II Timothy 2:2 “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”

In our text, the Apostle Paul sets forth a principle for the advancement of our faith which is the declaration of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The responsibility of passing on the truth is the duty of every one that names the name of Christ! In the book of Acts we have an illustration of this process; “And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. 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. 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. 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: For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ” (Acts 18:24-28).

Soon after the departure of the Apostle Paul, a gifted teacher named Apollos arrived in Ephesus. His speech is described as eloquent and mighty. His spirit was fervent and he wasted no time. Without delay, he quickly began to teach and witness for the Lord. While being used of the Lord, Apollos’ ministry was limited by his education and his experience, “knowing only the baptism of John” (vs. 25). If Apollos was going to grow and become even more effective in the Lord’s work, he would need help.

Apollos possessed an admirable trait that is missing in the lives of many; a teachable spirit! When Aquila and Priscilla, two tent makers, approached Apollos, they were not met with an “I know it all” attitude. It does not matter how much you may know, there’s still more to be learned. Apollos sought enlightenment from the right source, “they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly” (vs. 26). Aquila and Priscilla had learned at the feet of the Apostle Paul and now they were passing that truth on to Apollos.

There are two questions that we need ask ourselves; “Do we possess a teachable spirit?” and “Am I leading others to a fuller knowledge of the truth?” If this is to be true we must remember that our ability to lead others will be proportional to our willingness to be led!