Apollos was a learned Jewish believer from Alexandria who came to Ephesus and was mighty in the Scriptures; Paul later described their shared ministry with the image of planting and watering, affirming complementary gifts within the church.
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Vida e historia
Apollos was a Jew born in Alexandria, distinguished by his eloquence and his remarkable ability to expound the Scriptures. He came to Ephesus, where he spoke with fervency about the way of the Lord, teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus though acquainted only with the baptism of John. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the way of God more accurately, after which he became a powerful public defender of the faith, earnestly refuting the Jews and demonstrating from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. In the life of the Corinthian church, Apollos's ministry complemented that of Paul in a distinctive way. Paul used an agricultural picture to address factional loyalty among believers: I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. In this way Paul affirmed that different servants of Christ carry different tasks, and he made plain that all growth in the church belongs to God alone, not to any individual apostle. By this metaphor Paul reminded the Corinthians not to boast in human leaders nor to exalt one teacher above what Scripture allows, since God Himself is the true foundation and Lord of His church. Apollos stands in the early church as an example of the gift of teaching and public reasoning with Scripture. His name appears in several of Paul's letters, and Paul himself urged the Corinthians to welcome him warmly. The apostolic community also encouraged Apollos as he set out again for ministry among the believers. Apollos's service shows that the spread of the gospel depends on fellow workers with differing gifts laboring side by side, and that all the fruit belongs to the God who causes the growth.