3 Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. ² I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, ³ for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world? ⁴ When one of you says, “I am a follower of Paul,” and another says, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you acting just like people of the world?

⁵ After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. ⁶ I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. ⁷ It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. ⁸ The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. ⁹ For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.

1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Dear God, someone recently pointed out Apollos to me as a significant person in the New Testament church, and, frankly, I can’t believe I had totally missed him. He was apparently remarkable. We first meet him in Acts 18:

²⁴ Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt. ²⁵ He had been taught the way of the Lord, and he taught others about Jesus with an enthusiastic spirit and with accuracy. However, he knew only about John’s baptism. ²⁶ When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately.

²⁷ Apollos had been thinking about going to Achaia, and the brothers and sisters in Ephesus encouraged him to go. They wrote to the believers in Achaia, asking them to welcome him. When he arrived there, he proved to be of great benefit to those who, by God’s grace, had believed. ²⁸ He refuted the Jews with powerful arguments in public debate. Using the Scriptures, he explained to them that Jesus was the Messiah.

And now, here is is again, getting name-checked by Paul in his letter to the Corinthians. I wonder if there are writings out there still surviving from Apollos that are not considered scripture but are authentic.

I just searched and saw that there are no surviving writings that are labeled as written by Apollos, but there are some who suspect it’s possible he wrote Hebrews.

But back on task. There are so many things I do not know about…well, everything. I think I know so much. I think I understand so much. But the truth is that I am incredibly ignorant. A new Christian recently asked me about how I got so much biblical knowledge. My first response was to think about how much I feel like I don’t know. But what I do know has just come from time with you. Time in the scripture. Your representatives on earth have planted some seeds in my life. Some have watered and nurtured. But it is your Spirit that has grown any fruit I might exhibit.

Father, I want to be a seed planter and waterer, but I also want to remember my place. First, to be a good planter and waterer, I must first take care of myself and ensure that my branch is attached to your vine. Second, I need to see each person with your eyes and embrace them, care about them, and love them. And legitimately, with your love. Not with my human love that usually wants something in return. With your love. Thirs, I need to vulnerably share my life with them so that they will know that I am just a fellow sojourner through this life with them. Finally, I need to allow your Holy Spirit to do the rest while I humbly walk before you. Help me to do each of those things today. I have a Zoom meeting this morning that is interrupting my vacation, but it is an important meeting. Help me to be honoring in this and do this well.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen