Acts 18

¹Acts 18:1. After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.²Acts 18:2. There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to visit them,³Acts 18:3. and he stayed and worked with them because they were tentmakers by trade, just as he was.⁴Acts 18:4. Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks alike.⁵Acts 18:5. And when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself fully to the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.⁶Acts 18:6. But when they opposed and insulted him, he shook out his garments and told them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”⁷Acts 18:7. So Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titus Justus, a worshiper of God.⁸Acts 18:8. Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his whole household believed in the Lord. And many of the Corinthians who heard the message believed and were baptized.⁹Acts 18:9. One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking; do not be silent.¹⁰Acts 18:10. For I am with you and no one will lay a hand on you, because I have many people in this city.”¹¹Acts 18:11. So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching the word of God among the Corinthians.¹²Acts 18:12. While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews coordinated an attack on Paul and brought him before the judgment seat.¹³Acts 18:13. “This man is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law,” they said.¹⁴Acts 18:14. But just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio told the Jews, “If this matter involved a wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to hear your complaint.¹⁵Acts 18:15. But since it is a dispute about words and names and your own law, settle it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of such things.”¹⁶Acts 18:16. And he drove them away from the judgment seat.¹⁷Acts 18:17. At this, the crowd seized Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the judgment seat. But none of this was of concern to Gallio.

¹⁸Acts 18:18. Paul remained in Corinth for quite some time before saying goodbye to the brothers. He had his head shaved in Cenchrea to keep a vow he had made, and then he sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila.¹⁹Acts 18:19. When they reached Ephesus, Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue there and reasoned with the Jews.²⁰Acts 18:20. When they asked him to stay for a while longer, he declined.²¹Acts 18:21. But as he left, he said, “I will come back to you if God is willing.” And he set sail from Ephesus.²²Acts 18:22. When Paul had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church at Jerusalem. Then he went down to Antioch.²³Acts 18:23. After Paul had spent some time in Antioch, he traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

²⁴Acts 18:24. Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, well versed in the Scriptures.²⁵Acts 18:25. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord and was fervent in spirit. He spoke and taught accurately about Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.²⁶Acts 18:26. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.²⁷Acts 18:27. When Apollos resolved to cross over to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On his arrival, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed.²⁸Acts 18:28. For he powerfully refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.