"When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed." -- Acts 18:27"

There are two personalities in the Bible about whom not enough is said: Barnabas and Apollos. Both men were close friends of the Apostle Paul. Just enough is said about him to make us want to know more. Barnabas was an encourager and evangelist. Appollos was a great theologian and probable contributor to the biblical text. Both were enablers of the Kingdom. Both were men of deep commitment to Christ.

Since the days of Martin Luther it has been suggested that Apollos was the author of the epistle to the Hebrews. While this claim is somewhat speculative, it is not without reason and appeal. Apollos was a highly educated Alexandrian Jew. His ability to communicate the Gospel placed him in the ranks of Peter, Paul and the other writers of the New Testament. There are no disqualifiers. There is nothing in the life of Apollos or in the text of Hebrews that would preclude his authorship. It is also clear that Paul could not have written it.

The notion of Apollos' authorship of Hebrews is so appealing because of the stature and admiration we have of both the man and the text. They seem to fit. But "seem to's" are hardly the stuff of sound biblical analysis and scholarship.

John tells us that if all that Jesus said and did were written, the world could not contain the books. Perhaps something similar could be offered as the reason we do not have more information about the teachings of Apollos. Unlike Paul, his writings do not fill the New Testament. If he did write Hebrews, perhaps that is enough. One must never underestimate the power of understatement.

So, how is Apollos relevant to New Testament scholarship? If we are honest, it is hard to say. But far more important, how is a man like Apollos relevant to your life and mine? Regardless as to whether or not he contributed to the written Word of God, he is certainly a man to be admired. We know that he was a brilliant, educated theologian, and apart from his humanness, perhaps a man even to emulate.

The life of Apollos and those he taught were all transformed by the life, character, miracles and teachings of Jesus. May God help us all to be so instructed on a daily basis. -- PDM