Biblical Profile: Apollos

Apollos

Apollos was a Hellenistic (Greek-speaking) Jew, well versed in Scripture, who became a strong evangelist and Christian apologist. A native of Alexandria in Egypt, where there was a large Jewish community, Apollos apparently came under the influence of John the Baptist’s followers. He then became a bold and enthusiastic preacher of Jesus in Jewish synagogues, though he knew nothing of Christian baptism.

When Priscilla and Aquila heard Apollos preach in Ephesus, they invited him to their home and explained the way of Christ to him more fully. With the encouragement of the believers in Ephesus, who recognized his God-given gifts and ministry, Apollos then traveled on to Achaia (i.e., Corinth). There he greatly helped the believers as an effective defender of the Good News in public debate with the Jews, boldly demonstrating that Jesus is the Messiah predicted in Scripture (Acts 18:24-28).

A dynamic communicator, Apollos was popular with some of the Christians in Corinth because of his intellectual style and his powerful speaking abilities. As a result of his powerful ministry, some in Corinth were more drawn to Apollos than to Paul (1 Cor 1:11-12). Paul’s defense of himself and his simple, unimpressive way of preaching the Good News may have been precipitated by comparisons that people were making between him and Apollos. Significantly, Paul nowhere criticized Apollos himself. He called Apollos a fellow servant and was grateful for the follow-up work he had done—Apollos watered the seed that Paul had planted, and God blessed the work of both (1 Cor 3:5-9; 4:1). Rather, Paul criticized the shallow perspectives and divisiveness of those drawn to Apollos for superficial reasons (see 1 Cor 1:10-12; 3:3-4; 4:6-7).

Perhaps Apollos’s reluctance to return to Corinth from Ephesus (1 Cor 16:12) was due to concern over the divisions that resulted from his ministry. Yet Paul encouraged him to return there at some point. Several years later, when Apollos was ministering on the island of Crete, Paul encouraged Titus to make sure Apollos’s needs were met as he set off to an unknown destination for further missionary service (Titus 3:13). Apollos, with his strong intellectual gifts and powerful speaking abilities, had a significantly different approach and style from that of Paul, yet both men proved effective and useful in the service of Christ.

Passages for Further Study

Acts 18:24–19:1; 1 Cor 1:10-12; 3:3-9; 4:1, 6-7; 16:12; 2 Cor 10:10; Titus 3:13