The Way

"After spending sometime there, he left and traveled from place to place through Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening the disciples.

A certain Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, arrived at Ephesus.  He was an eloquent speaker and an authority on the Scriptures, and he had some knowledge of the way of the LORD.  With great enthusiasm he preached, and taught correctly, about JESUS, although he knew only of John's baptism.  As he began to speak boldly in the synagogue, Priscilla and Aquila heard him; so they took him home with them and explained to him the way more accurately.  As Apollos wished to go to Achaia, the believers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him.  When he arrived, he greatly strengthened those who, by GOD's grace, had become believers, for he vigorously refuted the Jews, proving from the Scriptures that JESUS is the Messiah." - Acts 18:23-28 

(Paul does not stay in Ephesus, the capital of the province of Asia.  He is in a hurry to return, after two and a half years of mission.  He goes up to Jerusalem and returns to Antioch, which is the first and the main among the churches in the pagan world.  Paul goes there to rest after every journey.  The life of this large community, with years of experience, and the contact with its apostles, helped him to see what the future of the Church would be.

When he leaves again, Paul visits the churches established on his second mission.  This takes him several months, so he will only arrive at Ephesus in 54 A.D.  Meanwhile a church had been established there.

During Paul's absence, Aquila, Priscilla and others resumed the first contacts that he had established in the Jewish community.  An important success: the integration of Apollos who will be one of the most valued missionaries [1 Corinthians 3:6; 4:6; 15:12].  Apollos, we are told, knew something of The Way.  We have already met this term which denoted Christianity: not only a religion, nor only a faith or morale, but all that together and more.  Apollos, like the twelve men mentioned in 19:1-7, had probably been in Palestine when JESUS was already known there.  His teaching had not yet given rise to a movement nor made a stir equal to that resulting from John the Baptist's preaching, which was followed by baptisms and commitments.

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