Scripture is filled with admonitions to guard ourselves against false teachers. The New Testament writers were very clear that we have to be vigilant about what is being taught in our congregations; even to the point of disfellowshipping (2 John 9-11). We absolutely must have faith like the Bereans who were continually studying to make sure what they learned matched up with what Scripture taught (Acts 17:11). We have to be guarding our congregations against false teachers. But what about Apollos?
According to Acts 18:24, Apollos was eloquent and “mighty in the scriptures.” Here was a man who was passionate about God’s word and for the most part, was extremely knowledgeable; however, one detail in his teaching was incorrect and it was a big one. He was still teaching the baptism of John, which was not Christ’s baptism for the remission of sins. I am afraid that if Apollos were preaching in one of our congregations today, he would be met with very public and shameful opposition. I fear if he were alive today, that the deeds of this amazing man would be snuffed out altogether. Fortunately, that is not what occurred. In Acts 18:26, Priscilla and Aquila took Apollos to the side privately and taught him the truth.
For Priscilla and Aquila, this was a love issue. They loved Apollos and the people he was instructing so much that they could not allow false teaching to go unchallenged; however, they were very careful to follow the Matthew 18 protocol:
- Go to the person privately (Matthew 18:15)
- If he doesn’t listen, bring 2 or 3 witnesses (Matthew 18:16)
- If he still doesn’t listen, tell it to the church (Matthew 18:17)
- If he still continues in sin, as the last resort-disfellowship (Matthew 18:17)
Priscilla and Aquila understood that Apollos’ soul was just as important as the souls of those he was teaching. They did not act rashly, this situation was resolved with love, respect, and privacy. In fact, in the very next verses (Acts 18:27-28), we already see brethren encouraging him to travel and continue preaching. This incident did not result in a scarlet letter across his chest. People were not caught whispering behind his back about the heretic Apollos. Throughout the rest of the New Testament, it is evident that he played a vital role in the establishment of the early church. What a tragedy it would have been for this situation to have been handled in a way to extinguish such a bright light burning for Christ.
I have seen first-hand so many men and women just like Apollos whose stories ended much differently. I have been a witness to brothers and sisters publicly harassed and privately gossiped about. To my knowledge, most of these situations occurred without any consideration given to the responsibilities laid out in Matthew 18:15-17. We are quick to judge and reprimand but what would these cases look like if we took the same approach as Priscilla and Aquila? What if this person is like Apollos and simply has a few facts mixed up? What if this person isn’t teaching something in error, but you just misunderstood? What if you are the one who is incorrect? Any of these scenarios could be resolved within step number 1 of our Matthew 18 guidelines. Think about the hurt and anguish that would be spared. Imagine the public disgraces to the church that could be avoided.
There may come a time when you encounter someone who is persistent and unwavering on teaching their falsehood, and in such a situation we do need to take a stand. But we must be conscious that our motivation throughout each level of the process is always the love of souls. Imagine the impact on the church if we treated our brothers and sisters with the same compassion that Priscilla and Aquila treated Apollos.