Correction

In today's first reading for Mass, we hear about an instance where a man named Apollos was teaching "accurately" things about Jesus but knew only about the baptism of John. Later in the reading we hear that two others (Priscilla and Aquila) come and tell him about the things of Jesus "more accurately". If he was already accurate, how can he be made "more accurate"?

The passage is telling us that, somehow, Apollos had learned about the early portion of Jesus' ministry and preaching (which he got correct), but he fell short in the fulness of the faith, and others had to increase his knowledge so that he could understand all that our Lord wanted us to know.

Let us make a comparison that involves a more extended time period. What if someone only knew about the first century practice of the Apostles, and was unaware of the development of the Church down through the centuries? As good Catholics, we would say that they had a limited (and therefore somewhat inaccurate) understanding of the faith. That person may have communicated the truth of the first century as far as it goes, but that would not be everything that a person needs to know about theology.

Sadly, many protestants make it their goal to discover just what the Apostles believed and then to copy it. This would make them something like an intentional "Apollos". They would be choosing a stunted growth, and a truncated understanding of the faith. Interestingly, many of the people who convert to the Catholic faith will say that they had never known about "all these other truths" of the faith. They rejoice to learn about the Blessed Virgin, the communion of the Saints, and the Sacraments (to name only a few).

Apollos listened and learned when Priscilla and Aquila took him aside and taught him. Many people today grow in their knowledge of the faith by becoming Catholic. Let us seek out those who are "accurate" but need to be "more accurate" and help them to come to the fulness of the wonderful grace of God.