“AN ELOQUENT MAN, AND MIGHTY IN THE SCRIPTURES” (ACTS 18:24) · CALLED IN ACTS 18: TAUGHT, THEN SENT TO ACHAIA

Apollos. A Jew of Alexandria who watered what Paul had planted at Corinth.

ALSO CALLED

No other name

FROM

“A certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria”.

TRADE

Scripture does not say

FAMILY

Scripture does not say

WRITINGS

None

BACKGROUND

Home, trade and family

FROM

THE CALLING

The calling

“And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:”

Acts 18:27 (KJV) →

WHERE HE WENT

Acts and after

  • Alexandria · His birthplace. Acts 18:24
  • Ephesus · Taught by Aquila and Priscilla. Paul, writing 1 Corinthians from here, had urged him to go to Corinth. Acts 18:24–26 1 Corinthians 16:8 +1 more
  • Achaia Acts 18:27
  • Corinth · Watered what Paul had planted. Acts 19:1 1 Corinthians 3:6
  • Crete · Titus, in Crete, is to send him on his way (where Apollos was going is not said). Titus 1:5 Titus 3:13
  • Caesarea · tradition · no map pin · Called its bishop in a list ascribed to Hippolytus (tradition); which Caesarea is not said.

IN ACTS AND THE LETTERS

  • He came to Ephesus “fervent in the spirit” and spoke boldly in the synagogue, “knowing only the baptism of John”, until Aquila and Priscilla taught him more. Acts 18:24–26
  • In Achaia he “helped them much which had believed through grace: For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ”. Acts 18:27–28
  • Paul came to Ephesus “while Apollos was at Corinth”. Acts 19:1
  • At Corinth some said “I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ”. Paul answers: “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed”; “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase”. 1 Corinthians 1:12 1 Corinthians 3:4–7
  • Paul writes that he has applied these things “in a figure” to himself and Apollos, “that no one of you be puffed up for one against another”. 1 Corinthians 4:6
  • “As touching our brother Apollos, I greatly desired him to come unto you with the brethren: but his will was not at all to come at this time; but he will come when he shall have convenient time.” 1 Corinthians 16:12
  • Later Paul asks Titus to “Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them”. Titus 3:13

COMPANIONS

Who was with him

Each line joins him to someone Scripture places beside him.

  • Priscilla and Aquila Heard him at Ephesus and taught him “the way of God more perfectly”. Acts 18:26
  • Paul “I have planted, Apollos watered”; Paul urged him to go to Corinth and calls him “our brother”. 1 Corinthians 3:6 1 Corinthians 16:12
  • Cephas (Peter) Named with him and Paul among the Corinthians' factions. 1 Corinthians 1:12 1 Corinthians 3:22
  • Zenas Travelling with him when Paul wrote to Titus. Titus 3:13
  • Titus Asked to send him on his way. Titus 3:13

HOW THE STORY ENDS

Scripture says, tradition says

SCRIPTURE SAYS

  • The last we read of him: on a journey, to be helped on his way by Titus (Titus 3:13). Scripture does not record his later life or death. Titus 3:13

TRADITION SAYS

  • A list of “the Seventy” ascribed to Hippolytus names “Apollo, bishop of Cæsarea”. Its ANF editor calls it “Probably spurious, but yet antique”.[6] Who says so: On the Seventy Apostles, ascribed to Hippolytus, date unknown
  • Smith (1884) repeats it: “Tradition makes him bishop of Caesarea”.[20] Who says so: Smith's Bible Dictionary, 1884

OPEN QUESTIONS

Where readers have differed

Possibly: he fits the description of the writer

first proposed by Luther; Alford, Kurtz and Farrar, as listed by Westcott (1892)

Westcott: Luther “conjectured that it was more likely to have been written by Apollos”; the sole ground is the description of Apollos in Acts 18:24–28 and 1 Corinthians. Acts 18:24 1 Corinthians 3:4–6 [13]

There is no evidence for it

Westcott (1892); Easton (1897), “without sufficient ground”

Westcott: “there is not the least evidence that Apollos wrote anything”, and the wide acceptance of the guess shows “our natural unwillingness to frankly confess our ignorance”.[13][19]

IN SCRIPTURE

Every passage

CHAPTERS · 7

Acts 18 Acts 19 1 Corinthians 1 1 Corinthians 3 1 Corinthians 4 1 Corinthians 16 Titus 3

PASSAGES · 7

Acts 18:24–19:1 1 Corinthians 1:10–17 1 Corinthians 3:1–11 1 Corinthians 3:21–23 1 Corinthians 4:6 1 Corinthians 16:12 Titus 3:13

WHAT SCRIPTURE DOES NOT SAY

  • Scripture does not say how Apollos first learned “the way of the Lord”, or whether he was baptized again.
  • Scripture does not say that Apollos encouraged the party that used his name at Corinth.
  • Scripture does not say why he would not go to Corinth when Paul asked him (1 Corinthians 16:12).
  • Scripture does not record his later life or death; it does not say he wrote anything.

IDENTIFICATIONS THIS PAGE RELIES ON

  • From the textThe KJV's “eloquent” renders a Greek word the Revised Version (1881) translates “learned”. Acts 18:24
  • Before he met Aquila and Priscilla he “was instructed in the way of the Lord” and taught “diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John”. Acts 18:25
  • Scholars' viewHow he had learned so much yet knew “only the baptism of John” is explained in different ways: Blass (as reported by Kerr) thought he had a written gospel that reached Alexandria; Kerr (ISBE, 1915) thinks it “more probably” came from what he had heard of John the Baptist's preaching. Acts 18:25 [22]
  • Scholars' viewLightfoot (1890) holds that Apollos was not counted an apostle: Clement of Rome sets the Corinthians' partisanship for “Apostles that were highly reputed” beside partisanship for “a man approved in their sight”, meaning Apollos. 1 Corinthians 1:12 [11][9]

SOURCES

Where this page comes from

  • Eusebius (trans. A. C. McGiffert, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 1), Church History (1890), 3.4.6-7; 6.25.6.
  • A. C. McGiffert, Notes to Eusebius, Church History (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 1) (1890), book 3, chapter 4, notes 607-611 and 614-615; book 6, chapter 25, note 1981.
  • Irenaeus (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1), Against Heresies (1885), 3.1.1; 3.13.3 with note 3538; 3.14.1.
  • Tertullian (trans. Peter Holmes, Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 3), Against Marcion (1885), book 4, chapter 2; book 5, chapter 3.
  • Unknown (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 5), The Muratorian Fragment (Canon Muratorianus) (1886), sections 1-2.
  • Ascribed to Hippolytus (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 5), On the Seventy Apostles (1886), list nos. 15-17 and 50, with note 2027 ("Probably spurious, but yet antique").
  • Unknown (ed. James Donaldson; notes by M. B. Riddle; Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 7), Constitutions of the Holy Apostles (1886), book 7, chapter 46; Riddle's introductory notice ("not later than the fourth century").
  • Jerome (trans. E. C. Richardson, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 3), Lives of Illustrious Men (1892), chapter 7 (Luke); chapter 135 (written "the fourteenth of the Emperor Theodosius").
  • Clement of Rome (trans. J. B. Lightfoot), 1 Clement (1891), chapter 47 (checked against the 1891 printing, archive.org apostolicfathers00ligh).
  • Suetonius (trans. J. C. Rolfe, Loeb Classical Library), The Lives of the Caesars: The Deified Claudius (1914), 25.4.
  • J. B. Lightfoot, Saint Paul's Epistle to the Galatians (10th ed.; scan of a later reprint) (1890), pp. 96-98 ("The name and office of an Apostle", with notes); pp. 104-105 (on 2:3-5); pp. 121-123.
  • F. W. Farrar, The Life and Work of St. Paul (1898 printing) (1879), pp. 234-236 ("Was he circumcised?").
  • Brooke Foss Westcott, The Epistle to the Hebrews: The Greek Text with Notes and Essays (2nd ed.) (1892), Introduction, "History and Authorship", pp. lxxiv-lxxix.
  • Marcus Dods, "The Epistle to the Hebrews", in The Expositor's Greek Testament, vol. IV (1897 (1910 printing)), Introduction: authorship, pp. 228-229.
  • Charles Bigg, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles of St. Peter and St. Jude (2nd ed. 1902) (1901), Introduction to 1 Peter, p. 5.
  • W. M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen (1895), ch. III (Titus and the famine visit); ch. IX section 3 ("The coming of Luke"); ch. X; ch. XI (Aquila and the edict); ch. XII sections 1-2 (Cenchreae; Apollos, Priscilla and Aquila); ch. XIII (Titus); ch. XVII (Luke and Antioch).
  • W. J. Conybeare and J. S. Howson, The Life and Epistles of St. Paul, new edition (first published 1852) (1891), ch. XI, pp. 300-301 (Aquila and Priscilla); ch. XII, pp. 330-331 and note (the vow at Cenchreae).
  • Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, vol. 1: Apostolic Christianity (revised ed.) (1890), section 82 (Luke), with notes 991-994; section 85 (Acts), with note 1098.
  • M. G. Easton, Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897), entries Silas; Timothy; Titus; Luke; Apollos; Aquila; Priscilla.
  • William Smith, Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884), entries Silas; Timothy; Titus; Titus Justus; Luke; Apollos; Aquila.
  • C. M. Kerr, Silas (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) (1915), read online at internationalstandardbible.com; to be checked against a scan of the printed 1915 edition.
  • C. M. Kerr, Apollos (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) (1915), read online at internationalstandardbible.com; to be checked against a scan of the printed 1915 edition.
  • John Rutherfurd, Timothy (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) (1915), read online at internationalstandardbible.com; to be checked against a scan of the printed 1915 edition.
  • John Rutherfurd, Titus (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) (1915), read online at internationalstandardbible.com; to be checked against a scan of the printed 1915 edition.
  • A. T. Robertson, Luke, the Evangelist (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) (1915), read online at internationalstandardbible.com; to be checked against a scan of the printed 1915 edition.
  • International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (article unsigned in the online text), Acts of the Apostles, part 1 (III. Unity of the Book; IV. The Author) (1915), read online at internationalstandardbible.com; to be checked against a scan of the printed 1915 edition.
  • Jacob W. Kapp, Aquila (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) (1915), read online at internationalstandardbible.com; to be checked against a scan of the printed 1915 edition.
  • William G. Moorehead, Peter, the First Epistle of (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) (1915), section on Silvanus; read online at internationalstandardbible.com; to be checked against a scan of the printed 1915 edition.

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