A Few Verses About a Great Preacher

I’m talking about Apollos. Unfortunately, he’s only mentioned in just seven passages of the New Testament. Paul never wrote an inspired book to him like he did for Timothy and Titus. And Apollos was not given the role of writing any of the New Testament books, although some believe the book of Hebrews may have been his. But the small window of information we do have about him is enough to find great encouragement.

The lengthiest piece about him is found in Acts 18:24-28, which tells us he was a Jew born in Alexandria, Egypt. The city was renown for its scholars, schools, and its great library, and it would seem natural that eloquent Apollos would come from there. He bursts into New Testament history when he visited Ephesus and began teaching in its synagogue. He fervently believed in Jesus Christ, having been instructed by followers of John the Baptist and his temporary baptism of repentance. In the synagogue audience were Priscilla and Aquila who confronted him with a more accurate knowledge of the way of God. Acts 18 implies he accepted their thoughts and made any necessary changes.

With encouragement from the young Ephesian church, Apollos went to Corinth and helped the new congregation there, and “he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ” (18:28). The man’s zeal and persuasive ability impressed not only the church in Corinth, but also the Jews of the city. In fact, Paul reveals in 1 Cor.1:12 and 3:5-6 that some members of the church were idolizing him, and division was beginning to happen in Corinth. No doubt Apollos was as upset about this as Paul. It seems that Apollos later returned to Ephesus where Paul encouraged him to consider going back to Corinth with some other traveling Christians, but he declined (1 Cor.16:12). He probably didn’t want to stir up any more division. The last we read of Apollos is in Titus 3:13 where Paul urged Titus in Crete to help him on his way to another location to preach.

Good preachers are in demand, but how precarious their position can be. Apollos was educated and articulate, but he had the humility to accept correction about the truth. He was impressive but would not ride the wave of popularity. Above all he was zealous for the Lord and modeled his life after Him. What a great example for all of us from just a few verses in the New Testament.

– Tim Johnson

Maturity and Freedom

Freedom is the vaunted prize of all western countries. Politicians croon over it. Songs are written about it. Universities debate it. Millions have lost their lives to secure it. We all need to be thankful for it. There’s an obvious price paid for freedom, for history shows it had to be wrenched from the controlling few.

The New Testament book of Galatians is all about freedom. The word is used twice by the apostle Paul in it’s five chapters, and liberty once. Like political freedom, religious freedom also came with a price – the sacrifice of the body and blood of Jesus Christ. This kind of freedom could not be achieved by man alone. God’s Son came to earth to give it to us with the ultimate sacrifice.

The apostle said, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free” (5:1). He urged us to “stand firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” We are not only free from sin – its practice and consequences – but also from the law. Law in Galatians is the dependence on human works to achieve our own salvation. We need freedom from it because we can never reach its requirements. This is why the Law of Moses, as great as it was, could never save the Jews (2:16). Jesus set us free by grace. We certainly do works, but we do them out of gratefulness to God and concern for others. Paul explained it this way, “faith working through love” (5:6).

The world gets freedom mixed up. It thinks we should be free from any self-control or moral value. We make a big mistake when we think freedom is “all about me.” That leads to enslavement to sin and disaster. Paul warns, “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (5:13). Freedom always demands self-control and respect. That keeps us from “immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strive, jealousy…” (v19-21). Rather, mature freedom fosters “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” (5:22-24).

What Jesus gave us is worth preserving and protecting. We let no man take it from us, nor will we fool with it and destroy it. Freedom demands our sacrifice and obedience to God.

– Tim Johnson

Son of Consolation

This is the second of two articles once written by David Johnson about Barnabas. I learned a lot from them, and I hope you enjoy them too. – Tim

Paul’s encouragement to help others is well stated in Galatians 6:10. “As we have opportunity let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the household of faith.”

Barnabas was a good example of this quality. It is said about him that he was “a man of faith.” He had faith in God, in Christ, and in the church.

He also had faith in men.

When Saul, one of the greatest enemies the church had ever experienced, came to Jerusalem and claimed to be a Christian, he wasn’t believed. Acts 9:26 says the church was afraid. But there was one who did believe him – Barnabas! He defended Saul and gave the church a lesson on the man’s conversion. This took courage.

On another occasion, John Mark, writer of the gospel that bears his name, had misgivings about mission work and went home, abandoning Paul and the work he was trying to do. This upset the apostle. But later, Mark had a change of heart and came back ready to go on a new mission trip with Paul. But he refused Mark’s proposition, having doubts about his sincerity.

Again, Barnabas stepped in. He was ready to take Mark back and had a sharp disagreement with Paul over it. As a result, the two great men separated – Paul with Silas and Barnabas with Mark. Years later, Paul recognized Mark’s integrity and gave him important work to do.

It is interesting that Barnabas’ name is a verbal picture of himself – SON OF CONSOLATION. He was a peaceful sunset after a storm. How we need Christians like that.

– David Johnson

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

David Johnson wrote two back-to-back articles a few years ago and I want to run them again over the next two weeks. I learned a lot from them, and I hope you will too. – Tim

The world is often interested in bad people; that’s why gossip magazines sell. It’s sad if you consider yourself to be ugly, for there are likely beautiful and interesting things about you. But we do not especially thrill when we hear the word “good.” In fact, we often relax and stifle a yawn. We are interested in the clever, the rich, the courageous, even the bad. But not especially good people.

Probably the best and worst advertisement for Christianity is Christians. The New Testament speaks of a man who was a great advertisement. In speaking of Barnabas, it says, “For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith.” (Acts 11:24)

If people say we are good looking and cultured we are delighted, but who is complimented by being called good? It is important to remember that in spite of the misconception, the word AGATHOS – translated good – is not a weak word.

The word is strong and brawny. It has the shoulders of Samson and the lifting power of Hercules. It means profitable, generous, upright, beneficent, and virtuous. God used it to describe Barnabas because it was the best word. He was generous, a man of faith, he thought of others, and was a truly spiritual person.

Ugliness can’t be helped unless it’s character problem. To be bad might make you interesting, but you’ll harm others and yourself. But goodness makes you beautiful and banishes badness. It is one of the purest flowers that can bloom in our soul.

Seek it out and learn its ways. Barnabas did and people have appreciated him for 2,000 years.

– David Johnson, with revisions from Tim Johnson

Pluck

Coming out of the temple one day, Jesus told his disciples that the famed building would be destroyed along with the entire city of Jerusalem. Now that got their attention! They peppered Him with questions and Jesus told them about many upsetting events that would happen first. Then He said, “By your endurance you will gain your lives” (Luke 21:19).  

God put us in a world that is full of upsets and troubling events. Peaceful conditions rarely last exceptionally long. Things were going very well in our country not long ago, and now we’re scrambling to get past a world pandemic. We can get through most troubles by practicing endurance. Just like Jesus said, “By your endurance you will gain your lives.” Another word for this is pluck, the ability to bounce back and keep on going.

About fifty years ago I made friends with a young Christian man who was part of a small, struggling congregation in NW Ontario. We lost track of each other as our lives went separate directions. But when we were living in Edmonton 35 years later, he came to one of our church meetings and we had a great time catching up with each other. He was in the city on a business trip, but his home base is Vancouver where he’s a member of the Burnaby Church of Christ. His life has had many trials, but he has endured through them all and maintained his faith. You could say he has loads of pluck.

The Hebrew Christians had lots of people against them and many were suffering. They were told, “Therefore do not throw away your confidence which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.” (Heb.10:35-36). They could get through their troubles if they just practiced endurance. And so can we.

Does you life have pluck?

– Tim Johnson