Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

¹⁷ When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab asked him, “Is it really you, you destroyer of Israel?”

¹⁸ But Elijah^[a] replied, “I’m no destroyer of Israel. But you and your ancestor’s household have been doing that, because you have abandoned the Lord’s commandments and have followed the Baals. ¹⁹ So go gather all of Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. Bring along 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah who are funded at Jezebel’s expense.”^[b]

³⁰ Eventually, Elijah told everybody, “Come here!” So everybody approached him, and he repaired the Lord’s altar that had been torn down. ³¹ Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes of Jacob’s descendants, to whom the message from the Lord had come that “Israel is to be your name.” ³² So Elijah used the stones to build an altar to the name of the Lord. But then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold two measures^[a] of seed. ³³ Then he laid the wood in order, cut the bull into pieces, and laid them on top of the wood.

“Fill four pitchers with water,” he ordered. “Then pour them out on the burnt offering and the wood.”

³⁴ “Do it a second time,” he ordered. So they did it a second time.

“Do it a third time,” he said. So they did it a third time. ³⁵ The water ran down around the altar and completely filled the trench.^[b]

Elijah’s Prayer and God’s Answer by Fire

³⁶ As the time for the evening offering arrived, Elijah the prophet approached and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I, your servant, have done all of this in obedience to your word. ³⁷ Answer me, Lord! Answer me so that this people may know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning back their hearts again.”

³⁸ Right then the Lord’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, the dust, and even the water that was in the trench! ³⁹ When all the people saw what had happened, they fell flat on their faces and cried out “The Lord is God! The Lord is God!”

⁴⁰ But Elijah said, “Arrest the prophets of Baal. Don’t let even one of them get away.” So the people^[c] seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Wadi^[d] Kishon and executed them there.

Apollos Preaches in Ephesus

²⁴ Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos arrived in Ephesus. He was a native of Alexandria, an eloquent man, and well versed in the Scriptures. ²⁵ He had been instructed in the Lord’s way, and with spiritual fervor he kept speaking and teaching accurately about Jesus, although he knew only about John’s baptism. ²⁶ He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him home and explained God’s way to him more accurately. ²⁷ When Apollos^[a] wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers wrote to the disciples there, urging them to welcome him. On his arrival he greatly helped those who, through God’s^[b] grace, had believed. ²⁸ He successfully refuted the Jews in public and proved by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.^[c]