Acts 18
18
Paul in Corinth
1After this, Paul left Athens and went to the city of Corinth. 2In Corinth he met a Jewish man named Aquila and his wife Priscilla. Aquila had been born in Pontus, and they had recently come from Italy because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to visit them, 3and because they made tents for a living as he did, he stayed with them and they worked together.
4On every day of rest—a holy day, Paul would discuss ⌞Scripture⌟ in the synagogue. He tried to win over Jews and Greeks who had converted to Judaism. 5But when Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul devoted all his time to teaching God’s word. He assured the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah. 6But they opposed him and insulted him. So Paul shook the dust from his clothes and told them, “You’re responsible for your own death. I’m innocent. From now on I’m going to people who are not Jewish.”
7Then he left the synagogue and went to the home of a man named Titius Justus, who was a convert to Judaism. His house was next door to the synagogue. 8The synagogue leader Crispus and his whole family believed in the Lord. Many Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.
9One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, “Don’t be afraid to speak out! Don’t be silent! 10I’m with you. No one will attack you or harm you. I have many people in this city.”
11Paul lived in Corinth for a year and a half and taught God’s word to them.
12While Gallio was governor of Greece, the Jews had one thought in mind. They attacked Paul and brought him to court. 13They said, “This man is persuading people to worship God in ways that are against Moses’ Teachings.”
14Paul was about to answer when Gallio said to the Jews, “If there were some kind of misdemeanor or crime involved, reason would demand that I put up with you Jews. 15But since you’re disputing words, names, and your own teachings, you’ll have to take care of that yourselves. I don’t want to be a judge who gets involved in those things.” 16So Gallio had them forced out of his court.
17Then all ⌞the governor’s officers⌟ took Sosthenes, the synagogue leader, and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio couldn’t have cared less.
Paul’s Return Trip to Antioch
18After staying in Corinth quite a while longer, Paul left ⌞for Ephesus⌟. Priscilla and Aquila went with him. In the city of Cenchrea, Aquila had his hair cut, since he had taken a vow. From Cenchrea they took a boat headed for Syria 19and arrived in the city of Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. Paul went into the synagogue and had a discussion with the Jews. 20The Jews asked him to stay longer, but he refused. 21As he left, he told them, “I’ll come back to visit you if God wants me to.”
Paul took a boat from Ephesus 22and arrived in the city of Caesarea. He went ⌞to Jerusalem⌟, greeted the church, and went back to the city of Antioch.
23After spending some time in Antioch, Paul went through the regions of Galatia and Phrygia, where he strengthened ⌞the faith of⌟ all the disciples.
Apollos Tells Others about Jesus
24A Jew named Apollos, who had been born in Alexandria, arrived in the city of Ephesus. He was an eloquent speaker and knew how to use the Scriptures in a powerful way. 25He had been instructed in the Lord’s way and spoke enthusiastically. He accurately taught about Jesus but knew only about the baptism John performed. 26He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him ⌞home⌟ with them and explained God’s way to him more accurately.
27When Apollos wanted to travel to Greece, the believers ⌞in Ephesus⌟ encouraged him. They wrote to the disciples in Greece to tell them to welcome him. When he arrived in Greece, God’s kindness #18:27 Or “grace.” enabled him to help the believers a great deal. 28In public Apollos helped them by clearly showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah and that the Jews were wrong.
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
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 #18:2 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 #18:6 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.” [Acts 13:46] 7Then he moved on from there and went to the house of a man named #18:7 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.” [Is 43:5; Jer 1:8] 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 #18:12 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 #18:12 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 #18:15 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 #18:17 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. [1 Cor 1:1]
18Paul stayed for a while longer, and then told the #18:18 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 #18:22 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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