BEING PROPERLY INSTRUCTED IN THE WAY OF THE LORD - PART 1

SATURDAY 12 NOVEMBER 2022

What does it mean to be instructed in the way of the Lord? It means to be taught and trained in righteousness, a training which God approves. This simply implies that the way of the Lord is the bearing of His will, righteousness and judgments. Let's find out more!

Reference: Acts 18:24-26 King James Version (KJV) "And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly."

To simplify the above Scriptures, a man named Apollos came to Ephesus. He was a Jew, born in Alexandria, Egypt, and a peculiar speaker, eloquent and powerful in his preaching of the Scriptures. He was well-educated in the things of the Lord and passionate in his Gospel teaching approach. Apollos was accurate in everything he taught about the Gospel up to a point, because he only went as far as the baptism of John. Although he preached with power in the meeting place, when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and adequately instructed him about Christ with sufficient story or detailed knowledge of His coming, death and resurrection.

Having been fully instructed in the way of the Lord, Apollos decided to go on to Achaia province. For this reason, his Christian friends in Ephesus gave him their blessing and wrote a letter of recommendation for him, persuading the disciples there to welcome him with open arms. The welcome paid off: Apollos ended up being a great blessing to those who had become Christians there through God's loving-kindness and mercy. He remained courageously effective in witnessing the Gospel of Christ to the Jews as he enlightened them by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ (the Messiah; the Anointed). Simply put, Apollos functioned with a great deal of "savoir faire" and as a result of his Biblical enlightenment and accuracy, he sustained convincing proofs from the Scriptures - in his public discussions with the Jews, that confirmed or bore witness to the truth that Jesus was in fact God.

Beloved, it is our duty to desire to be properly instructed in the way of the Lord, a spiritual exercise which cannot be hosted in the flesh, but after the Spirit. And if we habitually live according to the Spirit, we will glow and remain fervent in the spirit, thereby practising the way of the Lord which is harmoniously in line with the Scriptures. And no matter how great and interesting any other way of life seems to be, you can rest assured that they are nothing at any moment, compared to the noble reward and advantage that come with knowing and functioning in the way of the Lord. Job 23:11-12 (BSB) says, "My feet have followed in His tracks; I have kept His way without turning aside. I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread." This is exactly the synopsis of Apollos' attitude towards the Scriptures. He was extremely graced and worded with Biblical truths and revelation knowledge. No wonder in 1 Corinthians 4:1 (NLT) apostle Paul said, "So look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God’s mysteries."

Analytically, in the successive part of this great topic, I'm going to consider sharing an in-depth comprehension in relation to this Biblically correct and worded Jewish Christian named Apollos, based on his eloquence, his effectiveness and weighty understanding in explaining the Scriptures; his insight, acuity and quick perception in getting informed in the way of the Lord; his attitude of being fervent in the spirit, and his ability to speak and teach the things of the Lord with diligence. Stay tuned for part 2. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Psalm 16:11; Proverbs 8:20; Psalm 27:11; Jeremiah 6:16; Isaiah 55:8-9.

Exuberant Declaration: I'm daily instructed in the way of the Lord and I enjoy lingering aroma and uncommon strength that emanate from sharing the Gospel truth. With a sincere and grateful heart, I appreciate the Almighty God, who in Christ, always leads me in the way of truth, and through me, He spreads the fragrance of His knowledge everywhere. Praise God!