A Rhetorical Analysis Of Act 18

The assigned passage is Acts 18:24-28 and after reading it a couple times, I believe that this section is a message to readers saying they do not need to be a well-known name or a preacher to spread the word. Apollos seems to be a normal man who was educated and learned the basics about the way of the Lord and was sharing it with those around him. He was not a recognized man, he is only mentioned in the Bible a couple times. He was well versed in the scriptures and because he was doing what the Lord was leading him to do with passion and excitement, he became a great help to Paul. The sections before the selected passage are not much help with Apollos, but they give background information on how Priscilla and Aquila got to Ephesus. The two

NKJV and CEV are more modern while the ASV is older English and uses words such as ye, thou, unto, spake, etc. The first verse of the chapter, twenty-four, is similar for the most part. All the translations say there was a man named Apollos, who was from Alexandria, who went to Ephesus. However, the CEV is the only translation that does not give a description of what Apollos was like. The ASV and NKJV both say he was an eloquent man, but the CEV goes straight to the point. It skips his description which is usually relevant and needed to tell the reader that he was a reliable man and gives credibility. No one wants to listen to a man who is not looked highly upon. “In fact, logios, eloquent, expresses a characteristic of the educated person, since training in rhetoric was an essential part of education in Greco-Roman society" which is ironic in a way because Apollos had not yet been filled with the Holy Spirit (Wall). The only way to interpret the Scriptures is by being filled with Him. Therefore, Apollos cannot interpret the Scriptures since he had not been filled with the Holy Spirit (Wall). All the translations go on to say that he was a good speaker and knew the scriptures very well. Verse 25 is similar as well. Again, the CEV seems to leave out another important part. ASV and NKJV start by stating that Apollos had been instructed in the way of the Lord, whereas CEV just says he taught about the Lord’s

Some scholars think the book of Acts was written to Theophilus which means lover of God in Greek. However, because the tone of the book is apologetic, some think the book could also have been intended to present the Christian faith and church in a positive manner towards the Roman authorities (Laymon). Therefore, identification of who the book was written for is based on speculation because scholars cannot determine for certain the individuals or individual the book was addressed to (Laymon). Nevertheless, scholars do know that the work is read as an account of the life of the Christian movement (Laymon). The date of Acts is uncertain, but the remorseful tone gives clues that it could possibly be during a time when the church was under attack and enduring a lot of stress, plus, it provides encouragement for those going through stressful times as well