Fully Understanding: Imbued With the Spirit

Acts 18:24 "And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 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. 26 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. 27 And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace: 28 For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ."

Apollos was an Alexandrian (Egypt) Jew. Since he had been baptized by John, he was a Christian disciple of Jesus Christ whom Paul preached. His spiritual condition would have been somewhat like Abraham's. He believed on Jesus' sacrifice, but his belief was baptized before Jesus was crucified. Because he wasn't baptized "in Jesus' name" does not mean that he was not a Christian; it's just that he was not a spirit-filled Christian.  However, he was excited in the Lord and began to preach to the Jews.

Apollos was surely baptized again with the Baptism of Jesus and received the Holy Ghost because "he mightily convinced the Jews"! He didn't teach John's Baptism; it was the Baptism of Jesus, so called, not because Jesus baptized, but because the apostles baptized in Jesus' name.

The focus today is on the phrase "expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly". That's a key point in Christianity, then and now. John the Baptist told those he baptized "It's not for me, but Jesus who is to come!" Then those he baptized did so because they had faith that Jesus would die for their sins. After his crucifixion "grace" was efficacious. Now there was more to the story. There was more to Christianity. Apollos was taught what he knew, but since he didn't have the Holy Spirit yet (not because of the water, but because of Jesus death), he had more to learn!

Picture yourself as Aquila or Priscilla. What would you teach? It would be based on what you knew about Apollos and what he taught to others. Surely he taught prophecy from Old Testament scripture and taught about Jesus, the minister, but he didn't turn to page 2. It was no longer the Law. nor even the water, it was grace!

Apollos would say "It was never about following rules. It was always about love. It was never about earning. It was all about grace! It wasn't by the blood of slain animals; it was always about the blood of Jesus. It was never the sacrificed lamb; it was the Lamb who sacrificed himself!"

Apollos after being taught by Aquila and Priscilla saw Jesus through different glasses. It was not about Jesus who would die, but Jesus who had followed through with his self-sacrifice. That's grace!

Many people teach Christianity now. However, when the significance of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his only son became my epiphany years ago as a picture of God's sacrifice of his son, I became more Apollo-like! It was then that I realized what the Old Testament is all about! It was all about grace and all about Jesus! I was angry because preacher's had never taught me "perfectly". It seems that they all had missed the point with regard to the Old Testament. Apollos was missing the point and he was taught "more perfectly"!

Even today preachers don't preach the full gospel. I'm not referring to charismatic teaching, but that there is a life after when one "first believed". There is a race to run and righteousness to live. It's living a spirit-filled life under sanctification which too is a gift of God!

When we're "born again" we are "filled with the Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18). The best transliteration may be "imbued" rather than "filled". That's to be inspired or permeated. The latter is much as soaking a sponge in water. It soaks up the water around it. The sponge becomes "imbued" with water.

Much like that, God's Holy Spirit is everywhere. When we are imbued with the Spirit, we soak it up. My contention is that we have things inside already taking up space in our sponge (sic). When we imbue the Spirit we each soak up different  amounts. If we didn't we all would want to spend full time telling others about Jesus. We still have that corrupt nature in there dirtying up the sponge.

Our role is, with the assistance of the Spirit, that we have to become more righteous in order that more of the Spirit is imbued. We will never be fully righteous, but that's our goal in being Christlike!

Some will say "But the Holy Spirit doesn't come and go! It's always with us." It's true that we are all imbued with the Spirit, but he comes in his fullness when Christians are in one accord with him and each other (Acts 2). Not intending to trivialize the Holy Ghost, but to symbolize his work, God's Spirit comes to those in a mindset to soak up more of what he has!  When the Holy Ghost comes, Christians have an opportunity to be imbued with more Spirit.

The Holy Spirit doesn't depart and come back. His direction is additive. When he's there those who love him will be more filled than before!

Of course sponges can be squeezed out! When we fill our minds with other things, the Holy Spirit feels unwelcome and relinquishes some of his temple, being squeezed out, but he never leaves. The Christian, having little room for him, is just imbued with less. This can be seen in practice with our ups and downs; with joy and despair.

Apollos, after he learned more about grace, became imbued with the Spirit. He preached more perfectly!

The problem with many preachers are that they either have only "repented", but but not accepted and are symbolic of having only the Baptism of John, or they are imbued with little spirit!

I hear preachers preach about love, but are unloving themselves. I hear them preach against adultery, but fornicate with their food god every day! I hear them preach about jealousy, but they are jealous. I hear them talk about faith, but see them prioritize sports and things. I even hear them talk about being spirit-filled, but their sponge is pretty wrung out!

Before Apollos got imbued, his preaching was lacking. When he was imbued of the Spirit, it was a more perfect gospel he preached! Why? He was preaching what he had experienced. He was preaching what he was practicing!

What do preachers need to do today? Get a little more imbued with the Spirit. That may take fasting with prayer to defeat that demon who tries to share the sponge with Jesus!