…and he began to speak out 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.
— Acts 18:26
If there is any verse in the Bible that calls us to humility — reminding us that we are always on a journey of learning and growth — this is certainly one of them.
A Man Who Knew His Stuff — But Not Everything
Here we are introduced to a man named Apollos, described by Luke as eloquent and able to argue persuasively from the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, was fervent in spirit, and taught accurately what he knew. This was a man worth learning from — the kind of person many of us would aspire to be.
And yet Luke does not shy away from telling us that Apollos was limited in what he knew. He only knew of the baptism of John. In other words, he had not yet been introduced to the fuller revelation of the gospel — the death of Jesus on the cross for our sins, His resurrection on the third day, and all that followed.
The Old Testament had promised a coming Messiah, and John the Baptist, the last of the Old Testament prophets, prepared the way for Him. But the New Testament carries the story forward — Jesus living a perfect life, dying in our place, and rising again on the third day. Paul would later explain to the Romans:
He who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.
— Romans 4:25
Apollos did not yet have access to this fuller revelation. He was still preaching what John the Baptist had preached — true and good as far as it went, but incomplete. Paul summarises the full gospel message in 1 Corinthians 15:
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.
— 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
It is difficult to present the full gospel without including the entirety of Christ’s life, death, resurrection, and ascension — and this was precisely what Apollos’s message was missing.
Priscilla and Aquila’s Gentle Correction
Enter Priscilla and Aquila. This couple heard Apollos preaching, took him aside privately, and explained the way of God to him more accurately.
This story should humble us. It reminds us that, however far along we are in our understanding of the gospel, we remain disciples — lifelong students of the ways of God. There should never come a point in our journey where we believe we have arrived at full and complete understanding, with nothing left to learn. Paul understood this well:
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
— 1 Corinthians 13:12
This truth should bring us to a place of humility — accepting that we will continue to be students, continuing to grow in our understanding of salvation for as long as we live. This is the natural course of the Christian life. Scripture itself is given precisely for this purpose:
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
— 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Open to Being Taught — and Willing to Teach
There are two postures we can take away from this story. First, we must be a people who is willing to be taught — willing to listen when someone comes to explain the truth of God’s Word more accurately, regardless of how mature or knowledgeable we may already consider ourselves to be.
But this does not mean blind acceptance of whatever is presented to us. We should be like the Bereans, who Luke commends in Acts 17:
Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
— Acts 17:11
The Bereans tested everything against Scripture itself. Whenever we receive new teaching or correction, we must measure it against what has already been clearly revealed in God’s Word — for this is one of the ways Scripture itself instructs us to test a teacher or a prophet.
Second, we must also be a people willing to help others see the truth more clearly. We live in an age — as Peter warned — where false teachers are common:
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you.
— 2 Peter 2:1
When we see someone drifting toward teaching that is inconsistent with Scripture, we should have the same boldness that Priscilla and Aquila had — taking them aside, gently and clearly, to explain the way of the Lord more accurately.
Trusting God With the Outcome
When we do this, we can rest in the assurance that those who truly belong to God will recognise His voice and the consistency of His truth. We trust in the sufficiency of God’s grace and the convicting work of the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do in someone’s heart. As Jesus said:
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
— John 10:27
May we be a people humble enough to know that we still have much to learn — and bold enough to share, with grace and gentleness, whatever truth the Lord has already taught us with those who need it.
Amen.
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