Acts 18

Paul in Corinth

1 After this Paul*18:1 Greek he left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a Jew named *ver. 18, 26;Rom. 16:3;1 Cor. 16:19;2 Tim. 4:19Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife *ver. 18, 26;Rom. 16:3;1 Cor. 16:19;2 Tim. 4:19Priscilla, because *ch. 11:28Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, 3 and *ch. 20:34;1 Cor. 4:12;9:15;2 Cor. 11:7;12:13;1 Thess. 2:9;2 Thess. 3:8because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. 4 And *ch. 17:17;See ch. 13:5,14he reasoned in the synagogue *ch. 17:17;See ch. 13:5,14every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.

5 *ch. 17:15;1 Thess. 3:6When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul *2 Cor. 5:14;[Job 32:18;Jer. 6:11;20:9;Amos 3:8] was occupied with the word, *ch. 20:21testifying to the Jews that the Christ was *ver. 28;ch. 2:36;5:42;17:3;[ch. 3:20;8:5;9:22]Jesus. 6 And when they opposed and reviled him, *Neh. 5:13;[ch. 13:51] he shook out his garments and said to them, *Ezek. 18:13;33:4;[2 Sam. 1:16;Matt. 27:25] "Your blood be on your own heads! *ch. 20:26(Gk.);[Ezek. 3:18,19] I am innocent. *See ch. 13:46From now on I will go to the Gentiles." 7 And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius *[ch. 1:23;Col. 4:11] Justus, *ch. 16:14a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue. 8 *1 Cor. 1:14Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together *See ch. 11:14with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. 9 And the Lord said to Paul *ch. 23:11;27:23one night in *[ch. 26:16;2 Cor. 12:1-4] a vision, *ch. 27:24;Josh. 1:5,6;Jer. 1:8;Matt. 28:20"Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent,10 *[See ver. 9above] for I am with you, and *[Luke 21:18;2 Thess. 3:2] no one will attack you to harm you, for *[John 10:16]I have many in this city who are my people."11 And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

12 But when Gallio was *See ch. 13:7proconsul of Achaia, *See ch. 13:50the Jews*18:12 Greek Ioudaioi probably refers here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, in that time; also verses 14 (twice), 28 made a united attack on Paul and *See ch. 16:19brought him before the tribunal, 13 saying, "This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to *ver. 15the law." 14 But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious *[ch. 13:10]crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. 15 But *ch. 23:29;25:19;[1 Tim. 6:4;2 Tim. 2:14] since it is a matter of questions about words and names and *ver. 13your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things." 16 And he drove them from the tribunal. 17 And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.

Paul Returns to Antioch

18 After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of *See John 21:23the brothers*18:18 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 27 and set sail for Syria, and with him *ver. 2Priscilla and Aquila. At *Rom. 16:1Cenchreae *[ch. 21:23,24;Num. 6:2,18]he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow. 19 And they came to *ch. 19:1;20:16,17;1 Cor. 15:32;16:8;Eph. 1:1;1 Tim. 1:3;2 Tim. 1:18Ephesus, and he left them there, but *ver. 4he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined. 21 But on taking leave of them he said, "I will return to you *1 Cor. 4:19;16:7;Heb. 6:3;James 4:15;[Rom. 15:32;1 Pet. 3:17]if God wills," and he set sail from Ephesus.

22 When he had landed at Caesarea, he *ch. 11:2;21:15went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. 23 After spending some time there, he departed and *ch. 16:6went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, *See ch. 14:22strengthening all the disciples.

Apollos Speaks Boldly in Ephesus

24 Now a Jew named *ch. 19:1;1 Cor. 1:12;3:5,6;4:6;16:12;Titus 3:13Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, *[Ezra 7:6]competent in the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in *See ch. 9:2the way of the Lord. And *Rom. 12:11being fervent in spirit,*18:25 Or in the Spirit he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only *ch. 19:3;Luke 7:29the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when *See ver. 2Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him *Matt. 22:16;[ver. 25]the way of God more accurately. 27 And when he wished to cross to *[ch. 19:1] Achaia, *ver. 18the brothers encouraged him and *[2 Cor. 3:1] wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, *1 Cor. 3:6;[ch. 11:21,23;15:11;Eph. 2:8]he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures *See ver. 5that the Christ was Jesus.