Apollos was a Christian Jew who was a skilled preacher at the time of the apostle Paul’s missionary journeys. He was born in Alexandria (Egypt). The main biblical passage about Apollos is Acts 18:24–19:1.
Apollos's Early Ministry
From Alexandria, Apollos went to Ephesus in Asia Minor. Apollos was very enthusiastic about his faith. He was well-educated and knew a lot about culture. He had studied the Old Testament Scriptures carefully. He knew the way of the Lord and spoke boldly and openly in the synagogue at Ephesus. Apollos knew about Jesus and taught about him correctly. However, Apollos only knew what John the Baptist had said about Jesus. John the Baptist was a man who came before Jesus to prepare people for his arrival.
Apollos Learns from Priscilla and Aquila
Priscilla and Aquila were Paul’s friends and former associates. They heard Apollos speak in Ephesus. They realized that he had not heard what had happened to Jesus. They took him aside privately and explained the way of God to him more clearly.
Apollos had been convinced of the importance of John’s baptism and John’s message that Jesus was the Messiah (God's chosen leader). Apollos did not know about such teachings as justification by faith in Christ or the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation. Justification by faith in Christ is being made right with God by believing in Jesus. The work of the Holy Spirit in salvation is how God's spirit helps people become followers of Jesus. Priscilla and Aquila helped Apollos learn this information.
Apollos's Ministry in Greece
Soon after this instruction, Apollos left Ephesus for the Roman province of Achaia in Greece. He brought letters from the Ephesian Christians. These letters urged the disciples in Achaia to welcome Apollos as a Christian brother. On arrival, he forcefully and publicly argued with the Jews. He used his knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures to prove that Jesus was the Messiah.
Paul considered Apollos’s work in Corinth valuable. Paul described Apollos as the one who watered the seed that Paul had planted as the founder of the church (1 Corinthians 3:5–11). From 1 Corinthians, it is also clear that one of the groups dividing the Corinthian church was a group centered around Apollos. However, Apollos was not directly responsible for it (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:1–4). Paul had difficulty convincing Apollos that he should return to Corinth. This may be because Apollos did not want to encourage the continuance of that little group (1 Corinthians 16:12).