Are You Using All The Grammar You Got?

Acts 18:24-26

Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt. He had been taught the way of the Lord, and he taught others about Jesus with an enthusiastic spirit and with accuracy. However, he knew only about John’s baptism. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately.

D. L. Moody was a man with little education or polish. He had no degrees after his name, yet in addition to making him a great evangelist, God used him to establish Moody Press, the YMCA, Moody Bible Institute, and Moody radio stations. 

Moody’s preaching was very impacting but not very polished. A woman came to him after one service and said, “Mr. Moody, I noticed in your message that you made eighteen grammatical mistakes.”

“Ma’am,” Moody replied, “I’m using all the grammar I got for the Lord. What are you doing with yours?”

In today’s verse we meet Apollos, a man who was a powerful teacher for God. Apollos was eloquent, mighty in the Scriptures, and was fervent for the Lord.

But Apollos did not have the full story. Apollos only knew of John the Baptist’s preparing of the way for Jesus. He knew and believed that the Messiah had come, but he didn’t have all of the picture.

So God used Priscilla and Aquila, two tentmakers, to take him aside and teach him all about Jesus. To Apollos’ credit, he listened and learned. And God used him in even greater ways.

Two men, D.L. Moody and Apollos, so alike, and yet so different, from each other. Yet, they were both impactful for the Kingdom of God. God is no respecter of persons; he is looking for people who believe deeply and crave to tell other about him.

Are you that person? You are supposed to be. God can use you whether you are educated or not, eloquent or not. Or as D. L. Moody might ask you, are you using all the grammar you got for the Lord?

Today’s Readings: Leviticus 15-17; Acts 18

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