In Corinth

18 After this, Paul left Athens^(A) and went to Corinth.^{(B) 2} There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla,^(C) because Claudius^(D) had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, ³ and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.^{(E) 4} Every Sabbath^(F) he reasoned in the synagogue,^(G) trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

⁵ When Silas^(H) and Timothy^(I) came from Macedonia,^(J) Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.^{(K) 6} But when they opposed Paul and became abusive,^(L) he shook out his clothes in protest^(M) and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads!^(N) I am innocent of it.^(O) From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”^(P)

⁷ Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God.^{(Q) 8} Crispus,^(R) the synagogue leader,^(S) and his entire household^(T) believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.

⁹ One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision:^(U) “Do not be afraid;^(V) keep on speaking, do not be silent. ¹⁰ For I am with you,^(W) and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” ¹¹ So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.^(X)

¹² While Gallio was proconsul^(Y) of Achaia,^(Z) the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. ¹³ “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”

¹⁴ Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. ¹⁵ But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law^(AA)—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” ¹⁶ So he drove them off. ¹⁷ Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes^(AB) the synagogue leader^(AC) and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever.

Priscilla, Aquila and Apollos

¹⁸ Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters^(AD) and sailed for Syria,^(AE) accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila.^(AF) Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae^(AG) because of a vow he had taken.^{(AH) 19} They arrived at Ephesus,^(AI) where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. ²⁰ When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. ²¹ But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.”^(AJ) Then he set sail from Ephesus. ²² When he landed at Caesarea,^(AK) he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.^(AL)

²³ After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia^(AM) and Phrygia,^(AN) strengthening all the disciples.^(AO)

²⁴ Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos,^(AP) a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus.^(AQ) He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. ²⁵ He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor^[a](AR) and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John.^{(AS) 26} He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila^(AT) heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

²⁷ When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia,^(AU) the brothers and sisters^(AV) encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. ²⁸ For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures^(AW) that Jesus was the Messiah.^(AX)

Paul in Ephesus

19 While Apollos^(AY) was at Corinth,^(AZ) Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus.^(BA) There he found some disciples ² and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit^(BB) when^[b] you believed?”

They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

³ So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”

“John’s baptism,” they replied.

⁴ Paul said, “John’s baptism^(BC) was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”^{(BD) 5} On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.^{(BE) 6} When Paul placed his hands on them,^(BF) the Holy Spirit came on them,^(BG) and they spoke in tongues^[c](BH) and prophesied. ⁷ There were about twelve men in all.

⁸ Paul entered the synagogue^(BI) and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.^{(BJ) 9} But some of them^(BK) became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way.^(BL) So Paul left them. He took the disciples^(BM) with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. ¹⁰ This went on for two years,^(BN) so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia^(BO) heard the word of the Lord.^(BP)

¹¹ God did extraordinary miracles^(BQ) through Paul, ¹² so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured^(BR) and the evil spirits left them.

¹³ Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits^(BS) tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus^(BT) whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” ¹⁴ Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. ¹⁵ One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” ¹⁶ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

¹⁷ When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus,^(BU) they were all seized with fear,^(BV) and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. ¹⁸ Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. ¹⁹ A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.^{[d] 20} In this way the word of the Lord^(BW) spread widely and grew in power.^(BX)

Psalm 35

Of David.