Acts 18

Lexham English Bible

Paul, Silas, and Timothy in Corinth

18 After these things he departed from Athens and^[a] went to Corinth. ² And he found a certain Jew named^[b] Aquila, a native^[c] of Pontus who had arrived recently from Italy along with^[d] Priscilla his wife, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to depart from Rome, and^[e] he went to them. ³ And because he was practicing the same trade, he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. ⁴ And he argued in the synagogue every Sabbath, attempting to persuade^[f] both Jews and Greeks.

⁵ Now when both Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began to be occupied with^[g] the message, solemnly testifying to the Jews that the Christ^[h] was Jesus. ⁶ And when^[i] they resisted and reviled him,^[j] he shook out his^[k] clothes and^[l] said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am guiltless! From now on I will go to the Gentiles!” ⁷ And leaving there, he entered into the house of someone named^[m] Titius Justus, a worshiper^[n] of God whose house was next door to the synagogue. ⁸ And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his whole household. And many of the Corinthians, when they^[o] heard about it,^[p] believed and were baptized. ⁹ And the Lord said to Paul by a vision in the night, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not keep silent, ¹⁰ because I am with you and no one will attack you to harm you, because many people are mine in this city.” ¹¹ So he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

Paul Accused Before the Proconsul Gallio

¹² Now when^[q] Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews rose up with one purpose against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, ¹³ saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law!” ¹⁴ But when^[r] Paul was about to open his^[s] mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it was some crime or wicked villainy, O Jews, I would have been justified in accepting^[t] your complaint. ¹⁵ But if it is questions concerning a word and names and your own law,^[u] see to it^[v] yourselves! I do not wish to be a judge of these things.” ¹⁶ And he drove them away from the judgment seat. ¹⁷ So they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and^[w] began beating^[x] him^[y] in front of the judgment seat. And none of these things was a concern to Gallio.

Paul Returns to Antioch in Syria

¹⁸ So Paul, after^[z] remaining many days longer, said farewell to the brothers and^[aa] sailed away to Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his^[ab] head at Cenchrea, because he had taken a vow. ¹⁹ So they arrived at Ephesus, and those he left behind there, but he himself entered into the synagogue and^[ac] discussed with the Jews. ²⁰ And when^[ad] they asked him^[ae] to stay for a longer time, he did not give his consent, ²¹ but saying farewell and telling them,^[af] “I will return to you again if^[ag] God wills,” he set sail from Ephesus.

²² And when he^[ah] arrived at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and^[ai] went down to Antioch. ²³ And after^[aj] spending some time there, he departed, traveling through one place after another in the Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

The Early Ministry of Apollos

²⁴ Now a certain Jew named^[ak] Apollos, a native^[al] Alexandrian, arrived in Ephesus—an eloquent man who was well-versed in the scriptures. ²⁵ This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and being enthusiastic in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things about Jesus, although he^[am] knew only the baptism of John. ²⁶ And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when^[an] Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the way of God to him more accurately. ²⁷ And when^[ao] he wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him^[ap] and^[aq] wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he^[ar] arrived, he^[as] assisted greatly those who had believed through grace. ²⁸ For he was vigorously refuting the Jews in public, demonstrating through the scriptures that the Christ^[at] was Jesus.