Acts 18:24-25

Sometimes good isn’t good enough. The task requires 100%.

If 99.9% is good enough then…

• 107 incorrect medical procedures will be performed by the end of the day today.
• 22,000 transactions will be deducted from the wrong bank accounts in the next 60 minutes.
• 268,500 defective tires will be shipped this year.

• 14,208 defective PCs will be shipped this year.
• 103,260 income tax returns will be processed incorrectly this year.
• 5,517,200 cases of soft drinks produced in the next 12 months will be flatter than a bad tire.
• 3,065 copies of tomorrow’s Wall Street Journal will be missing one of the three sections.
• 18,322 pieces of mail will be mishandled in the next hour.
• 291 pacemaker operations will be performed incorrectly this year.
• 880,000 credit cards in circulation will turn out to have incorrect cardholder information on their magnetic strips.
• 20,000 incorrect drug prescriptions will be written in the next 12 months.
• 114,500 mismatched pairs of shoes will be shipped this year.
• 315 entries in Webster’s New International Dictionary of the English Language will turn out to be misspelled.
• 12 babies will be given to the wrong parents each day.

Although I can’t verify the accuracy of these statistics by Harvey McKay in the online Business Journey and credited to InSight, Syncrude Canada Ltd., Communications Division Communicator, they make a powerful point,

Accuracy Matters.

Today’s text underscores this principle in a unique fashion.

Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

Apollos was educated. Hendriksen says that “Alexandria was the second city of rank in the Roman empire and had the distinction of being a seat of learning. Here Jewish students received a thorough education.” He probably attended both Jewish and Greek schools and was familiar with both cultures.

Apollos was skilled. He knew the Old Testament scriptures. It fact, Luke emphasizes that he was “mighty in the scriptures.” The ESV says “competent in the scriptures.” And the NIV renders this “a thorough knowledge of the scriptures.” Apparently he had been a disciple of John and knew something of the message of the forerunner to Christ, which lead him to be instructed “in the way of the Lord.”

Apollos was eloquent. His presentation was passionate, powerful and persuasive. Luke says that “he spoke with great fervor.” The Greek word means “to boil with heat, to be hot.” It speaks to an unquenchable zeal in advocating and advancing his message.

Apollos had an incomplete message. For reasons we’re not told, he knew “only the baptism of John.” He did not know the baptism of the Great Commission (Mk. 16:15-16). The baptism “for the remission of sins” (Ax. 2:38). The baptism that puts one “into Christ” (Gal. 3:37). Apollos was close. He knew a lot about the scriptures, about Jesus, about John the forerunner, but his knowledge and his message was not totally accurate.

Apollos was teachable. It is a compliment to Apollos that he was receptive in receiving instruction from a couple who were tent makers. Not doctors of the law. Not professional theologians. Not even inspired apostles. But Apollos, though educated and eloquent, was humble enough to listen and learn “the way of God more accurately.”

It’s also a compliment to Aquila and Priscilla who were willing to teach Apollos. They didn’t ignore him. They weren’t so mesmerized by his fluent and forceful message, that they “gave him a pass.” They weren’t afraid to discuss scripture with a man so well educated. While he was close, they knew he wasn’t close enough. He was good, but not good enough. His message lacked 100% accuracy.

Let’s not settle, either in ourselves, or in those who preach and teach the Word, for an incomplete or inaccurate message.

Accuracy matters.

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman