Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos: Guidance
Scripture Reading — Acts 18:24-28
[Apollos] 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.
Far from his home in Egyptian Alexandria, Apollos was preaching about Jesus in Ephesus. Apollos was a learned man, but he didn’t have the whole story. He needed someone to come alongside and help him understand the gospel more completely.
Priscilla and Aquila heard Apollos speaking in the local synagogue and invited him to their home. They chose a wise mentoring approach with Apollos. Rather than correcting him in public or openly challenging his teaching, they fostered a relationship with him in the context of loving fellowship. They guided Apollos by clearly explaining God’s Word to him.
This couple did not just go home and criticize the preacher. They did not tell their neighbors how Apollos was getting things wrong. Rather, they went to him directly and invested in him, reaching out in love and gaining a friend and colleague in ministry.
Apollos learned from Priscilla and Aquila, and he went on to preach with great vigor. He was corrected in a way that encouraged and strengthened him for effective ministry.
How would our communities be if we chose to guide others in more loving fellowship? Choose to come alongside and invest in people’s lives!
Lord, give us compassion for one another so that we can speak the truth in love. May we offer correction in en-couraging ways. Help us to invest in one another and care enough to correct in love. Amen.
About the author — Steven and Deb Koster
Steven and Deb Koster have a passion for marriages, families, and spiritual growth in the home. Both are ordained ministers in the Christian Reformed Church in North America. Steven formerly served as editor of Today and director of ReFrame's English-language outreach. Deb leads Family Fire, ReFrame’s family ministry at FamilyFire.com and on Facebook. The Kosters have three children.
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