Acts 18

18 ¹ After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. ² There he found a Jew named Aquila, 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 went to see them, ³ and because he was of the same trade he stayed and worked with them, for they were tentmakers by trade. ⁴ Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. ⁵ When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself entirely to the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. ⁶ But when they opposed him and heaped abuse on him, he shook out his garments and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."

⁷ Then he left the synagogue and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of our Father, whose house was next door to the synagogue. ⁸ Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his whole household; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.

⁹ One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking and do not be silent, ¹⁰ for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for I have many people in this city."

¹¹ So Paul stayed for a year and six months, teaching the word of our Father among them.

¹² But while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews rose up together against Paul and brought him before the tribunal, ¹³ saying, "This man is persuading people to worship God in ways contrary to the law."

¹⁴ Just as Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If this were a matter of some wrongdoing or vicious crime, Jews, it would be reasonable for me to hear you out. ¹⁵ But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of such things." ¹⁶ And he drove them away from the tribunal.

¹⁷ Then they all seized Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But none of this was any concern to Gallio.

Paul Returns to Antioch

¹⁸ Paul stayed on in Corinth for many more days. Then he said farewell to the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut off, for he was keeping a vow. ^a a v18 Cutting his hair marked the formal end of a Jewish vow of dedication to God. ¹⁹ They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. ²⁰ When they asked him to stay longer, he declined. ²¹ But as he left, he said, "I will come back to you if our Father is willing." And he set sail from Ephesus.

²² When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch.

²³ After spending some time there, he set out and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. ²⁴ Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, well versed in the Scriptures. ²⁵ He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and with burning zeal in his spirit he spoke and taught accurately the things about Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. ²⁶ He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of our Father more accurately.

²⁷ When Apollos wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. On his arrival he was a great help to those who had believed through grace, ²⁸ for he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.