Sin and Fear

The Fellowship of Sin and Fear

there is a fellowship between fear and sin

There is a fellowship between Fear and Sin.

After the children of Israel cross the Jordan River they embark on their militaristic campaign to conquer the Promised Land. God delivers Jericho into their hands and warns them that they are not to take any pillage from the city and all the wealth of the city was to be consecrated unto the Lord. However, after the initial defeat at the hands of the men of Ai, it was found that Achan had sinned in taking for himself of the spoils of Jericho. When asked about his guilt Achan confesses, “When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it” (Joshua 7:21).

In this confession we note the progression of sin and the fear associated with it:

The Head: Achan said, “I saw.” We teach our children to “be careful little eyes what you see.” But how often do we place our eyes, our minds, on those very things that tempt us to do evil? The Psalmist wrote, “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me” (Psalm 101:3). Be careful big eyes what you see!

The Heart: Achan said, “I coveted.” Covetousness is a blight on any people and we live in a society inundated with it. People lie, cheat, and steal to get what they see. This plague has become a scar upon the church as well as men seek their own will and not the will of the Lord. Proverbs 4:23 says to, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”

The Hand: Achan said, “I took.” To see and desire are one thing; to act on it is something else all together! Here the sin is full-grown. James 1:15 tells us that, “when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” There are going to be times when we are going to be tempted to sin; this is simply a fact of living in sin-filled world. But just because this is true does not mean that we have to give in to the sin. In fact, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

The Hiding: Achan then said, “I hid them.” Why did he hide these things? Because he knew he had sinned, he knew it was wrong, and he was afraid. Sin brings fear because we know that there are consequences for our actions. Unfortunately some have become so callous to sin that they no longer fear. Fear and sin are inescapably connected.

The Horror: Achan is stoned to death for his sin. Again James 1:15 says that sin, “brings forth death.” Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death…” One of the saddest stories in all the Bible comes to a close with the acknowledgement of God’s wrath and the far reaching consequences of the sin and fear of one man.

The sinful life of every man follows this same progression and has just as sad and devastating consequences spiritually. However, we have this precious truth that there is “now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1). In Christ we have no reason to fear because He has paid the price for our sins and has saved us from sin and death (Romans 8:2). The love that God has poured out upon His children has delivered us from fear (2 Timothy 1:7). Because there is “no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18). Did you get that? Only those who have been perfected through obedience to Christ can live without fear. Be fearless and be faithful.

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Go Further

He Went A Little Further

are you willing to be like jesus and go further

Are you willing to be like Jesus and go further.

Near the entrance of Gethsemane, He left eight of the apostles and then took Peter, James and John closer to the place where He was to pray. He left this “inner circle” and “…went a little further, and fell on His face, and prayed” (Matt. 26:39, KJV). He went further than others—He always did—and told us to do the same.

In the Sermon on the Mount, He talked about going beyond where others would go. When compelled by a Roman soldier to carry supplies for a mile, Jesus said we should go a greater distance and carry it two (Matt. 5:41). If someone thinks he needs our tunic, Jesus said we should go the greater distance and give him our outer garment as well. He went further, and so should we.

Think of the application this has in every area of our lives. When we see how the world lives with its measure of morality, we should do more. The ungodly do good to those who do good to them, but Christians return blessing for cursing, good for ill treatment and prayers for those who prey on us (Matt. 5:44). He went further, and so should we!

Christian husbands and wives need to go further in the way they treat their mates than anyone else on this earth. Agape love does not wait until a spouse treats them with kindness. Christians go further, and they go further first! Christian parents go further with how they deal with their children than those in the world. Our children’s friends should see how we treat out children and be jealous! Christian children go further in honoring their parents than their friends at school do to their parents. Remember that Jesus went further and so should we!

Christians go further in the workplace than their fellow workers. The Bible uses the term “eyeservice” to describe those who work only when the eyes of their employers see them. Christians do not give eye-service—they go further (Eph. 6:6). They also work just as diligently for good bosses as they do for unkind ones (1 Pet. 2:18). Our Lord went further, and so should we.

Now, take this principle and make it part of your life and part of the life in your family. Going further than others expect will change you and will brighten the light you shine. It will also shock those around you. They likely have never met someone who goes the extra mile. Perhaps they will even see you as part of a church that practices this lifestyle and be led to become part of this great family.

Why not take a moment right now and think of what you did yesterday or today where you could have done more. Do not ever forget. He went further and so should we!

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Is it the Church of Christ?

A Tale Of The Tail-less; The Legend Of The Five Legged Horse

if its christs church it must be described in scripture

If it’s Christ’s Church, It Must Be Described in Scripture.

Question: If you call a horse’s tail a leg, how many legs does a horse have? Answer: Four! Why? Because no matter whatever else you might wrongly choose to call a horse’s tail, it’s still a horse’s tail – and will therefore never be a leg – despite anyone’s most earnest desire to have a five-legged horse! This, because God just simply didn’t make them that way! And the same is true in the spiritual realm as well. Please allow me to explain….

Whenever we want an intelligent definition or description of something which we know relatively little about, we usually turn to an authority on the subject – such as a dictionary or an encyclopedia for instance. These resources, although typically quite useful in describing and defining things in the physical realm, are often far less accurate when it comes to the definition or description of spiritual truths, identities, or institutions. As an excellent case in point, please consider for a moment, an excerpt from Merriam Webster’s online dictionary’s definition of marriage: “the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage <same-sex marriage>”

Marriage is an institution created by God in the beginning, and always consisting of one man and one woman, period (Gen. 2:21-24; Matt. 19:4-6). Unlike man-made dictionary definitions which ebb and flow with man’s morals and desires, God’s definition is “forever firmly fixed in the heavens” (Psalm. 119:89 ESV). What Webster now defines in part as “marriage,” God defines – and always has and always will – as “an abomination” (Lev. 18:22, 20:13; see also: Rom. 1:18-32; and Gal. 6:9-10) – no matter what sinful man may prefer to refer to it as…

And so we see, that one can call the “horse’s tail” of homosexuality “an alternative lifestyle,” “same sex marriage,” or anything else they’d like to, but to God it is still an abomination and a sin, and those who call it otherwise won’t have “a leg to stand on” come judgment day (Rev. 21:23-27).

The same is also true when it comes to those who might choose to refer to their congregation by the noble Name, and powerful, biblical designation of ownership, “church of Christ” (Mark 8:38; Acts 4:12, 20:28; Rom. 16:16). But if we would care to know the true, eternal, forever settled in heaven definition or description of exactly what constitutes a congregation of this divine institution (Eph. 3:8-11), then we must once again, look to the Lord’s all-authoritative definition and description – and not merely the man-posted sign out front, on the internet, or in the phonebook.

God’s all-authoritative encyclopedia (the bible), including, defining, and describing the exact specifications and pattern (2 Tim. 1:13) for this divinely-established institution which was in the mind of God before the beginning of time (Eph. 1:4, 3:10-11), is available for all to read, see, and follow, and will not change – ever.

According to that divine definition and description given in scripture, God shows very clearly, that according to His definition, congregations of His Son’s church:

1. Are composed exclusively of those who are sons of God by virtue of their obedient faith; a faith which caused them to obey the gospel and be placed “in Christ,” having repented of their sins and subsequently having been baptized into Christ, specifically FOR the forgiveness of those sins (Gal. 3:26-29; Ro. 6:3-4; Acts 2:38). Therefore, any congregation which counts amongst its members, even one “pious unimmersed” person who has not done so, is not a church of Christ’s – according to God’s definition.

2. “Sing” their praises to God without any sort of instrumental accompaniment whatsoever (http://www.clevelandcoc.com/?page_id=161). And any congregation which utilizes instrumental music in its psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, is not a church of Christ’s – according to God’s definition.

3. Do not have female: elders, preachers, mixed-gender adult bible class teachers, public scripture readers, prayer leaders, songleaders, or actually, females leading in any of their “in the assembly” capacities whatsoever, but instead, remaining silent in those assemblies (with the exception of congregational singing which we’re all commanded to do – Eph. 1:1, 5:19-21; Col. 1:2, 3:16-17) in humble submission to the clear-cut and eternal commandments of God, dating back to the very beginning (1 Cor. 14:33-37; 1 Tim. 2:8-15). And any congregation which utilizes females in these roles – even under the most selfless and sterling-sounding self-justifications, is not a church of Christ’s – according to God’s definition.

4. Have as elders those who will not allow, indulge, or even for a moment consider tolerating the above departures from the faith once delivered for all the saints (Titus 1:5-11; Jude 3). And any congregation which utilizes or installs men as elders who will allow, and/or – God forbid – support such departures from that first-century, divinely-delivered faith, is not a church of Christ’s (nor does it truly have elders/bishops installed, no matter what they may call them) – at least, not according to God’s definition.

Sadly, yea, tragically, there are many congregations of people today who refer to themselves with their signs, websites, and other sources of identity as a “church of Christ,” but who either allow, tolerate, or even support one or more of the above practices never found in the Lord’s one, New Testament, blood-bought church; which prove unequivocally that they are not really “churches of Christ” – not according to God’s definition and description. They can call themselves whatever they’d like, but as a “tail” come judgment day, they won’t have a “leg” to stand on for their self-justified disobedience, and so will fall over forever into the fiery abyss.

And one other thing in conclusion. Perhaps reading this article has offended you. Perhaps the above “tale” hits a little too close to home… or your home congregation. If so, might I suggest one other thing that sincere, biblical congregations of “the churches of Christ” do when they find out they’ve gotten ‘off track?’ Instead of ‘kicking’ back and ‘stalling’ out, they follow the example of the congregation of the church of Christ at Corinth when Paul’s letter made them realize their error. See it for yourself in 2 Cor. 7:8-11.

Question: If you call a local congregation which includes any of the man-made innovations and preferences mentioned above, a “church of Christ,” how many “churches of Christ” does your town have? Answer: One less than you think. Why? Because no matter what you might wrongly choose to call that congregation, it’s still not a church of Christ according to God’s definition! This; despite anyone’s most earnest desire to be a part of a “pious-unimmersed,” “baptismless conversion” fellowship, complete with instrumental accompaniment, female leadership, and an ear-tickling, politically correct, wolves in sheep’s clothing eldership. This, because God just simply didn’t form churches of Christ that way!

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Seven Stages of Life

Seven Stages of Life

the stages of life all have challenges and triumphs

The stages of life all have challenges and triumphs.

You live, you love, and you die. Perhaps that is oversimplification. Life can be smooth and easy one moment and a combined skydiving, bull ride the next. Getting in and out of this world can even be complex. 7 stages of the human life are explored below. In common terms, the stages are in order: 1) Infancy, 2) Youth; 3) Early adulthood, 4) Midlife adulthood, 5) Seasoned adulthood, 6) Senior adulthood, and ultimately 7) Death. For the purposes of this discussion they will be named in more notable terms. While the stages cannot always be nailed to exact ages, nor are they applicable to every person, there is a large portion of people who slide easily into them.

Stage 1 – Adorability
In the beginning, amidst pain, tears, and hope, a little alien creature who looks like it has been dipped in transmission fluid enters the world. It is naked, surrounded by strangers, and then wacked on the behind. The reaction of the proud parents and lookers on is smiles, oohs and ahs, and joy. This tiny human is a miracle of God. It has adorability! It is also helpless and without understanding. The infant does not have any idea it has two parents on its side who would give anything to make sure it is happy. Yet, its greatest asset is the fact it has been created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). The child has not come in the world with hate in its heart. It has not come bearing a grudge. The infant has not inherited sin (Ezekiel 18:20). The infant does not know it was created perfect and upright in the sight of God (Ezekiel 28:15, Ecclesiastes 7:29). The infant has no clue the rest of mankind is encouraged to be renewed to a true self which is like the infant – the image of God (Colossians 3:10).

The infant, soon to be a young child, is in a state of adorability. People will hang on every coo, grin, and laugh. They will relish and remember the first steps. They will recall the first words with the same happiness as if the child had found a gold mine. How many pictures have been taken of the child with green peas all over their head? And floor? And wall? And parent? Adorability! The child only needs to grow at this stage. As a Christian grows on the milk of the Word (1 Peter 2:2), the child grows on milk and onto other more mature foods. Their minds are great sponges at this time. What they see and are taught, they input in preparation for the future. Historically, Jewish children were taught the written Torah (First 5 books of the Bible and Prophets) at the age of five and by the age of ten the Oral torah (verbal explanation of the laws). Were they adorable? Yes. Treated as if their young brains couldn’t learn? No. Man has a responsibility to prepare their children for life (Proverbs 22:6).

Stage 2 – Accountability
This stage of human life is characterized by an understanding of instruction and consequences. The question has oft been asked about when a child is accountable. Looking back in history again, Jewish children were considered accountable to the law at the ages of 12 for girls and 13 for boys. So is this the God given age to be accountable? Chronicles 34:1-2 speaks of King Josiah, “Josiah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord.” He was eight. Jesus at the age of 12 understood he was accountable to the Father (Luke 2:49). Children reach the age of accountability at different ages. If they can receive instruction and understand the consequence to it, they have reached that point. When they know they have transgressed instruction and it pains their conscience, they have reached the stage of accountability. They are no longer in the stage of innocent adorability.

The age of accountability is not that of adulthood. Yes, there are some folks that seem to shirk accountability into adulthood (Proverbs 18:2), but that does not mean they are not accountable. The age of accountability begins when the child is still reliant upon others. Their family takes the responsibility for feeding, clothing, educating, and caring for them. They need discipline as well (Proverbs 22:15). There is a need for continual growth in knowing God (Deuteronomy 6:6-9). The child is but a novice in a great big world. In the age of accountability the following is said about Jesus: “ And Jesus advanced in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” (Luke 2:52) Jesus not only grew in physically and in wisdom, but also in His spiritual relationship with God, and social relationship with men. These steps of growth prepared Him to engage the challenges he would meet.

Stage 3 – Acceptability
For the Jewish man, his profession began when he turned 20. For the American, it often begins at 18 or 19. There are similarities in other countries. This is the time of acceptability. The young adult accepts responsibility for themselves and quite frequently within a short time the responsibility of caring for others. The stage of acceptability is characterized by searching for an identity in society. Who are they really? What are their goals? Are they prepared to accept the responsibility most young adults crave? Will they step up or fall into laziness (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Will they forget their father’s instruction (Proverbs 9:6)?

The stage of acceptability is a time not only of accepting full responsibility for self, home, family, work, and spiritual life, but also finding acceptance from society by being productive. Many a young adult has entered this stage rebellious and lazy. They try to throw off accountability, but will find they cannot succeed in doing so. They will also find in not accepting responsibility, wide portions of society will reject them. This is a time of growth and some of the most difficult ups and downs an adult can experience. Mistakes in behavior, relationships, and everyday decisions characterize this stage. Though parents have tried to prepare the young adult for this timeframe, a great deal of pain is often felt during this period – especially if the Bible is not the guiding force in the person’s life (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Growth must continue! Preparation for the future is an issue, unfortunately, the now, the moment, is often embraced by the young adult (Proverbs 12:15).

Stage 4 – Adjustability
The midlife crisis or the stage of adjustability is very common. The young adult full of confidence, dreams, and energy hits the point where they realize they are late 30’s / early 40’s and things have not turned out as they expected. Perhaps they don’t have the possessions they thought they would. Perhaps their health is already at a risky stage. It is possible they have ruined relationships, are deep in debt, and have nothing to show for 20 years of self-indulgence and poor decision making. Reality comes into focus at this point for many. They are seeing the effects their decisions have made on their own children. They are lost and perhaps death seems a lot closer to them than ever. The prodigal son comes to mind (Luke 15). He left home thinking he had the world by the tail. After a period of time, he found himself broke, alone, and wanting to eat what the pigs were eating. Things didn’t turn out how he thought they would.

The stage of adjustment is about making a change to better things. Many former drug addicts describe a point of realization about their destructive behavior. They made adjustment to their life and dropped the bad habits. Midlife is in no sense the end. It’s the middle of a race, where you stop to lace up your shoes, take a drink of water, and wipe the sweat off your forehead. It is a time to focus on the prize, not looking behind, but forward to the great possibility of the future (Philippians 3:13-14). This applies spiritually (as in the context of the mentioned verse) and to daily events. This time is really when a person finds the identity they were looking for years before. Reality stares right back at them at asks, “What are you going to do now?” Without hesitation, the best step is cling to God and look for His direction (Matthew 5:3). God has given man the answers (2 Peter 1:3). Most certainly, the solution to the problems at hand is focus on the things above and not below (Colossians 3:2). God is going to take care of the basics of life if man puts Him first (Matthew 6:33). When a focus of priorities is straight, good stewardship, continued work, and service to God will be the adjustment needed. This humbling time is when man often realizes after half a lifetime, he really has room to grow in being a better person. This is also when preparations for the future really come into focus (Luke 14:28-33, Ephesians 6:15)

Stage 5 – Admirability
The stage of admirability is when years of experience, responsibility, and stability are recognized. Fewer mistakes are made at this point in life. The individual is entrusted with greater responsibilities whether at work, within society, or in His Church. This person understands that God knows His sins and his foolish past is an open book (Psalm 69:5). The difference between now and then is he has gained wisdom. He has turned his life around and become a mature man. He has become part of the “and such were some of you” crowd (I Corinthians 6:11). Often the fulfillment of financial blessings becomes evident at this point in life. 30 years of ups and downs have finally brought a sigh of relief. Perhaps the boat, the quads, the travel trailer, and a larger home, have been procured. Having found his identity in the face of crisis, what will be the identity in the face of success? Will he turn from or embrace God further?

The stage of admirability has its challenges and opportunities to be sure. Ego and desire can easily rear their ugly heads (I John 2:16). Due to the fact, this individual has braved the waters of life and survived, folks look to him as an example. If all of the bad habits have not been tossed aside, this can be trouble. The wrong influence can be a great destroyer (Luke 6:29, I Corinthians 8:9-13, I Corinthians 15:33). However, great good can also be done at this time of life. The energy level is still good. The ability to get things done is present. The network of connections has been built. People will be willing to follow, because they admire and believe. The choice of direction is in within the hand of the individual. Romans 12:2: “And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, and ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God”. What will happen with this God given opportunity? The wise man will continue to build his relationship with God. He will see himself as nothing without God. He will work to continue growing (2 Peter 3:18). This stage is but a plateau extending to higher peaks. There is still much life left and proper preparation for the future is required.

Stage 6 – Advisability
The highest physical stage met in life is that of a senior. Yet, it may also be characterized by fragility of body. The aches and pains have increased, movement is slower, and strength will never be what it was. Sometimes the thoughts won’t come back to memory as quick as desired. Many look upon this as a time of futility or even senility. What a terrible misconception! A lifetime of experiences and a wealth of knowledge dwells within the senior adult. The ability to direct and advise others to avoid the pitfalls of life is at its peak. A life properly led gives the senior adult the highest of qualifications to lead. God has stated in times past: “Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly.” (Leviticus 19:32) Job a faithful man of God declared in Job 12:12, “Wisdom is with aged men, With long life is understanding.”

One of the biggest challenges for the senior is not giving up on life. Many societies look to a weaker body and gray hair as a sign of uselessness. This is the foolish wisdom of men. Not only does the senior have the responsibility to guide society, but their sphere of influence ranges from the senior to the young mind of their grandchildren. It is quite possible the senior no longer works a secular job. Rather than sit and do nothing with the time, neglected tasks of the past can be accomplished. For the spiritually minded individual, this is a time to be very active in teaching and studying with others. It will be found the greatest joy at this stage in helping others. The senior should not worry about dynamics. Dynamics is not what God desires, he desires the truth be spread (I Corinthians 2:1-2). For the one who has neglected God, his whole life, it is time to wake up (Acts 17:30-31, Hebrews 2:2-3). Is the senior sure he is fine in the eyes of God? Paul told the Corinthian people, “Let he who thinks he stands, beware, lest he fall.” (I Corinthians 10:12) A senior adult can be a great joy and blessing to all around them. They can inspire, encourage, and comfort. The senior is a light which should not be covered, but shone brightly for all (Luke 11:33). In these moments, the senior should continue to grow in their relationship with God and men. The preparation for the stage of admissibility should not be delayed.

Stage 7 – Admissibility
In reflection upon all of the stages, it will be noted this last stage is quite different. It is greater than simply the unique ending “ibility” vs. the other six stages of “ability”. Though, the other stages have been influenced by one’s abilities and the abilities of others. The stage of admissibility is man before God. Will man be admissible into the kingdom of heaven? The judgment will be a direct reflection of the decisions a man has made in his lifetime. There will be no more time to change. There will be no second chances.

Matthew 16:27 – For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then shall he render unto every man according to his deeds.

Galatians 6:7 – Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Romans 2:6-9 …[God] will render to every man according to his works: to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life: but unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, shall be wrath and indignation, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that worketh evil…

2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 – …and to you that are afflicted rest with us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his power in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus: who shall suffer punishment, even eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at in all them that believed (because our testimony unto you was believed) in that day.

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Apollos

Apollos

apollos desired to know and share the truth

Apollos desired to know and share the Truth.

Apollos is not one of the major characters of the New Testament. What we are told about his work is recorded in six verses in Acts 18:24- 19:1. Paul does mention his name five times in First Corinthians, because he was one of the ones, along with Paul and Cephas, whose names some brethren had attached to certain factions in the church at Corinth. Moreover, Paul also mentions him in Titus 3:13 where Paul admonishes Titus to assist “Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey.” Yet, what we know about Apollos himself we learn from those few verses in Acts already mentioned.

Apollos had a great knowledge of the scriptures. Luke introduces us to him in the following fashion: “And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus” (Acts 18:24). He was not an inspired man, at least when we first meet him, yet he was “mighty in the scriptures.” Knowledge in any field comes only at great cost, but such is also true concerning knowledge in the word of God (1 Tim. 4:13; 2 Tim. 2:15). Many people would like to have greater knowledge of the Bible. They can have it, but they will have to pay the price. Apollos had paid the price.

Nevertheless, though Apollos had a great knowledge of the scriptures, his knowledge was incomplete and insufficient, indicating the fact that he was still wrong: “This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John” (Acts 18:25, emp. SW). If he preached on the wonders of God’s creation, the Ten Commandments, loving one’s neighbor or living a good moral life, he would preach the truth. He was mighty in the Old Testament scriptures, but the New Testament scriptures had not yet been written. In fact, he even had knowledge about Jesus, and his preaching about Jesus was accurate: “…he spake and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus” (Acts 18:25 ASV). However, what would happen if he preached on baptism? I believe we can ascertain the answer to this by studying Acts 19:1-5. Thus, one might know a great deal about the scriptures, and yet not know the very things he needs to know to tell people how to be saved. We hear it said sometimes concerning a preacher of error, “He preaches from the Bible.” Yes, but so did Apollos. Billy Graham, Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell all know a great deal about the Bible. Nevertheless, they have not learned the truth on the church, on baptism or on worship. Many today preach accurately about God, Christ, divine love, mercy, grace, faith, and such like, but when it comes to the plan of salvation, the church, scriptural worship and such like, they are wrong.

Apollos was a very zealous man: “…being fer­vent in the spirit” (Acts 18:25). McCord’s translation says, “…zealous in spirit.” The term is from the Greek zeo, which means literally “to boil.” Paul uses a form of this word in Galatians 1:14: “And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the tradi­tions of my fathers” (emp. SW). The Bible teaches us to be fervent in spirit or zealous (Rom. 12:11; Titus 2:14; Rev. 3:19). Although he was passionately zeal­ous, it does not change the fact that he was still wrong. There was nothing wrong with his zeal, but the error lied with his knowledge (cf. Rom. 10:1-2). As that of many religious people today, his zeal was commend­able, but unless he was instructed properly, he would continue to lead people into error.

Apollos was sincere; he was no hypocrite. Genu­ine sincerity is an admirable trait. No doubt, there are many religious pretenders. Repeatedly in Matthew 23:13-33, Jesus scathingly rebuked certain ones for their hypocrisy. Yet, sincerity and good intentions will not suffice. If they would, then Aquila and Priscilla wasted their time. How do I know Apollos was sincere and had good intentions? I know by the fact that he changed when he learned that he was wrong. One who is sincere will change when he learns he is wrong. We could say the same thing about some of the converts in Acts 19:1-6. Will God ignore the requirements of the gospel just because one is sincere (Matt. 7:21-23)?

The preaching and practice of Apollos was right at one time. Concerning the baptism of John, Jesus insinuated that it was from heaven (Matt. 21:23-27). In fact, those who refused the baptism of John “rejected the counsel of God against themselves” (Luke 7:30). However, at the time of which we read in Acts 18, it was no longer valid. It had served its purpose and the baptism of the Great Commission had superseded it. This reinforces a valuable lesson for us—some things that were once right under the old covenant are not right anymore in the new covenant: animal sacrifices, mechanical instruments of music in worship, miracles, speaking in tongues and such like. The fact a thing was right at one time does not mean it is right now. Moral law does not change; religious law has changed.

Apollos was not content to be wrong on any point. He was right with reference to the subjects of God, the scriptures and Jesus Christ, but he was wrong on baptism. Of course, none of us will ever have perfect knowledge, and none of us will ever live perfect lives, but God expects us to “hunger and thirst after righteousness” (Matt. 5:6). No person can have divine approval while he willingly engages in religious error or in immorality (Gal. 3:1; 1 Pet. 1:22-23). Jesus pro­claimed, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Conversely, many people in our time are perfectly content to be wrong on certain matters. They validate such by stating, “Just so long as we are right on the major things.” How does one determine what is major and what is minor? Was Apollos right on the major things? He sure was, but when taught properly, he changed accordingly. All man-made churches believe and teach the truth on many subjects. Some of them teach the truth on most subjects, like Apollos, but we should try to teach and obey the truth on all subjects.

Apollos knew that one way is not as good as an­other is. Luke certainly portrays him as “an eloquent man” and was “instructed in the way of the Lord” (Acts 18:24-25). The Greek lexicographer J. H. Thayer says that the Greek word for “eloquent” means “learned, a man of letters, skilled in literature and the arts; es­pecially versed in history and antiquities.” He says it also indicates that he was “skilled in speech.” Yet, he did not know the truth he needed to know about baptism. Please note that Aquila and Priscilla were not being arrogant in pointing out his error. They did not insist he do things their way. They “expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly” (Acts 18:26). As a result, he did not insist that one way is as good as another is. Apollos knew better than to argue that one baptism is as good as another is. Have we learned the same lesson? What about one church being as good as another is (Matt. 16:18; 15:13)? What about one way of worship being as good as another is (Matt. 15:8-9; John 4:24)? What about one faith being as good as another is (Eph. 4:4-6)?

Apollos believed that those in error should change. We may know this because he changed when he learned that he was in error. Note that he did not change his attitude toward God or the scriptures, neither did he change his zeal or his eloquence; these did not need changing. Rather, he changed what he taught and practiced with reference to baptism. He did not argue that it makes no difference. He did not rationalize, “Baptism is valid just so long as the person being baptized knows he is doing so to obey God.” He did not argue that since he had been sincerely teaching what he had been teaching, that it would be all right to continue teaching the same thing. He did not say he had led too many people to be baptized with John’s baptism to change now. Think about this question: “What if, when he was shown the way of God more perfectly, he had continued to teach the same thing he had been teaching?” A person may be in error and be honest. However, he cannot be honest and continue in error after he learns the truth.

In conclusion, although Apollos learned the truth and made the necessary changes, there were still those in error that he had taught. At least Paul later taught some of them the truth and they obeyed the gospel (Acts 19:1-6). We hope any others he had taught error also later learned the truth. We can see the continued faithfulness of Apollos in the mention made of him in the verses cited by the introduction. Let us all seek to imitate his admirable qualities.

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