Acts 18:24-28

Acts 18:24-28
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Let's all be honest  -- at one point in our lives, we've been the person spouting off facts that we have later discovered weren't exactly true.  We had heard something somewhere and hadn't bothered to check into it, and it turns out that our source either wasn't reliable or we didn't hear it correctly, and if we're lucky it wasn't that embarrassing and no one was listening to us anyway.
  While we really don't want to be spouting fake news, it takes a special kind of courage and wisdom to play the role that Priscilla and Aquila play in this story.  They confront Apollos -- but not in an effort to make a fool out of him, like some might do, but rather to redirect him towards the truth.  They reach out in love to encourage and correct, in the hopes that his enthusiasm might not be dashed but his information will be correct.  What an amazing gift they have given him, and he uses this wisely -- to continue to show that Jesus is the Messiah.  Priscilla and Aquila deliver the message in such a caring way that he carries on with his goal, encouraged by the love that was shown to him.
  So the next time you come across someone who doesn't have their facts straight, consider your approach.  In the social media age, it's tempting to try and score points by embarrassing someone else and making them look bad.  To follow the example here, though, means encouraging someone and potentially sending them down a road that will lead others to be transformed.  Which is the better path?