the epistle to Titus, the recipient is admonished to “hasten Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way” (speed Zenas and Apollos on their way).
ANSWER 3: Probably one of the most intriguing figures in the Bible is Apollos. He was a Jew from Alexandria who became an evangelist. He is mentioned several times in the New Testament. He was an eloquent speaker and a knowledgeable man of the Bible. He is also said to have used his gifts to edify others.
While Apollos was a well-educated man, his teaching was incomplete. He believed Jesus to be the Christos, and was not as familiar with the full truth about baptism of the Holy Spirit.
He was also known for his eloquence, which was developed by experience and hard work. He was a fervent speaker who had no problem speaking boldly in the synagogue. He was also an adept scholar of Scripture, especially the Old Testament. He was able to prove that Jesus is the Son of God by using the Scriptures. He was a good example of how a Christian should use their gift to edify the Body of Christ.
He was also an evangelist, which is another reason he was named as the most notable of the men of the Bible. He was able to edify the church by promoting the gospel in a way that was well received. His ministry was filled with the Holy Spirit. He was a man of great faith and zeal, and used his gift to encourage others to serve the Lord. He is a model for all Christians.
He was probably an intelligent, cultured man, with a love for the Bible and for God. He took advantage of the resources available to him, including the library of Alexandria. He was able to take notes on a few of the most interesting facts in the Bible. He may have even read a small portion of Hebrews. He was not afraid to go up against Jews about Christ. He was able to make a difference in the early development of the churches of Ephesus and Corinth. He also had an open mind when it came to further truths from the Bible. He taught others about the Lord and his Word with a confident and enthusiastic spirit. He was a wise leader who modeled for others the important things in life. He was also a great orator. He was able to explain complex ideas in a way that made them seem simple.
He was also a shrewd businessman, and had a lot of money to spend. He traveled with at least one other believer. He was also a very eloquent preacher, although he was not a great orator by today’s standards. He was not a monk, but he was a true believer. He was a good example of how Christians should use their gifts to the best of their ability. He was also a good example of how Christians should obey the Holy Spirit.
His teachings were not a complete package, but they were true. He was a good example of a biblically minded person, and he was a faithful minister of the Lord. He was not responsible for the tension that existed in the Corinth church.