THE KING’S BUSINESS *
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sumably he followed these Jewish usages for the sake of getting hold of the Jews. Priscilla and Aquila accompanied him as far-as Ephesus. This visit to Ephesus was his first, and very brief. Little apparently was accomplished at this time, but he promised a later visit, and we shall see as we go on that this later visit was marked by one of Paul’s most successful missions. This passage brings Paul’s second mission ary journey to an end and notes the begin- - Here Apollos appears on the scene for the first time. He was a man of notable erudition, a scholarly preacher. This fact made his preaching there attractive to a certain class who were not as much attracted by Paul (1 Cor. 1 :12). But-though Apollos was a scholar he was not merely a scholar, he was ^mighty in the Scrip tures,” which unfortunately is not true of many who pose as scholarly preachers. He had been “taught by word of mouth.” (This, is the force of the word translated in both Authorized and Revised Versions “in structed.”) He was also a man of glowing earnestness. He “taught carefully” - (the Authorized Version says “diligently,” the Revised Vefsion, “carefully.” “Exactly,” or “accurately” would be a more exact trans lation than either “diligently” or “care fully”) the things concerning Jesus.” It is held by some that those who came out under Apollos and formed the nucleus of the church in Ephesus described in the opening verse of the next chapter were only disciples of John the Baptist, and did not know- the truth about Jesus, but what is written here shows that this is a mistake. They were taught with accuracy and exact ness “the things concerning Jesus.” What Apollos taught was doubtless the facts about Jesus’ life,, death, and resurrection, but the full significance of that life, death, and resurrection he did not understand, and the full significance is not understood by the average church member today. Apollos knew only one baptism, that of John, i.e., ning of the third. Friday March p. Acts 18 : 24 - 28 .
Wednesday, March 7- Acts 18 : 12 - 17 . '
Here we see the bitter opposition, which the Lord had told Paul was coming, in full force. The Jews, seeing the success of Paul’s work, brought him before the Roman judgment seat, charging him with persuading men to worship God contrary to the law. But Paul did not even- need to open his mouth to speak in his own defense. Gallio, the Roman pro-consul, was a man who took little interest in religious matters, he utterly despised all the religion of the Jews. Such questions as questions of wor ship^ were to him merely “questions about words and names.” He would not inter fere in such matters, he considered them beneath his attention. He contemptuously drove the whole crowd from the Roman judgment' seat. Sosthenes, and not Paul -'suffered. He was “the ruler of the syna gogue,” and the populace saw an oppor tunity to vent their spite against the Jews upon him. When Paul, at a later date, wrote to. the church in Corinth he speaks about Sosthenes (the same name as the ruler of the synagogue who was here beaten) as a “brother.” Perhaps it is this same Sosthenes, and the experience he had at this time may have led to his conversion. Gallio was indifferent as to what they did with Sosthenes, not because he had any sympathy with Christianity, but because he was utterly careless regarding religious things. Thursday, March 8 . Acts 18 : 18 - 23 . This passage brings Paul’s long and effective ministry in Corinth to a close. He did not leave immediately after his unjust treatment by the Jiws, but “tarried after this yet many days,” establishing and con firming the work, but having overcome all opposition ahd firmly established the young church in that wicked city, he moved on. Paul had not broken alto gether with some of the Jewish usages which are not of the essential things in Judaism. We see him shearing his head in Cenchrea because he had a vow. Pre
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