Humility as a mark of Christian community
Acts 18:23-28
24 Now there came to Ephesus a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria. He was an eloquent man, well-versed in the scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord; and he spoke with burning enthusiasm and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. 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. 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, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the scriptures that the Messiah is Jesus.
Apollos is a figure who appears a couple of times in the New Testament, but this is the first time we meet him. His background is worth noting, he is a Jewish convert to Christianity (that is what “the Way of the Lord” means in vs. 25). He had learned what he knew well, but Priscilla and Aquila mentor him into deeper understanding.
When Apollos showed up in Ephesus as a brilliant orator talking about Jesus, it would have been easy for Priscilla and Aquila to have felt threatened. He was a gifted speaker talking about Jesus, he was going to take people from the church that Priscilla and Aquila were trying to bring into being. But instead of feeling personally threatened, they mentor Apollos, taking deeper in his understanding. Equally remarkable is that Apollos is willing to be mentored, it would have been easy for Apollos to say “I am a better orator than either of you, I don’t have anything to learn from you, so I am not going to listen to what you have to say.” The humility exhibited on both sides is impressive. And is an example to others to follow.
If we are among the knowledgeable and the experienced, are we threatened by the new up-and-comers who have greater ability and gifts than we have? Or do we rejoice that they are being used by God and seek to help them get even better at what they are being invited to do by God? If we see ourselves as the up-and-comers, are we willing to learn from those with experience or do we write them off as has-beens from whom we have nothing to learn?
The story of Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos invites us to be prepared to live in humility across the divides of age, experience, and ability. In the Christian community everyone has something to offer, and no one knows everything.
PRAYER:
O Lord, shape us to be humble people, able to learn from the young and the old, the up-and-comers and the experienced. Give us hearts desiring to mentor others, gives us wills desire to be mentored ourselves. In Jesus’ name. Amen.