In today’s reading, Luke is sort of cleaning up some loose ends and connecting some dots for us before we move on to Paul’s work in his return to Ephesus in the next chapter.  What struck me this morning was the little information about this disciple Apollos at the end of the chapter, who was working in Ephesus between Paul’s visits.  And, it really isn’t as much Luke’s narrative that jumped out at me as it was the scholarship in the study Bible.  Apparently there are people that are really struggling to explain how someone like Apollos could have received the Holy Spirit, as Luke is suggesting, yet only have heard John’s message - which Luke states in in verse 25.

Maybe I am thinking too simply on this, but this doesn’t really bother me.  We know that Apollos is from Alexandria, which is a center for education and philosophy, and was actually a place where a Jewish philosopher named Philo lived and worked.  As a Jew, Apollos was well-versed in the scriptures, no doubt.  Being from Alexandria, it is certainly possible (and likely) that he would have had some kind of training, whether formal or informal, from Philo as well.  So, we are talking about a competent religious person.  In fact, Apollos could kind of be compared to Paul in that regard.

And, we are told that Priscilla and Aquila take him aside and fill in the blanks of his faith for him, giving him the information about Jesus - His death, resurrection, and ascension.  At this point is when we are typically going to grant the assumption that he can receive the Holy Spirit, after he’s understood to have believed this information; meaning, he has to have received this information.  If he hasn’t gotten the information, these writers are hung up on how Luke says he can have the Holy Spirit with him.  Luke doesn’t fill in that blank for us.

I think we have to be careful here - this is where I think the church can start to get itself into a little trouble if it isn’t careful.  First off, we can’t and don’t know everything about this situation, obviously.  So, however we go about filling in the blanks, we are guessing - we have to recognize that.  Secondly, if God is the creator of the world and of communication and of this manuscript, and we don’t have a piece of information, we can assume it isn’t an error of omission (in my opinion); it is likely that God just didn’t give us this information because it isn’t important to the point He is making.  Thirdly, given the contextual detail we have been provided in so many places, and given the way these narratives are all inter-woven with historical findings so intricately, I think we must start with the assumption that there are just pieces of information that we don’t have, that should we have them, we’d have no problems answering unknowns questions.  Lastly - we must remember to not “miss the forest for the trees” here; Luke is (I think) just trying to communicate that God has been working in Ephesus even when Paul has been away - God was building the church, His church, and was furthering the cause to which Paul has been called, even while Paul was away.

Today’s reading reminds me that we can take scripture study down a rabbit hole, and sometimes that’s fine.  But, when we do, we must be humble enough to throw our hands up in the end, and to admit that we are speculating.  We much assume God has given us everything that we need to find Him, to know Him, and to experience Him.  And we must be careful as we read NOT to miss the bigger picture - God’s church, the movement called ‘the way’, was spreading at an unstoppable pace, and it was gathering momentum that was overcoming all sorts of formidable challenges.  God was doing what God wanted to do...and it is still that way today; thank you God!