Acts 18

1 After these things he left Athens and came to Corinth. 2 And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, a Pontian by birth, who had recently come from Italy with Priscilla his wife, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome; and he went to them, 3 and because they were of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for by trade they were tentmakers. 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and was persuading Jews and Greeks.

5 But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was gripped by the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. 6 And when they set themselves against him and blasphemed, he shook out his clothes and said to them, “Your blood be on your own head. I am clean. From now on I will go to the nations.” 7 And moving on from there he went into the house of a certain man named Titius Justus, one who reverenced God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8 And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, came to trust the Lord together with his whole household; and many of the Corinthians who heard were coming to trust and being immersed.

9 And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent, 10 because I am with you, and no one will set on you to harm you, because I have many people in this city.” 11 And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

12 But while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one mind rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat, [a] 13 saying, “This man is talking people into reverencing God contrary to the law.” 14 And as Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were some wrong or some wicked piece of villainy, Jews, I would have put up with you as reason requires; 15 but if they are questions about a word and names and the law you have, see to it yourselves. I do not want to be a judge of these things.” 16 And he drove them away from the judgment seat. 17 And they all took hold of Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the judgment seat; and none of this mattered to Gallio.

18 And Paul, after staying on a good many days more, said goodbye to the brothers and sailed off to Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila with him. He had his head shorn at Cenchreae, for he had a vow. [b] 19 And they arrived at Ephesus, and he left them there; but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 And when they asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not consent, 21 but said goodbye and told them, “I will come back to you again, God willing,” and he put out from Ephesus, [c] 22 and landing at Caesarea he went up and greeted the gathering, and went down to Antioch. [d] 23 And after spending some time he went out, passing in order through the Galatian country and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

24 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, arrived at Ephesus, and he was powerful in the Scriptures. [e] 25 This man had been taught the way of the Lord, and boiling in spirit he was speaking and teaching accurately the things about Jesus, though he knew only the immersion of John. [f] 26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue; and when Priscilla and Aquila heard him they took him aside and set out the way of God to him more accurately.

27 And when he wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers urged him on and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he arrived he was a great help, through favor, to those who had come to trust, [g] 28 for he vigorously refuted the Jews in public, showing through the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.