18
1 After
these things Paul
departed from Athens
and came to
Corinth.
2 He
found a certain
Jew named Aquila,
a man of
Pontus by race,
who had recently
come from Italy
with his wife
Priscilla, because
Claudius had
commanded all the
Jews to depart
from Rome. He
came to them,
3 and
because he practiced
the same trade,
he lived with
them and worked,
for by trade
they were tent makers.
4 He
reasoned in the
synagogue every
Sabbath and
persuaded Jews and
Greeks.
5 When
Silas and Timothy
came down from
Macedonia, Paul
was compelled by
the Spirit,
testifying to the
Jews that Jesus
was the Christ.
6 When
they opposed him
and blasphemed, he
shook out his
clothing and said
to them, “Your
blood be on your
own heads! I
am clean. From
now on, I
will go to
the Gentiles!”
7 He
departed there and
went into the
house of a
certain man named
Justus, one
who worshiped God,
whose house was
next door to the
synagogue.
8 Crispus,
the ruler of
the synagogue, believed
in the Lord
with all his
house. Many of
the Corinthians,
when they heard,
believed and
were baptized.
9 The
Lord said to
Paul in the
night by a
vision,
“Don’t be
afraid, but
speak and don’t
be 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 He
lived there a
year and six
months, teaching
the word of
God among them.
12 But
when Gallio
was proconsul of Achaia,
the Jews with
one accord 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 But
when Paul was
about to open his
mouth, Gallio said
to the Jews, “If
indeed it were
a matter of wrong
or of wicked
crime, you Jews,
it would be
reasonable that I
should bear with
you;
15 but
if they are
questions about
words and names
and your own law,
look to it
yourselves. For
I don’t want
to be a
judge of these
matters.”
16 So
he drove them from
the judgment seat.
17 Then
all the Greeks
seized Sosthenes,
the ruler of
the synagogue, and
beat him before
the judgment seat. Gallio didn’t
care about any
of these things.
18 Paul,
having stayed after
this many more
days, took
his leave of
the brothers,
and sailed from
there for Syria,
together with
Priscilla and Aquila.
He shaved his head
in Cenchreae, for
he had a
vow.
19 He
came to Ephesus,
and he left
them there; but
he himself entered
into the synagogue
and reasoned with
the Jews.
20 When
they asked him
to stay with
them a longer
time, he declined;
21 but taking
his leave of them,
he said, “I
must by all
means keep this
coming feast in Jerusalem,
but I will return
again to you
if God wills.”
Then he set sail
from Ephesus.
22 When
he had landed
at Caesarea, he
went up and greeted
the assembly, and
went down
to Antioch.
23 Having
spent some time
there, he departed
and went through
the region of
Galatia and
Phrygia, in order,
establishing all
the disciples.
24 Now
a certain Jew
named Apollos, an Alexandrian
by race, an
eloquent man, came
to Ephesus. He
was mighty in
the Scriptures.
25 This
man had been
instructed in the
way of the
Lord; and being
fervent in spirit,
he spoke and
taught accurately the
things concerning
Jesus, although
he knew only
the baptism of
John.
26 He
began to speak
boldly in the
synagogue. But
when Priscilla
and Aquila heard him,
they took him
aside, and
explained to him
the way of
God more accurately.
27 When
he had determined
to pass over
into Achaia, the brothers
encouraged him;
and wrote to
the disciples
to receive him.
When he had
come, he greatly
helped those who
had believed
through grace;
28 for
he powerfully
refuted the Jews,
publicly showing
by the Scriptures
that Jesus was
the Christ.