Acts 18:18–28 Apollos in Ephesus and Corinth
Quick Summary
Acts 18:18–28 describes Paul's departure from Corinth and brief visit to Ephesus, followed by his return to Antioch. The passage then introduces Apollos, an eloquent and learned Alexandrian Jew who teaches accurately about Jesus but knows only John's baptism. Priscilla and Aquila take him aside and explain the faith more completely. Apollos then travels to Corinth where he powerfully refutes Jewish opponents, demonstrating from Scripture that Jesus is the Messiah. The passage highlights faithful mentorship, the importance of theological precision, and how God uses diverse gifts to build his church.
Introduction
Luke's narrative shifts focus from Paul to Apollos. This transition is important. The church does not depend on one apostle. God raises up multiple leaders with different gifts and backgrounds.
Apollos is eloquent, learned, and passionate. He knows the Scriptures and teaches about Jesus with enthusiasm. Yet his understanding is incomplete. He knows only John's baptism, not the full reality of Pentecost and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Priscilla and Aquila recognize both his potential and his limitation. Rather than correcting him publicly or dismissing him as inadequate, they invite him into their home and teach him. Their mentorship transforms Apollos from a promising teacher into a powerful defender of the faith.
The passage shows how the church grows through collaboration, mentorship, and the patient work of forming leaders. It also reveals that eloquence and learning, while valuable, must be grounded in complete theological understanding.
Verse by Verse Breakdown of Acts 18:18–28 and Commentary
Acts 18:18
"After staying there for a considerable time, Paul said farewell to the believers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut, for he was under a vow."
Paul leaves Corinth after an extended stay. The phrase "considerable time" is vague, but it follows the eighteen months mentioned earlier. Paul has established the church and now moves on.
He takes Priscilla and Aquila with him. These faithful co-workers continue to accompany Paul, sharing in his mission. Their presence underscores the collaborative nature of early Christian ministry.
At Cenchreae, Corinth's eastern port, Paul has his hair cut because of a vow. This is likely a Nazirite vow, a temporary commitment involving abstinence from wine and letting one's hair grow, culminating in shaving the head (Numbers 6:1-21).
The detail matters. Paul remains observant of Jewish practice. He is not abandoning his heritage. The gospel does not require him to stop being Jewish. This will become important when accusations arise that Paul teaches Jews to forsake Moses.
Acts 18:19
"When they reached Ephesus, he left them there, but first he himself went into the synagogue and had a discussion with the Jews."
The group arrives in Ephesus, a major city on the western coast of Asia Minor. Ephesus was a commercial hub, home to the temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Paul enters the synagogue and engages in discussion. Even on a brief stop, he follows his pattern. Wherever there is a Jewish community, Paul begins there, reasoning from Scripture.
Luke does not record the content of the discussion, but the response suggests it was positive. Paul's engagement is preliminary, setting the stage for a longer visit later.
Acts 18:20–21
"When they asked him to stay longer, he declined; but on taking leave of them, he said, 'I will return to you, if God wills.' Then he set sail from Ephesus."
The Ephesians want Paul to stay. They are receptive, eager to hear more. But Paul declines. He has other commitments. He promises to return "if God wills" (θεοῦ θέλοντος, theou thelontos).
This phrase reflects Paul's understanding of divine sovereignty. He makes plans, but he submits them to God's will. James will later echo this principle, warning against presumptuous planning (James 4:13-15).
Paul's promise will be fulfilled. He will return to Ephesus and spend over two years there, making it one of his most significant mission sites.
Acts 18:22
"When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch."
Paul returns to his home base. He lands at Caesarea, travels to Jerusalem, and then goes to Antioch. This completes his second missionary journey.
The visit to Jerusalem is brief. Luke mentions it almost in passing. Paul greets the church, likely reporting on the work in Macedonia and Achaia. Then he returns to Antioch, where his mission began.
This pattern of return is significant. Paul does not operate independently. He remains accountable to the church that sent him. Mission is not solitary adventure. It is part of a larger body.
Acts 18:23
"After spending some time there he departed and went from place to place through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples."
Paul's rest is brief. He soon departs again, traveling through Galatia and Phrygia. These are regions he visited on his first and second journeys. Now he returns to strengthen the disciples.
The word "strengthening" (ἐπιστηρίζων, epistērizōn) means establishing, confirming, making firm. Paul does not simply plant churches and leave. He revisits them, teaching and encouraging. Mission includes ongoing discipleship.
This sets the stage for Paul's third missionary journey, which will center on Ephesus. But first, Luke introduces a new figure who will also play a significant role.
Acts 18:24
"Now there came to Ephesus a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria. He was an eloquent man, well-versed in the scriptures."
Apollos enters the narrative. He is from Alexandria, Egypt's intellectual capital and home to a large Jewish community. Alexandria was known for its scholarship, and Apollos embodies that tradition.
He is described as eloquent (λόγιος, logios), meaning learned, cultured, skilled in speech. He is also "well-versed in the scriptures" (δυνατὸς ὢν ἐν ταῖς γραφαῖς, dynatos ōn en tais graphais), literally "powerful in the Scriptures." He knows the Jewish texts deeply and can argue persuasively from them.
Luke presents Apollos as a formidable teacher. His gifts are real. But as the next verse shows, gifts alone are not enough.
Acts 18:25
"He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord, and he spoke with burning enthusiasm and taught accurately about Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John."
Apollos has been instructed in "the Way," Luke's term for the Christian movement. He teaches about Jesus accurately, with fervor and conviction.
Yet there is a gap. He knows only the baptism of John. This suggests he understands Jesus through the lens of John's preaching—repentance and preparation for the coming Messiah—but he does not know about Pentecost, the gift of the Holy Spirit, or Christian baptism in Jesus' name.
This is not heresy. It is incomplete knowledge. Apollos is not teaching falsehood. He simply does not know the whole story.
The gap will soon be addressed. But first, Luke shows Apollos in action.
Acts 18:26
"He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the Way of God to him more accurately."
Apollos speaks boldly in the Ephesian synagogue. His eloquence and scriptural knowledge make an impression. But Priscilla and Aquila recognize the limitation in his teaching.
Rather than challenging him publicly, they take him aside privately. This is wisdom. Public correction can create defensiveness and division. Private instruction preserves dignity and fosters growth.
They explain "the Way of God" more accurately. The phrase suggests they filled in what was missing—likely teaching about Jesus' death, resurrection, the coming of the Holy Spirit, and baptism in Jesus' name.
Priscilla is named first, which is notable. In most ancient contexts, the husband would be listed first. Luke and Paul often name Priscilla first (Acts 18:18, 18:26; Romans 16:3; 2 Timothy 4:19), suggesting her prominent role in teaching and leadership.
This moment is a model of mentorship. Priscilla and Aquila do not dismiss Apollos. They recognize his gifts, address his gaps, and equip him for more effective ministry. The result is transformative.
Acts 18:27
"And when he wished to cross over to Achaia, the believers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. On his arrival he greatly helped those who through grace had become believers."
Apollos decides to travel to Achaia, the region that includes Corinth. The believers in Ephesus support him, writing a letter of recommendation to the church in Corinth.
Letters of recommendation were common in the ancient world. They authenticated travelers and vouched for their character. Paul will later mention such letters in his correspondence (2 Corinthians 3:1-3).
Apollos arrives in Corinth and "greatly helped" (πολὺ συνεβάλετο, poly synebaleto) the believers. The word suggests significant contribution, strengthening the community.
Luke notes that these believers had come to faith "through grace" (διὰ τῆς χάριτος, dia tēs charitos). This is a reminder that conversion is always God's work, not human achievement. Apollos helps, but the foundation is grace.
Acts 18:28
"For he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the scriptures that the Messiah is Jesus."
Apollos engages in public debate with Jews who oppose the gospel. The word "powerfully" (εὐτόνως, eutonōs) suggests intensity, vigor, strength.
He refutes them, demonstrating from Scripture that the Messiah is Jesus. This echoes Paul's method in Thessalonica and elsewhere. The argument is the same: the Jewish Scriptures point to a suffering and rising Messiah, and Jesus fulfills that role.
Apollos's eloquence and learning are now fully deployed in service of the gospel. What began as incomplete knowledge has become powerful apologetic witness.
Paul's first letter to the Corinthians reveals that some in the church later formed factions around Apollos, preferring his style to Paul's (1 Corinthians 1:12, 3:4-6). Luke does not mention this division, focusing instead on how Apollos faithfully built on Paul's foundation.
Acts 18:18–28 Meaning for Today
Acts 18:18–28 offers several lessons for contemporary believers.
First, mentorship matters. Priscilla and Aquila took Apollos aside and taught him more accurately. They did not publicly shame him or ignore his gaps. They invested in him. The church grows when mature believers mentor those with potential.
Second, eloquence and learning must be grounded in accurate theology. Apollos was gifted, but his understanding was incomplete. The church needs both intellectual rigor and theological depth. Passion without precision can mislead.
Third, private correction is often more effective than public rebuke. Priscilla and Aquila corrected Apollos privately, preserving his dignity and creating space for growth. Leaders today should consider how to address error in ways that restore rather than humiliate.
Fourth, diverse gifts build the church. Paul planted. Apollos watered. God gave the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6). The church needs evangelists, teachers, apologists, and encouragers. No one person has all the gifts. Collaboration is essential.
Fifth, women can and should teach. Priscilla instructed Apollos, a learned man. Her theological insight shaped his ministry. The church should recognize and encourage the teaching gifts of women, allowing them to contribute fully to the formation of leaders.
Finally, returning to strengthen believers is part of mission. Paul revisited the churches he planted. Apollos helped those who had already believed. The work of mission is not simply conversion. It is ongoing discipleship, teaching, and encouragement.
Acts 18:18–28 presents a vision of the church as a collaborative community where leaders are mentored, gifts are deployed, and the Scriptures are faithfully proclaimed. The gospel advances not through individual brilliance but through the patient, collective work of believers investing in one another.
Works Consulted
Bruce, F. F. The Book of the Acts. New International Commentary on the New Testament. Eerdmans.
Dunn, James D. G. The Acts of the Apostles. Epworth Commentaries.
Johnson, Luke Timothy. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina. Liturgical Press.
Keener, Craig S. Acts: An Exegetical Commentary, Vol. 3. Baker Academic.
New Revised Standard Version Bible.
See Also
Acts 18:12-17 Paul Before Gallio
