Apostleing the Church

Acts 18:22-24

And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch. And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.

Until this point his attention had quite been tied up with matters concerning the suffering of the Corinthians. Now he returns to what had been a temporary home once more. Here he comes again to a place of much sorrow which prior he visited only in brief. Here is where Paul begins to do the most macabre and jarring thing among all others yet to date. He recounts from the time of his conversion on almost as if for the first time ever. But now is it too late for such things. See time already has gone on. The intervening years passed. For such things Paul has arrived a little too late. Even now the region he established long ago is turned to another faith, another gospel, and another Savior. At this point I could care less if God can somehow make up time or not. The damage is already done. He spent all his time among the haters, the rebellious, and the undeserving already. Oh, what only would have been had our apostle been on time. So these received him in the same Spirit of the Lord as those "had you only been here my brother would not have died." Such a journey might seem meaningless to some of you now. So also might these stops in order feel senseless. It might be nice of Paul to visit Galatia and Phrygia in order. It may also be generous of him to make these many visits all over their countryside. Yet doing so eases not the damage already done. For Galatians 1:8-14 makes plain that some angel or minister supposedly from God had crept into the church. There also someone else had preached a different gospel. As you and I will see, such teachers like those that disputed about the body of Moses taught how works were necessary to save. Perhaps the little church had forgotten what they once knew. See, Paul tarried long and sent them no letters. Maybe even now such a visitation was already too late. How many of you know the ministry of too late. Maybe you also have experienced this or know of what I speak. See now the territory of the milk rooster, as Galatia is termed in multiple tongues. Is it not interesting how such a place leads quite naturally to the barren, frozen regions of Phrygia. You can well imagine that such a one would do no work, be entirely useless, and fail to warn any of the approaching day or night. It can be seen that these regions were entirely a reflection of the condition of those which lived here.

And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.

With this man Apollos came the prophecy spoken of before. See how this stranger now wanders over almost as though in Paul's footsteps to continue on a work already begun. To me, the matter is clear. This man Apollos, although slightly confused, knows exactly where he is going. So also knows he nothing but Christ. The text here states that he was "mighty in the Scriptures." He might not have had much else of this poor world. But at least he firmly laid hold to Christ. Here he arrives at Ephesus just as Paul is leaving. Due to the hasty nature of Paul's departure, this same doubtless wished to suffer them lest a fate similar to the Galatians should befall any. So is it good for the little Ephesian church to receive their full nourishment now to grow thereby. But for the Galatians, such a provision and a guardian is already much too late.

I can see Paul now saying, 'but I owe an explanation to no man.' It might seem this way at first; yet indeed he does, for here he makes a sorry attempt at one on behalf of the little church.

Comforting such a wound can be difficult indeed. Harder still to deal with the regret that comes with this error of oversight. See now the end of such a one that took advantage of his absence to lead the little church astray. It is even that of damnation and a curse sent to affect the bringer of the message and the one which took advantage of the situation. You might say, 'that is strong language indeed.' Stronger still the curse of an absent spiritual father figure. Yet everything Paul does to please the Lord else he would entirely cease being his servant. So then it matters little what man has to say about the matter since his sender and his receiver is the Lord. Indeed, these are his Words and his gospel and not unto man at all. Nor learned he from any of this way save of Christ himself. I see he is the best cure for all this preaching and traditions of men nonsense today. Some of you ought to seek him rather between the regions of knowing nothing and too late. For such a one was once our apostle himself. Between times he did as was his won't even beyond what was necessary or needful. In persecutions often and in spoiling them more, so he exceeded all others. For he had once found conversation and profit in the ways of Judaism. It is for this reason that he went beyond in whatever he did whether that be studying the Jewish tradition, furthering the gospel, or apostling the church. Something tells me he was more than a little upsetting at this time of which he speaks.