Acts 18:24-26 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

And a certain Jew, &c. While Paul was thus visiting the churches of Galatia and Phrygia, there came to Ephesus a Jew, named Apollos A native of Alexandria in Egypt; an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures Namely, those of the Old Testament. Observe, reader, every talent may be of use in the kingdom of Christ, if joined with the knowledge of the Scriptures, and fervour of spirit. Now this man was instructed Though not perfectly; in the way of the Lord In the doctrine of Christ; and being fervent in spirit That is, earnestly desirous of promoting the progress of truth, and the conversion of souls; he spake and taught diligently Greek, ακριβως, accurately, or with exactness, according to the best light he had; knowing only the baptism of John That is, what John taught those whom he baptized, namely, the nature and necessity of repentance toward God, and faith in a Messiah shortly to appear. It is thought he had heard John the Baptist preach, and had become his disciple in Judea: if so, as John was beheaded more than twenty years before this time, and as Apollos seems to have had little or no knowledge of the Christians, it is probable he had not remained in Judea, but had returned to Alexandria, his native city, after he had been baptized by John, and had continued there till nearly the time of his coming to Ephesus. Hence he had had no opportunity of being fully acquainted with the doctrines of the gospel, as delivered by Christ and his apostles. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue Pleading the cause of God and real vital religion with an earnestness becoming the importance of the subject, as well as freely reproving the Jews for their vices, which were so commonly practised among them, and showing the vanity of those hopes which, as the seed of Abraham, and the disciples of Moses, they were so ready to entertain. Whom when Aquila and Priscilla Being then at Ephesus; had heard Perceiving that he manifested an upright mind, and great zeal for the worship and service of the living and true God; they took him unto them Probably to their house; and expounded to him the way of God more perfectly By informing him that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, whose coming John had announced, and by assuring him that John had even pointed him out as the Christ to his disciples. Besides, these well- instructed Christians, who, during Paul's abode with them, had gained a perfect knowledge of the gospel, doubtless gave Apollos a particular account of the supernatural conception and birth, of the doctrine, miracles, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus; and informed him that he had proved himself to be the Christ, not only by his miracles and resurrection, but by his baptizing his disciples with the Holy Ghost and with fire, as John had foretold.