As Paul’s third mission trip begins, another prominent and outspoken figure arrives in Ephesus.
Acts 18:24-26
As the early sun portends yet another brutal hot day ahead, a young man takes some comfort sitting along a river bank with his feet dipped into the cooler water. His father sits on an adjacent boulder, as the two observe one man teaching to a crowd of hundreds. His disciples, peppered behind him in the slightly deeper waters, are baptizing those wading out in their direction.
Unable to fully hear what the disciples are quietly saying to those being baptized, the young man is able to make out a few words like “repent” or “turn”.
He looks up at his dad who catches his glimpse and then gestures over to the wild looking teacher.
“Shhh.” His dad whispers. “This is important. Listen.”
The young man complies and turns his head back to a leathery figure dressed in primitive clothing. “I wonder where he lives.” He thinks to himself.
“How do you prove that you have repented and turned back to God?” The preacher rhetorically asks, as he looks heavily into the eyes of those in his audience. He then continues: “By the way you live. Don’t think you can hide behind the notion that you’re children of Abraham. That will not save you from the judgment to come. Believe me when I say that God will uproot the trees that do not produce good fruit. He will throw these useless trees into the fire. Do not be a useless tree that only produces bitter fruit.”
The young man looks up at his father once again and finds him staring back at him. “I don’t want to be a useless tree.” He laments.
“You won’t be.” His father replies. “Know God’s place in your life. Fear him, and let him be your master. Let His Laws determine your steps.”
The preacher continues in the background, “Stop skimming off the top. Collect only what the government requires, and be content with your pay.” He then points at the men who just asked him their questions and goes on, “It’s time to make amends, gentlemen.” He then nods at a nearby disciple to escort the men out into the deeper part of the river.
Uncertain, the men eventually follow the disciple, as the preacher moves on to address others in the crowd.
The young man’s father’s eyes do not drift away from his own. “Apollonius,” He asserts. “The Law is a lamp on your feet, a light for your path. Don’t fight against it. Trust that God knows what he’s doing.” His father hops off of the boulder and takes several steps into the deeper water. He turns to look back at his son and asks. “Well… are you ready to be a useful tree?”
…
In the middle of the columned hall, a sharply dressed man amasses the attention of the crowded room. He’s seen this before. In Alexandria, packing a room and keeping those in attendance at the edge of their seats was commonplace for him. Why would it be any different here? Nearly a half a head higher than anyone else in the room, he conscientiously straightens his posture, making him seem all the more taller. He intently stares at certain individuals situated throughout the room. Their body language betrays their thinking. He knows he has piqued their interest. He knows he has caused them to contemplate his prose… about their misdeeds… about their preoccupation to serve themselves first.
His chiseled jaw, his tightly coiffed hair, and his pressed garments rival the statues found throughout Ephesus. Like moths to the flame, they simply cannot take their eyes off of him.
The longer he speaks, the more insecure they feel. Several in the room cannot help but to elevate the man as their own new tangible model of perfection. The men in the room find themselves looking down, taking deep breaths and shaking their heads, uncertain and wondering if being like him is attainable or if they should even bother trying. He’s the one they want to pattern their own lives around, or at least some aspect of their lives. He’s the full package.
The women seated on the other side of the room… well, that’s another story altogether.
It’s not that they haven’t seen good looking and fashionable men in Ephesus before. No, there were many of those types wandering throughout the city. But this man… there was something different about him, something balanced. Confident yet respectful. Bold yet self-effacing–his ability to clearly, crisply and systematically work through ideas in such easily digestible ways. His broad vocabulary wasn’t being used for ornate purposes… or uttered to make those listening feel inferior, though one may suspect that he could gush with the best of them. No, his words were precise. Clean. Purposeful, masterfully used and flawlessly executed. And… they cut to the heart.
“You.” He points to a row of well-dressed elders seated along the wall. “You enjoy the baths here in this city… I suspect no differently than the way we enjoy them in Alexandria. The cold water comfortably warms from the furnace fire at the ground level, resulting in an enjoyable bath for anyone with means to enjoy.”
He continues: “Are you comfortable? Do you live comfortably? Do you live with means? Does your wealth bring you options galore? How did you come about those means? Moreover, what have you done with those means? Have you used your means to generously benefit others? Or, have you been miserly with such generosity and hoarded your means to benefit only you?”
Listening from two separate corners in the room, Priscilla catches Aquila’s attention and mouths, “Who… is… this… guy?” She gestures to the speaker and at the elders seated along the wall.
Aquila shrugs.
The temperature in the room builds, and some begin to fidget.
The preacher continues, “Yes your baths are comfortable. You are comfortable. Some of you are openly opulent, showing off your wealth to those without, and you wonder why you are the objects of their covetousness. Some of you enjoy the finer things of life.” He gestures to many seated on the floor. “Whereas, many right here in this room wonder where their next meal might come from.” He looks back at the wealthy seated along the walls. “Does your comfort come at the expense of these servants, the very ones who feed the furnace a floor below you. Be mindful of those struggling around you.”
The room grows uncomfortably silent, as the preacher allows for several moments to pass. He finally continues: “The day has arrived where those without means will receive comfort, where the servants feeding the furnace will trade places with you and enjoy their baths. For those of you who have been less than generous. It is you who should feel uncomfortable, for your comfort will last but only a short while. The day of judgment is nigh and it burns much like that furnace. However, this fire will not consume the fuel of wood or coal. It will not be a fire designed to offer comfort to the smug or the arrogant. No… this fire is one of judgment where all who live for themselves will be called to give an account. For those who aim to satisfy themselves, this reckoning fire will only bring pain and sorrow. For those who live to help others, this purging fire will vindicate their lives. They will finally receive their comfort. For those of you who fear the Lord’s name, God’s Kingdom has come upon you. You will go free, leaping for joy like calves let out to pasture.”
He steps down and walks towards the synagogue’s exit, leaving a crowded yet stupefied room. With all eyes on him, he turns around and offers a final morsal. “I have little more to say at this point. Remember to obey the Lord’s servant, Moses, and the Laws given to Moses on Mount Sinai for all of Israel.” He exits the room and seats himself in the adjacent courtyard.
Conversations ensue as the service ends. Making small talk with those around her, Priscilla eyes her husband waiting patiently nearby. Excusing herself, she meets up with Aquila who greets her.
“Wow!” He says. “What just happened here?”
Priscilla smiles and says, “I think somebody has a crush.”
Aquila deadpans at his wife.
“Too far?’ Priscilla jokes. “I think we need to hear more from our Alexandrian friend. Let’s go and find him.”
Aquila gestures at the crowd rushing to do the same. “Let’s hold out for a bit and wait for the line to thin. He’s going to be busy for a while.”
The room empties, and as expected, a swarm of men make a beeline towards the solitary figure seated on a stone bench.
“Are you Elijah?” One of the younger men asks.
“I am not.” The preacher responds.
“You are the prophet.” Another says aloud.
“No.” He replies. “I am simply turning the hearts of fathers to their children and children to their fathers. Each generation must know the heart of God and not forsake his teachings. Judgment is near and God will hold you responsible for your misdeeds.”
“What should we do?” Another cries out.
The preacher intently gazes upon the middle-aged man and replies. “If you have the means, which I suspect you do, help those who do not. Feed those who are hungry. Clothe those who are naked. Comfort those who can’t get a break. Look around you! There are those who call themselves children of Abraham who live in squalor and do what they can to make ends meet. Stop bragging about what you wear or eat or how you live. Start helping others in need.”
Yet another skeptically comments: “You say the Kingdom of God is here?”
“Yes.” The preacher says.
“Where is the King, then?” He asks.
Carefully assessing the man in front of him, the preacher stands and let’s the question linger for the larger group gathered around him. “The very question Israel has asked of the one who has offered himself to lead them.” He says.
“What are you saying?” The man impatiently replies. “I don’t understand.”
“Our King has visited us.” The preacher replies. “But, we have rejected him.”
“What?” The man asks with surprise. “When…”
The preacher interrupts, “He will not shout or even raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed or snuff a flickering candle. For those who have been wronged, he will bring about a prevailing justice throughout the earth, even to distant lands beyond the sea. Isaiah warned us of our coming King, and we missed him.”
…
We’re going to stop here for today.
Showing up from out of nowhere, Apollos riles the Jewish community here in Ephesus. While Paul and Silas have made their ways back to Jerusalem and Antioch of Syria, Priscilla and Aquila decided to stick around to make Ephesus their new home. Upon hearing the well educated and quite articulate Alexandrian, the entire synagogue had been cut to the core.
Who is Apollos and why does he show up in Ephesus at this time?
Apollos shows up in Ephesus from Alexandria of Egypt in what appears to be a “speaking tour” amongst the synagogues in some of the larger Roman cities. Proclaiming a message similar to that of John the Baptist, Apollos brings a whole new level of refinement with his own approach.
Though Alexandria was a large city of more than 300,000 inhabitants during Rome’s heightened era of imperialism, it perhaps even overshadowed Rome in intellect and learnedness. However, while elitism and intellectualism soared in Alexandria, it wasn’t without its troubles. Heavily influenced by Greek enlightenment and elitism, which happened to be at odds against a large contingent of indigenous Egyptians, Alexandria also had the largest and quite divergent Jewish community in the world at this time. With the likes of contemporary scholars such as Philo, who apologetically defended Jewish history and values–though personally he did not speak much Hebrew–he was heavily influenced by his Greek counterparts. Many schools were developed and adept at churning out exceptional scholarship and orators alike. While we don’t exactly know if Apollos saw John the Baptist at the river, and while we don’t exactly know if Apollos studied directly under Philo, who would have been some twenty years older, it is likely that Apollos had been indirectly schooled by both.
Some twenty years after the ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus, Apollos shares a very similar message to that of John the Baptist, preparing the hearts of Israel to get right with God, realign themselves to the Mosaic covenant, and purge themselves from their selfish ways. In the Acts 18:24-26 passage we learn how there were some key things missing from Apollos’ content and that Priscilla and Aquila intervened to catch him up. What did they talk about? We’re not totally sure, but I suspect that it had something to do with the resurrection and the unveiling of the Spirit of God among both Jews and Gentiles alike.
How much did Apollos know about Jesus?
While he knew who Jesus was, Apollos likely didn’t get the whole picture, so he stuck with what he knew from John’s message. The message of John the Baptist, who was well regarded by many, was far reaching. John’s ministry impacted tens of thousands if not more. Even today, there are still communities out there that follow the message of John the Baptist. Mandaeism is one such community with a fascinating history similar to that of the Jews. They have been scattered around the middle east and subject to much persecution by their Muslim counterparts, all the while treasuring the message of John the Baptist.
Here’s a takeaway: Get right with God. Whether you’re a believer already or this is completely new to you, be reconciled with God. It’s why you were created. It’s why you are here. It’s also going to bite you in the butt if you don’t. The judgment of God is still to come, and an account of your life will still be required.
John the Baptist’s message of, “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand” is every bit as humbling today as it was when he first gave it 2000 years ago. As I have mentioned in previous episodes, John’s ministry goal was to get Israel and Jewish people from all over the world to prepare themselves for the arrival of the coming King who would come and judge the world and call all evil to account. The message unique to Christianity is that Jesus came the first time around not to judge as a righteous king but to make it possible for humanity to know God and become transformed, by God’s Spirit, into Kingdom worthy recipients. Without his first advent, the King’s righteous judgment would fall upon all humanity, not finding one soul worthy of His Kingdom.
John’s goal was to prepare the hearts of those listening to feel the tension of not being good enough, of not measuring up to the standards found in the Law. But the problem… nobody’s perfect. Following the Law could not be sustainable, as that would require perfection. So we fail again and again. After beating our heads against the wall, we eventually come to discover that we need an intervention.
But not everybody sees it this way. Many believed, back in the first century as well as today, they were good enough. Not too different from how we function today, when folks compared themselves to others who couldn’t measure up to them, they felt pretty good. But when measuring themselves up against the really upstanding folks, they couldn’t hold a candle to them. They figure, “Why beat yourself up? You can’t keep the Law at all times and in every way.”
Again, good as we are, nobody’s perfect. So why bother? Well, God requires perfection.
The good news is that through Christ’s sacrifice, God’s perfection has covered our imperfections, so when God looks at those who are covered under Christ’s sacrifice, he purposefully looks at us and chooses only to see the perfection of Christ in us.
So, when the King would offer his life as a means to account for the wrongdoing of humanity, many rejected this idea. Why? There are many reasons that factor in here, but some saw themselves as “Good enough”. But they also hurt themselves in the process.
Many of those who heard John’s message were also receptive to both Jesus’ teachings and his sacrificial offering. They were warm to his resurrection and the idea that God’s Spirit was up to something supernatural. This was the case with Apollos when he received more of the story from Priscilla and Aquila. He was strongly encouraged and ramped up his work even further. Shortly after spending time in Ephesus, he would move his teaching ministry on to the more challenging community of Corinth.
Let’s wrap things up. Get right with God. Reconcile your life with God. Yes, there is a future accounting of your life to come. But that’s only a small part of it. God has a much bigger goal of helping you see the universe from his eyes, to think like He thinks, and to supernaturally empower you to love like He loves. May you warmly receive his Kingdom offer by discovering who Jesus is and how he has given his life as a sacrifice for yours. With that, let’s move forward… together.