Acts 18
18
Paul at Corinth
1After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife, Priscilla, because [the Roman Emperor] Claudius had issued an edict that all the #This action may have been prompted by conflicts within the Jewish community caused by the spread of Christianity.Jews were to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them; and they worked together for they were tent-makers. 4And he reasoned and debated in the synagogue every Sabbath, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks;
5but when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia (northern Greece), Paul began devoting himself completely to [preaching] the word, and solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed). 6But since the Jews kept resisting and opposing him, and blaspheming [God], he #An act symbolizing rejection.shook out his robe and said to them, “Your blood (damnation) be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” 7Then he moved on from there and went to the house of a man named #One early ms reads Titus; two early mss omit the name.Titius Justus, who worshiped God and whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his entire household [joyfully acknowledging Him as Messiah and Savior]; and many of the Corinthians who heard [Paul’s message] were believing and being baptized. 9One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, “Do not be afraid anymore, but go on speaking and do not be silent; 10for I am with you, and no one will attack you in order to hurt you, because I have many people in this city.” 11So he settled there for a year and six months, teaching them the word of God [concerning eternal salvation through faith in Christ].
12But when #Junius Gallio’s term as proconsul was brief a.d. 51-52, but is validated by an ancient inscription found at Delphi. This is important because it establishes the date of Paul’s visit to Corinth while on his second missionary journey and sets the date of his letters to the church at Thessalonica.Gallio was proconsul of Achaia (southern Greece), the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before #The proconsul tried cases from a large, raised stone platform situated in front of his official residence.the judgment seat, 13declaring, “This man is persuading people to worship God in violation of the law [of Moses].” 14But when Paul was about to reply, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of some misdemeanor or serious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to put up with you; 15but since it is merely a question [of doctrine within your religion] about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves; I am #Gallio, the proconsul of Achaia, in essence ruled Paul’s teachings to be a form of Judaism and therefore legal under Roman law.unwilling to judge these matters.” 16And he drove them away from the judgment seat. 17Then the Greeks all seized #As leader of the synagogue Sosthenes would have presented the charges against Paul. Apparently something related to this made him the target of the attack. If this Sosthenes is the same man mentioned in 1 Cor 1:1, he later became a believer and follower of Christ.Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him right in front of the judgment seat; but Gallio paid no attention to any of this.
18Paul stayed for a while longer, and then told the #Lit brethren.brothers and sisters goodbye and sailed for Syria; and he was accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchrea [the southeastern port of Corinth] he had his hair cut, because he was keeping a [Nazirite] vow [of abstention]. 19Then they arrived in Ephesus, and he left the others there; but he entered the synagogue and reasoned and debated with the Jews. 20When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he refused; 21but after telling them goodbye and saying, “I will return again if God is willing,” he set sail from Ephesus.
22When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and #This marks the end of Paul’s second missionary journey.greeted the church [at Jerusalem], and then went down to Antioch.
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey
23After spending some time there, he left and traveled through the territory of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening and encouraging all the disciples.
24Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent and cultured man, and well versed in the [Hebrew] Scriptures. 25This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and being spiritually impassioned, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things about Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John; 26and he began to speak boldly and fearlessly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained more accurately to him the way of God [and the full story of the life of Christ]. 27And when Apollos wanted to go across to Achaia (southern Greece), the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples, [urging them] to welcome him gladly. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who, through grace, had believed and had followed Jesus as Lord and Savior, 28for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public discussions, proving by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).
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Acts 18
18
Paul Goes to Corinth
1After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2There he met a Jew named Aquila, who was a native of Pontus. Aquila had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla. The emperor Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see Aquila and Priscilla. 3They were tentmakers, just as he was. So he stayed and worked with them. 4Every Sabbath day he went to the synagogue. He was trying to get both Jews and Greeks to believe in the Lord.
5Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia. Then Paul spent all his time preaching. He was a witness to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. 6But they opposed Paul. They treated him badly. So he shook out his clothes in protest. Then he said to them, “God’s judgment against you will be your own fault! Don’t blame me for it! From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
7Then Paul left the synagogue and went to the house next door. It was the house of Titius Justus, a man who worshiped God. 8Crispus was the synagogue leader. He and everyone living in his house came to believe in the Lord. Many others who lived in Corinth heard Paul. They too believed and were baptized.
9One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Keep on speaking. Don’t be silent. 10I am with you. No one will attack you and harm you. I have many people in this city.” 11So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half. He taught them God’s word.
12At that time Gallio was governor of Achaia. The Jews of Corinth got together and attacked Paul. They brought him into court. 13They made a charge against Paul. They said, “This man is talking people into worshiping God in wrong ways. Those ways are against the law.”
14Paul was about to give reasons for his actions. But just then Gallio spoke to them. He said, “You Jews don’t claim that Paul has committed a great or small crime. If you did, it would make sense for me to listen to you. 15But this is about your own law. It is a question of words and names. Settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” 16So he made them leave. 17Then the crowd there turned against Sosthenes, the synagogue leader. They beat him up in front of the governor. But Gallio didn’t care at all.
Priscilla and Aquila Teach Apollos
18Paul stayed in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria. Priscilla and Aquila went with him. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae. He did this because he had made a promise to God. 19They arrived at Ephesus. There Paul said goodbye to Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and talked with the Jews. 20The Jews asked him to spend more time with them. But he said no. 21As he left, he made them a promise. “If God wants me to,” he said, “I will come back.” Then he sailed from Ephesus. 22When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem. There he greeted the church. He then went down to Antioch.
23Paul spent some time in Antioch. Then he left and traveled all over Galatia and Phrygia. He gave strength to all the believers there.
24At that time a Jew named Apollos came to Ephesus. He was an educated man from Alexandria. He knew the Scriptures very well. 25Apollos had been taught the way of the Lord. He spoke with great power. He taught the truth about Jesus. But he only knew about John’s baptism. 26He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. Priscilla and Aquila heard him. So they invited him to their home. There they gave him a better understanding of the way of God.
27Apollos wanted to go to Achaia. The brothers and sisters agreed with him. They wrote to the believers there. They asked them to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who had become believers by God’s grace. 28In public meetings, he argued strongly against Jews who disagreed with him. He proved from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.
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