Apollos was a first century apostle who was born as Jewish and later converted into Christianity. His name was mentioned several time in the New Testament. Apollos was a companion of Apostle Paul, and he played an important role in the founding of Ephesus Church.
We see the name of Apollos first in Acts 18:26;
He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the Way of God to him more accurately.
Acts 18:26
As we understand from this verse he was preaching about Jesus and his way, but he was not knowledgeable enough. So Priscilla and Aquila took him in and taught him about the way of Jesus Christ.
Who Was Apollos in the Bible?
Apollos in the Bible was a Jewish teacher from Alexandria in Egypt. Acts 18:24 says he was an eloquent man who knew the Scriptures very well, and he came to Ephesus in the early 50s AD, while Apostle Paul was away.
Alexandria had one of the biggest Jewish communities of the Roman world, so he probably grew up with the Scriptures in Greek. Ships sailed from Egypt to the Aegean harbors all the time, so Ephesus was easy to reach. He found a Jewish community in Ephesus too, described in my post on Judaism in Ephesus.
How Did Priscilla and Aquila Teach Apollos in Ephesus?
Priscilla and Aquila were Jewish tentmakers, and Paul had left them in Ephesus on his first short visit (Acts 18:18-19). They did not correct Apollos in front of the crowd. They took him aside, probably to their house, and explained the way of God more accurately.
Apollos listened, and it made him stronger. A famous speaker learned from a tentmaker couple, and that says a lot about him. More about them is in my post Aquila and Priscilla in Ephesus.
Then we see Apollos in the letter of Paul to Corinthians;
I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.
1 Cor 3:6
What Did Apollos Do in Corinth?
Apollos went from Ephesus to Corinth, main city of Achaia, and helped the church there. The believers in Ephesus wrote a letter and asked the disciples there to welcome him. He greatly helped those who believed, and in public he showed from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ (Acts 18:27-28). While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul came to Ephesus (Acts 19:1). By the way, Corinth is in Greece today, across the Aegean Sea.
What Did Paul Say About Apollos?
Paul spoke of himself and Apollos as God’s fellow workers, not as rivals (1 Corinthians 3:5-9). In Corinth some believers made teams, one saying “I follow Paul” and another “I follow Apollos” (1 Corinthians 1:12). Paul told them both men were only servants, and that is the picture behind the verse above: Paul planted, Apollos watered, and God gave the growth.
Paul wrote 1 Corinthians from Ephesus (1 Corinthians 16:8), and it seems Apollos was nearby him at that time. Paul urged him to visit Corinth, but Apollos did not want to go yet, he would come when he had a chance (1 Corinthians 16:12). The two men respected each other. Paul’s years in the city are in my post Apostle Paul in Ephesus.
And lastly we see Apollos mentioned in the Epistle to Titus by Apostle Paul;
Make every effort to send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way, and see that they lack nothing.
Titus 3:13
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Apollos mentioned in the Bible?
Apollos appears in Acts 18:24-28 and Acts 19:1, in 1 Corinthians 1:12, 3:4-6, 3:22, 4:6 and 16:12, and in Titus 3:13. He is not named anywhere else in the New Testament.
Who was Apollos in 1 Corinthians?
He was the eloquent teacher from Alexandria who came to Corinth after Paul. Some believers there made him the leader of their group, but Paul and Apollos worked together as God’s servants (1 Corinthians 3:5-9).
Did Apollos write the book of Hebrews?
Nobody knows. The Letter to the Hebrews does not name its writer. Some people have guessed Apollos, because he was an eloquent teacher who knew the Scriptures very well, but it is only a guess.
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