What Scriptures did the early church have to preach from?
The early church had only the Old Testament Scriptures to preach from. At that time no New Testament had been written, not even the Gospels, and Paul's letters had not yet been circulated as the Bible. Therefore the only Scriptures available for preaching were the Hebrew Old Testament.
Les explains that when the early church is in view, the only Scriptures they had were the Old Testament. Nothing of the New Testament was written yet, not even the Gospels, and Paul's letters, even as they were being written, had not yet been circulated as the Bible. So the only Scriptures these people could preach from was the Old Testament. In that setting, Apollos is described as an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures. Les suggests he came from Alexandria and was probably well educated from the same group that translated the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek. This gifted man came to the church at Ephesus, was instructed in the way of the Lord, was fervent in the Spirit, and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. Les then asks how much of Christianity Apollos knew and says, in effect, none, because the Gospel of the Kingdom preached by Jesus and the twelve was still basically Jewish and connected with Temple worship.