Always Learning

Apollos smiled at the man he had been talking to and clapped him on the shoulder. He turned to look at the couple that had been patiently waiting in the wings. Apollos studied the short, thin man and the elegant woman beside him. He recognized them. He smiled a greeting. "Hello," he said.

"Hello," the thin man smiled warmly. "I am Aquila, and this is my wife, Priscilla. Could we talk to you?"

"Of course."

Aquila motioned for Apollos to follow them. They navigated threw the throngs of people to a dimly lit, private alcove. Apollos hadn't even known this area existed in the little house.

Aquila started. "You are certainly an eloquent man, and competent in the Scriptures."

"We can tell that you've been instructed in the way of the Lord," Priscilla added. "You speak quite accurately about Jesus."

Apollos beamed, feeling pride in his knowledge of the Lord.

"However," Priscilla continued, then hesitated. The words seemed caught in her throat.

Aquila filled in for his wife. "We must explain the way of God more accurately to you. As fellow Christians, we feel it is our duty to help one another."

Apollos felt chest fallen. Hadn't they just said he was knowledgeable? That he spoke accurately? Why did he need to learn more?

There was a check in his spirit. They were always learning. Was he really so arrogant to think that he had learned all there was to know about God? He almost laughed at the thought. He smiled slightly. "Please, tell me."

Based on Acts 18:24-28

"Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. 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." Acts 18:24-28

What I saw in this section was a man who was greatly anointed by God. A man who had great understanding of God and His Word. A man who boldly preached God's message.

A man who still had more to learn.

A man who knew that, wasn't offended by that, and learned.

I think we get into this mindset that we will one day know all the things. But we won't. We will always have more to learn. Even our pastors, mentors, and parents have more to learn. We are always learning, always growing. It's laughable to think that we won't be wrong about some things or that we don't need a better understanding of God.
   

"Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning." Proverbs 9:9

Who will you be? Will you be like Apollos, a man who knew he still had so much to learn about God's Word? Or will you be the person who says in their heart, "I already know it all"?

   

"Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance." Proverbs 1:5

V. Joy Palmer