Acts 18:24-28. Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.
27 When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. 28 For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
Aquila and his wife Priscilla might have been among “the visitors from Rome” (Acts 2:10) who were present in Jerusalem during the Pentecost. They may have seen the powerful move of the Holy Spirit as the wind and fire filled the house where the disciples were gathered (Acts 2:1–4), and they may have witnessed the moment when the door to the gospel opened to people from fifteen nations (Acts 2:5–13). Perhaps they heard Peter boldly proclaim the death and resurrection of Jesus, declaring Him as both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:14–36). That could have been their first time hearing the gospel—that Jesus is the Christ. If so, they would have been among those amazed by the fulfillment of God’s promise and the transformation of the city (Acts 2:37–41), as the Early Church was born (Acts 2:42–47).
Roughly two decades later, after being expelled from Rome, Aquila and Priscilla met Paul in Corinth. They worked with him as tentmakers and stood by his side each Sabbath as he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to convince Jews and Greeks that Jesus was the Christ. When opposition arose, they saw how God opened the door to the Gentiles and protected His church in Corinth (Acts 18:1–17).
Later, Priscilla and Aquila traveled with Paul to Ephesus, where they heard Apollos speak in the synagogue. Apollos was educated and knew the Scriptures, and he taught about Jesus with great passion. But he only understood the baptism of John, the message of repentance for sins (Mark 1:8). He didn’t yet grasp the full meaning of why Jesus came—to give the answer to humanity’s fundamental problem, not just external sins but the root cause: Satan, sin, and separation from God.
When Priscilla and Aquila heard Apollos speak, they welcomed him into their home and helped him understand the way of God more accurately. They explained to him that Jesus was not just a good teacher or a moral example, but the Christ—the True King, True Priest, and True Prophet. They explained and proved from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ, the one who came to destroy the devil’s work, break the curse of sin, and open the way back to God.
With their help, Apollos realized, believed, and confirmed the gospel for himself. It became his gospel. When he later went to Achaia, he was able to strengthen the believers and powerfully refute the Jews, demonstrating from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ (Acts 18:28).
The gospel that Jesus is the Christ is the only message that saves. It is the gospel Jesus gave to His disciples (Matthew 16:16), that was proclaimed by the apostles (John 20:31, 1 John 5:1), by the Early Church (Acts 5:42), by Paul (Acts 9:22, 17:3, 18:5), by Priscilla and Aquila (Acts 18:26), and by Apollos (Acts 18:28).
Any other message is a distortion. As Paul wrote to the Galatians, those who preach a different gospel are under God’s curse—even if it’s an angel from heaven (Galatians 1:6–9). The gospel does not change, and it must not be changed.
Though the world has changed in countless ways over the past two thousand years, the mystery of Christ has not. The message once hidden is now revealed, and it is this gospel that the world so desperately needs (Romans 16:25–26). Our task is to cherish it, guard it, and proclaim it without compromise. Let us remain in the flow of God’s eternal covenant and carry the gospel that Jesus is the Christ until He comes again.
Prayer. Father, thank You for revealing the mystery of Christ to me. Like the disciples of the Early Church, I desire to cherish, guard, protect, and proclaim the good news that Jesus is the Christ until He comes again. Fill me with Your Spirit so I may stand firm as Christ’s witness in a world filled with different gospels. In Jesus’ name, Amen.