Was Apollos saved before Aquila & Priscilla talked to him?

[shakewell]

Was Apollos saved before Aquila & Priscilla talked to him? (Acts 18:24-28)
Also were the 12 disciples in Ephesus saved prior to Paul talking to them? (Acts 19:1-7)

 

[sdowney717]

Since they were elect to be saved, then regardless they did get saved.
Apollos was a gifted teacher from God even with only the baptism of John.

'25 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.'

Since Apollos was taught of the LORD Jesus, then we assume God had saved Him, yet Apollos lacked the baptism of fire that John the baptist spoke of. Thus the baptism in the Holy Spirit FIRE Apollos lacked. Jesus said to His disciples, 'you shall receive power' in Acts, He spoke of the Holy Spirit power they would receive, the fire of the
Holy Spirit, recall some also had tongues of flames on their heads later on, signifying the power of the Spirit given to them.

Acts 2:3
Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.

If you read afterwards about Apollos is said.

27 And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace;
28 for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.

So Apollos is more 'on fire' now than before.

John the baptist taught Christ would come and baptise them with the Holy Spirit AND with Fire, which are two similar yet separate things, fire having to do with Holy Spirit gifts.

For these others, disciples only of John, Paul tells them of the one that John had told them would come, the Christ, so not saved yet.
They were not taught about Jesus Christ. Only knowing the baptism of John and not knowing that there was a Holy Spirit, God led His people to them so that they could know that they were saved.

 

[sdowney717]

You can lump Apollos in with Christ disciples here before they were baptized with the Holy Spirit for power.
Were these apostles saved before that happens?
Yes they were.
Christ had already breathed on them and spoke to them receive the Holy Spirit.
John 20:22
And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

Yet here they are to be baptized with the Holy Spirit to receive power. So two separate events regarding the same Holy Spirit they had experienced, one a quiet spoken breath, one a dramatic demonstration of power - fire of God. Who is to say of Apollos, the Lord had not breathed on him also to receive the Holy Spirit, which is their being saved, born of God, the wind blows where it wills, so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.

Acts 1
4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

 

[shakewell]

Who is to say of Apollos, the Lord had not breathed on him also to receive the Holy Spirit, which is their being saved, born of God, the wind blows where it wills, so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.

It sounds to me like he was saved then too. Do you think any of the disciples were saved before Jesus breathed on them and said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost"? Some say that Peter was saved when he said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt. 16:16).

 

[sdowney717]

Jesus did tell them this in John 15
3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

Which is pointing out that He had already cleansed them spiritually on the inside because of His word spoken to them. They still had much to learn, and to understand the power of the resurrection. They had been born again since they are cleansed within.
God creates everything by calling it into being, speaking into existence things that are not as though they were.
Christ would have been referring to the cleansing on the inside, that is what he was concerned about, not the outward appearance as he so told the Pharisees who are white washed tombs yet inside full of all manner of filth.

Then earlier in John 13

7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”

8 Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!”

Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”

10 Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.”
11 For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.”

So there even so Christ says they are clean.
Until God's purposes are fulfilled in their lives, they can not physically die, Christ in John 17 says He has kept them safe.
So also, God keeps us today safe all those who are called by Him according to his purposes as Romans 8 says all are to be conformed to Christ.
He will not allow a single one one of the sheep to be lost.

John 17
9 “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.
10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.
11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.
12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

 

[sdowney717]

I noticed something in this thread, a proof that teaches us the new birth comes before our being saved-justified by faith.

Jesus cleanses His disciples, they are clean on the inside. They have been regenerated and have a renewed spirit. This before they meet Him risen, they still do not understand many things, but He continues to teach them. Agrees with John 6:43-47

Then after Christ is resurrected and He reveals himself to them, they are glad to see Him and Christ breathes on them to receive the Holy Spirit, meaning they are now sealed in the Holy Spirit, so are now most certainly justified by faith in the risen Christ.
John 20
19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

And Jesus open their minds to understand the scriptures in Luke 24.

If you read Ephesians 1 it also says after belief comes sealing with the Holy Spirit. It does NOT say after belief comes being born again...

11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.


In Luke 24, until they receive the Holy Spirit by Him breathing on them and also He opens to them their understanding that they can comprehend the scriptures, of His disciples it says
" But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, "
Plainly and most emphatically, God is the one to do the work of making us believe in Christ and know spiritual truth.
John 6:28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”
John 6:29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”


Luke 24
Jesus Appears to His Disciples
36 Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.”
37 But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit.
38 And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?
39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”

40 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.[f]
41 But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?”
42 So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.[g]
43 And He took it and ate in their presence.

The Scriptures Opened
44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”
45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

 

[Mister_Al]

The Bible does not say that the Disciples/Apostles were never baptized in water. We just assume that they weren't for that very reason. But, the truth is we don't really know for sure. They could very easily have been baptized at the baptism on the day of Pentecost in the Book of Acts along with everybody else. We just don't know.

Alan