Who Was Apollos in the Bible?

Bible Facts

Jan 13

Quick Summary

Apollos was a Jewish Christian teacher from Alexandria who played a significant role in the early church, particularly in Ephesus and Corinth. Described in the book of Acts as eloquent, well-versed in Scripture, and fervent in spirit, Apollos represents an early form of Christian leadership shaped by learning, humility, and growth. His story highlights how the church navigated teaching, authority, and unity in its earliest years.

Introduction

Apollos appears only briefly in the New Testament, but his presence carries considerable weight. He enters the biblical story at a moment when the Christian movement is expanding rapidly, crossing geographic, cultural, and intellectual boundaries. The church is no longer confined to a small circle of Galilean disciples. It now includes scholars, missionaries, and teachers shaped by diverse backgrounds.

Apollos stands at that intersection. He is learned, articulate, and persuasive. He is also willing to be taught. Scripture presents him not as a rival to the apostles but as an example of how God uses gifted people who remain open to correction and growth.

Apollos of Alexandria

The book of Acts introduces Apollos as “a Jew, a native of Alexandria” (Acts 18:24). Alexandria was one of the most important intellectual centers of the ancient world. It was home to a large Jewish population and a tradition of rigorous biblical interpretation shaped by Greek philosophy.

To say Apollos was from Alexandria is to say he was formed by serious study. He would have been familiar with the Greek Scriptures and skilled in rhetorical argument. Acts describes him as “eloquent” and “well-versed in the scriptures,” suggesting both verbal ability and deep textual knowledge.

Apollos’s background helps explain his effectiveness as a teacher. He brings together Jewish Scripture and public reasoning in a way suited to the Greco-Roman world.

Scholarly support: F. F. Bruce, The Book of the Acts.

Apollos and the Message He Knew

Acts notes that Apollos had been instructed in “the way of the Lord” and spoke accurately about Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John (Acts 18:25). This detail matters. It places Apollos within the orbit of John the Baptist’s movement rather than the full apostolic proclamation.

Apollos’s teaching was sincere and energetic, but incomplete. He understood repentance and expectation. He proclaimed Jesus with conviction. What he lacked was knowledge of the Spirit’s role and the full shape of Christian baptism.

This does not discredit Apollos. Instead, it shows how the early church held together truth already known with truth still unfolding.

Scholarly support: Luke Timothy Johnson, The Acts of the Apostles.

Priscilla and Aquila: Teaching the Teacher

When Apollos arrives in Ephesus, he begins speaking boldly in the synagogue. There, he is heard by Priscilla and Aquila, fellow Jewish Christians and close associates of Paul. Rather than correcting him publicly, they invite him into their home and explain “the Way of God more accurately” (Acts 18:26).

This moment is central to Apollos’s story. A gifted teacher receives instruction from others without defensiveness. The text emphasizes Apollos’s receptiveness rather than his authority.

Priscilla’s presence is especially notable. She is named first, suggesting her prominence in teaching. Apollos’s willingness to learn from both a man and a woman reflects a humility that Scripture treats as essential to leadership.

Scholarly support: Ben Witherington III, The Acts of the Apostles.

Apollos in Corinth

After his time in Ephesus, Apollos travels to Corinth, carrying a letter of recommendation from believers (Acts 18:27). In Corinth, he proves to be a powerful witness. Acts says he “powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the scriptures that the Messiah is Jesus” (Acts 18:28).

Apollos’s ministry complements Paul’s earlier work in Corinth. Paul laid the foundation. Apollos built upon it. The image is agricultural rather than competitive.

Yet Corinth soon struggles with division. Some believers claim allegiance to Paul, others to Apollos, others to Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). Paul responds firmly, insisting that neither he nor Apollos is the center. God alone gives growth.

Scholarly support: Gordon Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians.

Paul and Apollos: Unity Without Uniformity

Paul speaks of Apollos with respect. He calls him a fellow worker and refuses to pit their ministries against one another (1 Corinthians 3:5–9). Apollos is not rebuked. The congregation is.

Paul even notes that Apollos declined to return to Corinth at that time, perhaps to avoid fueling division (1 Corinthians 16:12). This restraint reinforces Apollos’s character. He is not driven by recognition.

Together, Paul and Apollos model a shared ministry that values diversity of gifts without rivalry.

Scholarly support: N. T. Wright, Paul for Everyone: 1 Corinthians.

Was Apollos the Author of Hebrews?

Some scholars have proposed Apollos as a possible author of Hebrews. The argument rests on Hebrews’ sophisticated Greek, deep engagement with the Old Testament, and theological depth, all of which fit Apollos’s profile.

Scripture does not identify the author of Hebrews, and the theory remains speculative. Still, the suggestion underscores how Apollos was remembered: as a thinker capable of shaping Christian theology at a high level.

Scholarly support: Martin Luther; modern discussion in Richard Bauckham, Jesus and the God of Israel.

What Apollos Teaches About the Early Church

Apollos’s story reveals a church still learning how to teach, correct, and grow together. Authority is shared. Knowledge is refined. No one arrives fully formed.

Apollos embodies the possibility of being both gifted and teachable. His life suggests that maturity in faith is measured not by brilliance alone, but by openness to truth.

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