“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.”
My Notes
What Does Acts 18:26 Mean?
"Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly." Apollos is a brilliant, eloquent, passionate teacher who knows Scripture well — but his understanding is incomplete. He knows only John's baptism, not the full gospel. And instead of publicly correcting him, Aquila and Priscilla take him aside privately and fill in what he's missing.
Priscilla is named first (in most manuscripts) — unusual for a married couple in the ancient world. Her precedence suggests she played a leading role in the teaching. A woman instructs a man — privately, carefully, and with evident authority. The early church recorded and preserved this without apology.
The phrase "more perfectly" (akribesteron — more accurately, more precisely) doesn't mean Apollos was wrong. He was incomplete. Aquila and Priscilla don't correct error; they complete understanding. The approach is additive, not corrective. They bring precision to what was already genuine but insufficient.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Who has taught you 'more perfectly' — completing your understanding with gracious precision?
- 2.What does Priscilla's role in teaching Apollos say about women's teaching gifts?
- 3.How do you receive correction that's 'more perfectly' rather than 'you're wrong'?
- 4.What incomplete understanding do you have that could benefit from someone who knows more?
Devotional
He was brilliant. Eloquent. Passionate. Taught accurately what he knew. And what he knew wasn't enough. So Priscilla and Aquila took him aside — not publicly, not humiliatingly — and taught him what he was missing.
The grace of this encounter is its privacy. They didn't stand up in the synagogue and say 'actually, Apollos, you're incomplete.' They took him home. They expounded. They filled in the gaps with patient, personal instruction. Public talent received private correction. The result was a more effective teacher, not a humiliated one.
Priscilla teaching Apollos is one of the clearest examples of women in teaching roles in the New Testament. She doesn't teach a crowd — she instructs a gifted teacher privately. Her authority isn't institutional; it's relational and knowledge-based. She knows something Apollos doesn't. She shares it. The church preserves the record without commentary or qualification.
The word 'more perfectly' is the most gracious way to describe correction. Not 'you're wrong.' More precisely. More completely. More accurately. The same trajectory, extended further. The same road, traveled further. Apollos wasn't heading the wrong direction. He just hadn't gone far enough.
Who in your life has the gift of teaching you more perfectly — completing your understanding rather than correcting your errors? And are you humble enough to be taught, even when you're already brilliant?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
For he mightily convinced the Jews,.... His reasoning was so strong and nervous, his arguments so weighty and powerful,…
And expounded - Explained. The way of God - Gave him full and ample instructions respecting the Messiah as having…
They took him unto them - This eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures, who was even a public teacher, was not…
The sacred history leaves Paul upon his travels, and goes here to meet Apollos at Ephesus, and to give us some account…
And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue For the Jews were not all ready to listen to announcements of the approach…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture