My Dear Friend,

May I tell you about a key New Testament minister who, though already fervent, scholarly, and no doubt well-known, was also humble enough to receive correction? His name was Apollos.

In Acts 18:24-28, Luke tells us there was "a certain Jew, named Apollos," who was "born at Alexandria," the foremost learning center of the ancient world (v. 24). Thus, he had access to the many scrolls in the vast Alexandrian library, as well as the finest rabbinic instruction, since Alexandria was also home to a sizeable Jewish and rabbinic population. He was "an eloquent man," or expert in Rhetoric, the art of formal public speech, and also "mighty in the scriptures," or well-read in the Torah, prophets, and writings (v. 24). One day Apollos "came to Ephesus" in the perfect timing of God.

Apollos was also "instructed in the way of the Lord," meaning he had been orally taught the Messianic prophecies, and may have also heard of John the Baptist's testimony that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah. Apollos was "fervent in spirit," or very earnest in his teaching, and diligently "taught the things of the Lord [the Messiah; or possibly Jesus]." But he had a deficiency. His Messianic knowledge went only as far as the "baptism of John," a Jewish repentance washing meant to prepare the people to receive their Messiah (v. 25). So, Apollos was not yet a Christian, because he had not received Christian baptism, which was, and still is, the initial Christian sacrament publicly commemorating one's spiritual rebirth.

As Apollos was teaching in a Jewish synagogue in Ephesus, "Aquila and Priscilla," two Christian tentmakers, who were also Paul's friends and students, quickly recognized Apollos' deficiency. So, they "took him unto them," or took him to their home, where they "expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly." Or, they completed his knowledge of all the amazing events of Jesus' life, ministry, sufferings, death, and resurrection attested to in Old Testament prophecy, and also His Ascension to heaven and the Spirit's descent in power at Pentecost (v. 26).

Though I cannot prove it, I believe Apollos then received Christ's new birth, Christian (water) baptism, and the mighty Baptism with the Holy Spirit. Why suggest this? It would be very unlikely, even incredible, that a man of Apollos' zeal would hear the complete Gospel message and not act upon it immediately.

After leaving Ephesus with a newly updated Messianic message burning in his heart, Apollos went to Corinth (Achaia), and helped the fledgling Christian church there greatly by powerfully convincing the local Jewish detractors "by the scriptures" in public debates that "Jesus was Christ." That is, he proved, verse by verse, that Jesus of Nazareth had indeed fulfilled all the Messiah's prophesied sufferings and was therefore the true and valid Messiah (vv. 27-28). My point?

This learned, brilliant, devoted, experienced Jewish scholar and orator, when taken aside by Paul's students, was humble enough to receive their correction. And not from highly respected Alexandrian Jewish scribes or rabbis, but from two lowly Jewish Christians, tentmakers, not rabbinically taught, uncredentialed laymen, if you will. And one of them was a woman! Yes, Luke says Priscilla participated in Apollos' correction session. She, too, was Paul's disciple, and no doubt well-taught by him. In Apollos' highly patriarchal Jewish culture, men never looked to women to teach them. But Apollos was apparently as humble as he was wise. And his humility benefitted not only him but also all the believers he later taught.

With Apollos' example in mind, let us ask, how does God correct us? Here are some ways:

• God's Word. The amazing, penetrating, convicting power of God's living Word will correct us all by itself - if we read it prayerfully, with an open mind, and humbly acknowledge it whenever its instructions expose our imperfections.

• Conscience. Our consciences correct us, or as we say, "work on us," whenever the Holy Spirit shows us we are not right in some area of our thinking or living.

• Sermons or teachings. Many times, as we listen to sermons or read Christian teaching materials, the Holy Spirit will show us, as He showed David through Nathan, "You are the man!" Immediately, we know we need to change our motives, attitudes, speech, or actions.

• Pastors or elders. The pastors or elders at your church are God's primary ministers of correction. Not angels, with wings and halos, but fallible men or women, redeemed by grace, taught God's truth and ways, obedient to them, and ordained and anointed by Him to teach you His truth and ways . . . if you are humble enough to receive them.

• Christian friends. If your Christian brothers and sisters truly love you, and they see you beginning to sin, turning from Christ, or believing heretical teaching, they will speak the truth in love to correct you . . . if you love the truth enough to receive it.

• Sickness. Sometimes God sends sickness to humble us. Then, when we are weakened and humbled by our affliction, His Spirit quietly speaks to our heart about what God wants changed and, often, what we have repeatedly ignored!

• Defeats and losses. When winning, we often take our victories as proof that everything in our souls and lives is perfect. As long as we remain in the grip of this self-congratulatory pride, God cannot get through to us. But let a defeat or loss come and, suddenly, we become introspective, and open and willing to hear from heaven.

If these ordinary methods don't reach you, God will resort to extraordinary means. For instance:

• A child. The simple, uncomplicated counsel of Naaman's young servant girl corrected his pride and resulted in his healing.

• An enemy. King Josiah would have lived to a ripe old age if he had listened to Pharaoh Neco's correction advising him to not intervene in his battle.

• Visions and dreams. Peter had three corrective visions in a row, each telling him he should abandon his remaining Pharisaic prejudices and begin receiving Gentiles. Moments later three Gentiles arrived at his door and Peter, corrected by the visions, went with them to powerfully minister the Gospel and Spirit . . . in a Gentile's house.

• Donkeys! When Balaam behaved like a stubborn donkey, obstinately pursuing a divinely forbidden mission, God opened his donkey's mouth to correct the erring prophet, saving him from imminent execution and Israel from a curse.

The great key in all of this is willingness! If you are willing to hear God's correction, God will go out of His way to confirm to you what He wants you to change. The next question, then, is, what issues of heart and areas of our lives does God wish to correct?

Everything! A.W. Tozer said his philosophy was, "Everything is wrong until God makes it right." In the sanctification process, all our old ways of thinking and living have to be replaced by God's ways. They alone fit the new nature and way of life we have received in Christ. So, the Holy Spirit has come to change us entirely, from the innermost to the outermost. Not suddenly, but one issue at a time. What issues?

Sin and the Savior do not mix. We cannot walk in the practice of sin and the company of the Savior simultaneously. Our attitudes must also be changed. Attitudes are fixed patterns of thinking and feeling toward people and situations. For example, how do you feel about your parents? Your children? Your extended family? Your neighbors? The people of a certain race, socioeconomic standing, or profession? Authority figures? Your pastor?

Our thoughts must be purified. Are you feeding the right thought stuff into your soul? Or worldly lies, the latest Internet nonsense, or other forms of satanic garbage? Relationships are important. Are you forming the right kind of relationships? Are your close friends godly or ungodly? Spiritual or carnal? Drawing nearer or walking away from Christ? Your devotional life is crucial. Are you seeking the Lord at home, in the "secret place," worshiping, praying, thanking and praising Him, poring over His Scriptures, and seeking His guidance for your life every day?

Jesus insists we practice what His ministers preach. Are you a religious aficionado, always grading the pastor on how well his messages are prepared and delivered? Or are you a "disciple indeed," listening intently to every biblical point made so you may immediately and permanently practice it in your life? Idols must be identified and removed. What or who do you love more than God or trust more than Him? These are the true idols that supplant the worship of the true God in your life. They must go from the temple of your heart - or Christ's presence will go!

Discipline is essential. Are you disciplined physically, spiritually, intellectually? This matters greatly, if you hope to be a genuine "disciple," or self-disciplined follower of Christ. Christ patiently corrects our doctrine. His Holy Spirit will expose any errant doctrines you hold, as He did with Apollos, so you may believe, live, and share only true doctrines. He also examines our commitment to service or ministry. Are you seriously committed to the service or ministry to which Christ has called you, or half-hearted or casual?

Humility is a huge issue. Our "meek and lowly" Lord who, "as a man, humbled himself," is always working on us to be humble, not proud, and to be meek toward His will, not willfully and stubbornly insistent on what we want. Mercy is another key heart issue. God desires that we always choose to be merciful in our attitudes, and never harden our hearts with indifference, judgmentalism, prejudice, scorn, or hatred. And forgiveness is fundamental. Whatever the offense, we must always forgive. Jesus taught, "Forgive, if you have anything against any" (Mark 11:25), and then warned, "If you do not forgive, neither will your Father, who is in heaven, forgive your trespasses" (11:26). So, it's very simple: be forgiving or be unforgiven!

Finally, the Lord works with us about correction itself - until we receive correction quickly, not slowly, realizing His good purpose in correcting us. Once we form the habit of letting God correct us easily, by whatever means He chooses, we are off and running well the race He has set before us. And soon He will use us, and our newly gained spiritual discernment, to help correct others (see Matthew 7:1-5).

This is the way to healthy spiritual living. God will always be correcting us about one thing or another, so He may continue conforming us to Christ's image (Romans 8:29). His challenging-yet-blessed correction process will continue until Christ appears. Our options are two: correction or corruption! We either accept God's correction process, go with it, and grow with it, or stagnate spiritually. Or rot, reverting to our old sins!

Wisdom wishes to speak: "Don't bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you. Instruct [give advice, correction to] the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more" (Proverbs 9:8-9, NLT). So, correction always leads to greater knowledge.

And Wisdom adds: "Whoever accepts correction is on the way to life, but whoever ignores correction will lead others away from life" (Proverbs 10:17, NCV). So, now we see our attitude toward God's correction affects not only ourselves but others. Yes, "He who heeds instruction and correction is [not only himself] in the way of life, but is a way of life for others. And he who neglects or refuses reproof [not only himself] goes astray, but causes to err and is a path toward ruin for others" (AMP). Indeed, our receiving or rejecting of God's correction will affect everyone around us for the rest of our lives - and beyond, since our life example lingers long after we are gone.

With Wisdom's counsel fresh in your mind, may I ask, are you correctable?

Correctable, changing, conforming,

Dr. Greg Hinnant

GREG HINNANT MINISTRIES