Aloha BC,
Most of us on this Forum are Bible believers (King James Bible believers), and as such the "Morrish Bible Dictionary" has no more
authority to settle Scriptural definitions than Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse!
The King James Bible is its own best dictionary {especially in all matters of any spiritual importance} and is the FINAL AUTHORITY in all matters of faith and practice - at least for most of the people on this Forum..
When Apollos met Priscilla and Aquila he could not possibly have known the GOSPEL {"Good News"} of the Lord Jesus Christ ("Paul's Gospel"). And
IF he didn't know the GOSPEL - then he wasn't saved.
Romans 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
Romans 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
2 Timothy 2:8 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:
The fact that you cannot discern the
difference between Paul's "Gospel" {"the Gospel of Christ" -
Romans 1:16} and that of the "Gospel of the kingdom" that John the Baptist preached illustrates that you are not "rightly dividing" the Scriptures in this matter.
John's "Gospel" ("the gospel of the
kingdom") was:
Matthew 3:1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. {This is NOT PAUL'S "GOSPEL"!}
[Matthew 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
Matthew 21:32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, {NOT PAUL'S "GOSPEL"!} and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.]
Mark 1:4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. {NOT PAUL'S "GOSPEL"!}
Mark 1:5 And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.
6 And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;
7 And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.
8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.{John did NOT "preach" PAUL'S "GOSPEL"!}
Luke 3:2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; {This is NOT PAUL'S "GOSPEL"!}
John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. {Here is JOHN'S BAPTISM - This is NOT PAUL'S "GOSPEL"!}
Acts 10:37 That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; {Here is JOHN'S BAPTISM - This is NOT PAUL'S "GOSPEL"!}
Acts 13:24 When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. {Here is JOHN'S BAPTISM - This is NOT PAUL'S "GOSPEL"!}
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. {Apollos KNEW ONLY the "BAPTISM" OF JOHN - which was - NOT PAUL'S "GOSPEL"!}
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.
If Apollos
ONLY KNEW the "BAPTISM" of John, then he did
NOT know Paul's "Gospel" - because Paul's "Gospel" came
after John; after the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ; and after Peter, James, John, and Stephen's appeal to the nation of Israel {Acts Chapter 1 through Chapter 7}; Paul's "Gospel" was revealed to the Apostle Paul (NOT Peter, James, or John)
after God called Paul to the ministry and revealed to him the
mystery - "
which was kept secret since the world began," [Romans 16:25]
Ephesians 6:19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, {There you have it - PAUL'S "GOSPEL"}
Paul's "Gospel" {"the Gospel of Christ"} is:
1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
You could not "prove" that Apollos was preaching {or even
knew about} Paul's "Gospel" - from the Holy Bible (King James Bible - NOT the "Morrish Bible Dictionary") if your life depended on it.
There are just a few more verses that are applicable to this issue:
Acts 19:1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.
4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Here you have a case of some "disciples" - who had received John's "
Baptism", but had
not yet received the Holy Ghost. Were they saved? {without receiving the Holy Ghost?} Can a person get saved and not receive the Holy Spirit? NOT according to PAUL'S "GOSPEL"!
Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
According to Paul's "GOSPEL" - all those who have believed on, and have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ, after they have: "heard the word of truth, the gospel (PAUL'S "GOSPEL") of your salvation" - have the Holy Spirit. How could those disciples (and Apollos) be "saved", if they only knew John's "Baptism", and hadn't yet received the Holy Ghost?
The Holy Bible sure can "clear up" the confusion and obfuscation of the "Morrish Bible Dictionary" or "
many other commentators", or any other tradition or "device of man"!
