¹² Now about our brother Apollos:^(A) I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was quite unwilling to go now, but he will go when he has the opportunity.

¹² What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”;^(A) another, “I follow Apollos”;^(B) another, “I follow Cephas^[a]”;^(C) still another, “I follow Christ.”

⁵ What, after all, is Apollos?^(A) And what is Paul? Only servants,^(B) through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task.

⁴ But when the kindness^(A) and love of God our Savior^(B) appeared,^(C)

²² whether Paul or Apollos^(A) or Cephas^[a](B) or the world or life or death or the present or the future^(C)—all are yours,

²⁴ Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos,^(A) a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus.^(B) He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. ²⁵ He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor^[a](C) and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John.^{(D) 26} He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila^(E) heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

²⁷ When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia,^(F) the brothers and sisters^(G) encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. ²⁸ For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures^(H) that Jesus was the Messiah.^(I)

Paul in Ephesus

19 While Apollos^(J) was at Corinth,^(K) Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus.^(L) There he found some disciples

²⁵ As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control^(A) and the judgment^(B) to come, Felix was afraid^(C) and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.”

²¹ Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet^(A) for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.^(B)

A Time for Everything