Acts 18

Paul in Corinth

1After these events Paul left 1Athens and went to 2Corinth. 2And he found a Jew named 3Aquila, a native of 4Pontus having recently come from 5Italy with his wife 6Priscilla, because 7Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, 3and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them, and 8they worked together, for they were tent-makers by trade. 4And Paul was reasoning 9in the synagogue every 10Sabbath and trying to persuade 11Jews and Greeks.

5But when 12Silas and Timothy 13came down from 14Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, 15testifying to the Jews that 16Jesus was the 17Christ. 6But when they resisted and blasphemed, he 18shook out his garments and said to them, “Your 19blood is 20on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go 21to the Gentiles.” 7Then he left 22the synagogue and went to the house of a man named 23Titius Justus, 24a worshiper of God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 825Crispus, 26the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord 27together with his entire household; and many of the 28Corinthians, as they listened to Paul, were believing and being baptized. 9And the Lord said to Paul by 29a vision at night, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; 10for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” 11And he settled there for a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

12But while Gallio was 30proconsul of 31Achaia, 32the Jews rose up together against Paul and brought him before 33the 34judgment seat, 13saying, “This man is inciting the people to worship God contrary to 35the 36law.” 14But when Paul was about to 37open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of some crime or vicious, unscrupulous act, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you; 15but if there are 3839questions about 40teaching and 41persons and your own law, see to it yourselves; I am unwilling to be a judge of these matters.” 16And he drove them away from 42the 43judgment seat. 17But they all took hold of 44Sosthenes, 45the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him in front of 46the judgment seat. And yet Gallio was not concerned about any of these things.

18Now Paul, when he had remained many days longer, 47took leave of 48the brothers and sisters and sailed away to 49Syria, and 50Priscilla and 51Aquila were with him. 52Paul first 53had his hair cut at 54Cenchrea, for he was keeping a vow. 19They came to 55Ephesus, and he left them there. Now he himself entered 56the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not consent, 21but 57took leave of them and said, “I will return to you again 58if God wills,” and he set sail from 59Ephesus.

22When he had landed in 60Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church, and went down to 61Antioch.

Third Missionary Journey

23And after spending some time there, he left and passed successively through the 62Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

24Now a Jew named 63Apollos, an 64Alexandrian by birth, 65an eloquent man, came to 66Ephesus; and he was proficient in the Scriptures. 25This man had been instructed in 67the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was accurately speaking and teaching things about Jesus, being acquainted only with 68the baptism of John; 26and 69he began speaking boldly in the synagogue. But when 70Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained 71the way of God more accurately to him. 27And when he wanted to go across to 72Achaia, 73the brothers encouraged him and wrote to 74the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly 75helped those who had believed through grace, 28for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating 76by the Scriptures that 77Jesus was the 78Christ.