The Church needs Men to act like Men

1 Corinthians 16:12-18

Do you recall Apollos?  If not, let’s do a review, Apollos is a native of Alexandria and John the Baptist must have not only baptized him he had a great impact on his life.  He shows up in Ephesus and was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures for he had been instructed in the way of the Lord.  In the book of Acts, we are told Apollos was fervent in spirit, and he spoke and taught accurately the things of Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.  This is the account from Acts 18:26-28,“He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.”

So when Paul is making reference to Apollos in chapter sixteen he is referring to the Apollos that Priscilla and Aquila took aside an explained to him the way of God more accurately.  Now that brings up a question, who was Priscilla and Aquila and how did they come to learn so much about God?  Once more we find the account in Acts 18:1-5, and you might find this of interest it began in the workplace for Paul’s income came from making tents and so did Priscilla’s and Aquila’s, this is the account.  “After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.”

So each day the apostle Paul is masquerading as a tent maker and sharing the love and grace of Jesus Christ with these two fellow workers; is that not the calling of every follower of Christ?  The relationship did not end when Paul set sail for Syria, Priscilla and Aquila went with him and it was at Ephesus where Paul left them to do the work of ministry.  It was God’s plan to have Priscilla and Aquila mentored by Paul and they learned the same message Paul later taught to young Timothy found in Paul’s second letter to Timothy; “and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2)  And they were faithful with that message to Apollos and others, and even ended back in Rome when Paul was in prison. In Romans 16:3-5b, “Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. Greet also the church in their house.”

Paul makes clear by listing names of people who were faithful both to him and the gospel of Jesus Christ and in the thirteenth verse gave this word; “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.  Let all that you do be done in love.”  How needed that is in todays church, we need men to act like men, to be strong in love, first for the LORD and then for all they encounter.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice