Founding the Corinthian Church
1 After this, he 18:1 Other mss read Paul left Athens and went to Corinth, 18:1 Ac 17:15; 19:1; 1Co 1:2; 2Co 1:1,23; 2Tm 4:202 where he found a Jew named Aquila, 18:2 Ac 18:18,26; Rm 16:3–5; 1Co 16:19; 2Tm 4:19 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 came to them, 3 and since they were of the same occupation, tentmakers by trade, 18:3 Ac 20:34; 1Co 4:12; 9:15; 2Co 11:7; 12:13; 1Th 2:9; 2Th 3:8 he stayed with them and worked. 4 He reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and tried to persuade both Jews and Greeks. 18:4 Ac 9:20; 13:14; 14:1; 18:19
5 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself to preaching the word 18:5 Other mss read was urged by the Spirit and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah. 18:5 Jb 32:18; Ac 15:22; 16:1,9; 17:3,14–15; 18:28; 1Th 3:66 When they resisted and blasphemed, 18:6 Ac 13:45; Rm 3:8; 1Co 4:13; Ti 3:2 he shook out his clothes 18:6 Neh 5:13; Mt 10:14; Ac 13:51 and told them, "Your blood is on your own heads! 18:6 2Sm 1:16; Ezk 18:13; 33:4; Mt 27:25 I am innocent. 18:6 Lit clean From now on I will go to the Gentiles." 18:6 Ezk 3:18; Ac 13:467 So he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, along with his whole household. 18:8 Mk 5:22; Ac 11:14; 1Co 1:14 Many of the Corinthians, when they heard, believed and were baptized.
9 The Lord said to Paul in a night vision, "Don’t be afraid, but keep on speaking and don’t be silent.10 For I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to hurt you, because I have many people in this city." 18:9–10 Mt 28:20; Ac 23:1111 He stayed there a year and a half, teaching the word of God among them.
12 While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack against Paul and brought him to the tribunal. 18:12 Ac 13:7; 18:2713 "This man," they said, "is persuading people to worship God in ways contrary to the law."
14 As Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrongdoing or of a serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you Jews. 15 But if these are questions about words, names, and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of such things." 18:15 Ac 23:29; 25:11,1916 So he drove them from the tribunal. 17 And they all 18:17 Other mss read Then all the Greeks seized Sosthenes, 18:17 1Co 1:1 the leader of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal, but none of these things mattered to Gallio.
The Return Trip to Antioch
18 After staying for some time, Paul said farewell to the brothers and sisters and sailed away to Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his head at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. 18:18 Nm 6:2,5,9,18; Ac 21:24; Rm 16:119 When they reached Ephesus 18:19 Ac 19:1; 20:16; 1Co 15:32; 1Tm 1:3; 2Tm 1:18 he left them there, but he himself entered the synagogue and debated with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he declined, 21 but he said farewell and added, 18:21 Other mss add "By all means it is necessary to keep the coming festival in Jerusalem. But "I’ll come back to you again, if God wills." 18:21 Rm 1:10; 1Co 4:19; 16:7; Heb 6:3; Jms 4:15; 1Pt 3:17 Then he set sail from Ephesus.
22 On landing at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church, then went down to Antioch. 18:22 Ac 8:40; 11:19
23 After spending some time there, he set out, traveling through one place after another in the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. 18:23 Ac 14:22; 16:6
The Eloquent Apollos
24 Now a Jew named Apollos, 18:24 Ac 19:1; 1Co 1:12; 3:5; 4:6; 16:12; Ti 3:13 a native Alexandrian, an eloquent man who was competent in the use of the Scriptures, arrived in Ephesus. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, 18:25 Or in the Spirit he was speaking and teaching accurately about Jesus, although he knew only John’s baptism. 18:25 Lk 7:29; Ac 9:2; 19:3; Rm 12:1126 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. After Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside 18:26 Lit they received him and explained the way of God to him more accurately. 18:26 Mt 2:8; Lk 1:3; Ac 18:25; 23:15,20; 24:22; Eph 5:15; 1Th 5:227 When he wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers and sisters wrote to the disciples to welcome him. After he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. 18:27 Ac 18:12,18; 1Co 3:628 For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating through the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah. 18:28 Ac 9:22; 17:2–3; 18:5