What did Apollos know when he first began preaching?
Apollos knew only what had been taught under John the Baptist's preaching: that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God. He had been instructed by someone else and taught from the Old Testament. He was intelligent, well taught, and eloquent, but his knowledge was limited to John's message.
Les explains that Apollos, by instruction, knew only what took place under John the Baptist's preaching—that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God. Whatever Apollos knew or taught from the Old Testament, he had been instructed by someone else. He spoke boldly in the synagogue and was intelligent, well taught, and eloquent. When Priscilla heard him, they took him home and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly or more completely.