I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I am on a business trip over the weekend and into next week, so my posts may be somewhat abbreviated.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Acts 19-20.

    In yesterday’s passage we learn that a Jew named Apollos preached the Gospel in Ephesus where he met Priscilla and Aquila. Luke told us further that at that point Apollos, while a powerful speaker on behalf of the Gospel, had a limited understanding of it. He was unaware of the Holy Spirit. Priscilla and Aquila gave him a more thorough understanding and together with the other believers in Ephesus sent him on to Corinth and vicinity. What is interesting is that we know that Priscilla and Aquila had spent some time with Paul before this, yet when Paul arrived in Ephesus a short time later, the believers there were still only aware of John’s baptism. So, despite Priscilla and Aquila spending some time among the believers in Ephesus and instructing Apollos on the Gospel the rest of the believers had a limited understanding.

    Paul preached successfully in Ephesus for two years without incident. Then, when he became convicted that it would soon be time to move on to Greece, he sent his closest companions on ahead of him. Shortly after this trouble erupted in Ephesus. The trouble here was similar to that earlier in Philippi. Demetrius felt economically threatened by the growing Christian community, which put no faith in personal shrines.