Acts 18
1
Now after these things, having departed from Athens, Paul came to Corinth.
2
And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come
from Italy with Priscilla his wife (because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to depart
from Rome); he came to them,
3
and because he was of the same trade, he remained with them and worked, for they were
tentmakers by trade.
4
And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.
5
Now when both Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the
Spirit, solemnly bearing witness to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.
6
But because they were opposing and blaspheming, he shook off his clothes and said
to them, "Your blood [be] on your [own ]heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to
the Gentiles."
7
And having gone over from there, he went into the house of a certain [man] named Justus,
who worshipped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue.
8
And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with all his
household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, were believing and were being baptized.
9
Now the Lord spoke to Paul by a vision in the night, [saying], "Do not fear, but speak,
and do not keep silent;
10
for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you; for I have many people
in this city."
11
And he settled [there] a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
12
Now while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one purpose rose up against
Paul and brought him before the judgment seat,
13
saying, "This [man] persuades men to worship God contrary to the law."
14
And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If then it was
some misdeed or wicked crime, O Jews, according to reason I would bear with you.
15
But if it is a question about a word and names and your own law, see [to it] yourselves;
for I do not wish to be a judge of these things."
16
And he drove them away from the judgment seat.
17
Then all the Greeks, taking hold of Sosthenes the ruler of the synagogue, were beating
him before the judgment seat. And none of these things was a concern to Gallio.
18
Now Paul still remained there a good while, then bid farewell to the brothers, and
sailed away for Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. He had his hair cut
off in Cenchrea, for he had taken a vow.
19
And he arrived in Ephesus, and he left those [two] there; but he, having entered into
the synagogue, reasoned with the Jews.
20
And when they asked him to remain with them for a longer time, he did not consent,
21
but bid farewell to them saying, "I must by all means keep this coming feast which
is in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing."And he put out to sea
from Ephesus.
22
And having gone down to Caesarea, and having gone up and greeted the church, he went
down to Antioch.
23
After having spent some time there, he went out, going through in order the Galatian
region and the Phrygian [region], strengthening all the disciples.
24
Now a certain Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty
in the Scriptures, had arrived in Ephesus.
25
This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit,
he spoke and taught accurately the things about the Lord, although he knew only the
baptism of John.
26
And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. And when Aquila and Priscilla heard
him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
27
And when he desired to go across to Achaia, having urged him on, the brothers wrote
to the disciples [there] to receive him; and when he arrived, he assisted greatly
with those who had believed through grace;
28
for he was powerfully refuting the Jews publicly, demonstrating by the Scriptures
[that] Jesus was the Messiah.