A Public Witness

by Kenneth L. Samuel | published on Aug 2, 2026

When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to [the believers]. – Acts 18:27 (NIV) 

Apollos was a Jew from Alexandria who was baptized into the Body of Christ through the ministry of John the Baptist. His profound knowledge of Hebrew Scripture was on full display as he spoke eloquently in the Temple regarding the advent of Christ. 

When Apollos expressed interest in traveling to the region of Achaia (in Greece) to minister the good news, he received enthusiastic support from the believers in Ephesus. This support was not given in vain. 

Apollos’s arrival in Achaia proved to be of great benefit to those who by God’s grace believed. Why? Because notably, he vigorously refuted the opponents of Jesus’s gospel in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah. 

Many progressive Christians today are averse to theological debate. Faith can’t be forced, we contend, and public debates about religion and morality undermine the harmony the church is supposed to promote. 

But by failing to defend the gospel of Christ in public, we have largely surrendered the dialogue about Christianity to the views of religious conservatives. Without persistent public dialogue and debate about who Jesus is and what his gospel means for us today, many have not heard the saving message of the still-speaking God—the God who elevates love above law and builds a kin-dom rooted in inclusive compassion rather than doctrinal domination. 

Those who quote the words of the Bible publicly and extensively while utterly missing the meaning and message of the Word made flesh will go unchallenged as long the witness of progressive Christians is locked behind the limitations of social nicety and personal piety.  

Prayer
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). Amen.

Kenneth SamuelAbout the Author
Kenneth L. Samuel is Pastor of Victory for the World Church, Decatur, Georgia.