By David ReayTuesday 16 Aug 2022LifeWords DevotionalsDevotionsReading Time: 2 minutes
Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt. He had been taught the way of the Lord, and he taught others about Jesus with an enthusiastic spirit and with accuracy. However, he knew only about John’s baptism. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately. (NLT)
There are right and wrong ways of putting someone straight. Our text today describes an example of how to do it. Apollos was eloquent and learned, but he needed some correction. AInstead of humiliating him in public or starting a whispering campaign behind his back, they took him aside and put things right.
We all need correction or refreshing at some stage and it is good to have people like Priscilla and Aquila around to do the job. It is not at all loving to just sit back and watch as someone we value stumbles or needs a bit of correction. It is often lazy and timid cowardice to do so. It is harmful and unhelpful to shame someone in public, or to be harsh and destructive in our correction.
Apollos could have been destroyed by such approaches. He could have gone on offering an incomplete and misleading message. He could have shrunk into obscurity with his tail between his legs. He did neither because he had caring colleagues who saw what was wrong and put it right in the right way.
Blessings,
David