Through Scripture, God changes us and conforms us to His Son’s image. In Acts 18:24–28, we meet Apollos, an example of a man in the process of reformation. The result of his teachable heart is powerful impact. If you have a teachable heart, God will work in and through you to make a big difference for His Kingdom.

God Prepares You

Apollos was from the large city of Alexandria. He was cultured, educated, eloquent, and gifted with reason. He also knew the Scriptures and was biblically competent. He was careful to teach accurately. In addition to all this, Apollos was “fervent in spirit,” meaning he was passionate about God. This was an impressive person.

God had prepared Apollos to make a big impact through his background, gifting, and training. Our Lord does the same for us. He uses things like where we’re from, what we’ve been through, and what we are working on. He is at work in us, conforming us to Christ and preparing us to do great things for Him.

God Humbles You

Although Apollos was impressive, he didn’t know everything yet. In verse 26, Priscilla and Aquila realized there was a gap in his learning. They modeled how we should respond when we see others in error by taking him aside privately instead of publicly embarrassing him. They did not shame him; they loved him as they explained the truth more accurately.

Apollos could have arrogantly ignored their instruction, but he did not. God’s Spirit was on display, not only in Priscilla and Aquila as they lovingly corrected him, but also in Apollos as he listened. God had equipped him with a humble, teachable heart. This is not something we can equip ourselves with; it’s supernatural.

Because God loves us, is for us, and wants us to make a powerful impact for Him, He works to humble us through corrections, difficult relationships, and challenging assignments. All of us have something to learn, and we need to receive instruction. This doesn’t always feel good, and we are tempted to respond defensively. Instead, we must ask God to give us teachable hearts. We must view opportunities to learn humility as gracious gifts.

God Empowers You

A powerful ministry resulted from Apollos’s teachable heart. He was not only faithful to learn but also faithful to go. When he arrived in Achaia, he was an incredible blessing to the believers there. Later in the Bible, he is even mentioned along with Peter and Paul as a leading teacher! Apollos’ ministry for Christ has had unfathomable impact on the generations to come.

God is preparing, humbling, and empowering each of us to make a Kingdom impact. Let us care for each other by correcting each other gently and privately. And when we are the ones being corrected, let us receive it with grace instead of resisting in arrogance. God opposes the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.