Acts 18:24 - Exposition

Now for and, A.V.; an Alexandrian by race for born at Alexandria, A.V.; learned for eloquent, A.V. ( λόγιος ); came to Ephesus ; and he was mighty, etc., for and mighty in the Scriptures, came, etc., A.V. From Acts 18:24 to Acts 18:28 is a distinct episode, and an important one, as containing the first mention of a very remarkable man, Apollos (a short form of Apollonius, like Epaphras for Epaphroditus ) of Alexandria, a city destined to play a conspicuous part in Church history, as the traditional Church and see of St. Mark, the school of the Neoplatonists, the scene of the labors of Origen, Clement, and many other men of note, and the birthplace of the Gnostic leaders Cerinthus, Basilides, and Valentinus. The notices of Apollos in the New Testament are Acts 19:1 ; 1 Corinthians 1:12 ; 1 Corinthians 3:4 , 1 Corinthians 3:5 , 1 Corinthians 3:6 , 1 Corinthians 3:22 ; 1 Corinthians 4:6 ; 1 Corinthians 16:12 ; Titus 3:13 ; and all show St. Paul's high esteem for him. It was no more his fault than St. Peter's and St. Paul's that the factious Corinthians elevated him, or rather degraded him, into the leader of a party, Eloquent seems to be a better translation of λόγιος here than learned. The Greek word, which only occurs here in the New Testament, has both meanings.