Font Size
Acts 15:36-18:22
New Life Version
Acts 15:36-18:22
New Life Version
Paul Starts Out the Second Time
36 After awhile, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the Christians in every city where we have preached the Word of God. Let us see how they are doing.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them. 38 Paul did not think it was good to take him because he had left them while they were in Pamphylia. He had not helped them in the work. 39 They argued so much that they left each other. Barnabas took John Mark with him and went by ship to the island of Cyprus. 40 Paul chose Silas. After the Christians asked for the Lord’s favor to be on Paul and Silas, they went on their way. 41 They went through Syria and Cilicia making the churches stronger in the faith.
Timothy Starts to Work with Paul
16 Paul went down to the cities of Derbe and Lystra. There was a follower there named Timothy. His mother was a Jewish Christian and his father was a Greek. 2 The Christians in the city of Lystra and Iconium respected Timothy. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to go with him as a missionary. He took him and had Timothy go through the religious act of becoming a Jew because of the Jews who were in those places. Everyone knew his father was a Greek.
4 They went from city to city and told the Christians what the missionaries and the church leaders in Jerusalem had written for the Christians to do. 5 The churches were made stronger in the faith. More people were added each day.
Paul Is Called to Macedonia in a Dream
6 They went through the countries of Phrygia and Galatia. The Holy Spirit kept them from preaching the Word of God in the countries of Asia. 7 When they came to the city of Mysia, they tried to go on to the city of Bithynia but the Holy Spirit would not let them go. 8 From Mysia they went down to the city of Troas.
9 That night Paul had a dream. A man was standing in front of him crying out, “Come over to the country of Macedonia and help us!” 10 After he had seen this, we agreed that God told us to go to Macedonia to tell them the Good News.
Lydia, the First Christian in Europe
11 We took a ship from the city of Troas to the city of Samothracia. The next day we went to the city of Neapolis. 12 From there we went to the city of Philippi. This was an important city in Macedonia. It was ruled by the leaders of the country of Rome. We stayed here for some days. 13 On the Day of Rest we went outside the city to a place down by the river. We thought people would be gathering there for prayer. Some women came and we sat down and talked to them. 14 One of the women who listened sold purple cloth. She was from the city of Thyatira. Her name was Lydia and she was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to hear what Paul said. 15 When she and her family had been baptized, she said to us, “If you think I am faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my house.” She kept on asking. Then we went with her.
Paul Heals a Girl with a Demon
16 One day as we were going to the place to pray, we met a servant-girl who could tell what was going to happen in the future by a demon she had. Her owner made much money from her power. 17 She followed Paul and us crying out, “These are servants of the Highest God. They are telling you how to be saved from the punishment of sin.” 18 She did this many days. Paul was troubled. Then he turned and said to the demon in her, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I speak to you. Come out of her!” At once it left her.
Paul and Silas in Jail
19 The girl’s owners saw that they could not make money with her anymore. Then they took hold of Paul and Silas and dragged them to the leaders. This happened in the center of town where people gather. 20 After they brought them in front of the leaders, they said, “These men are Jews and are making a lot of trouble in our city. 21 They are teaching a religion that we Romans are not allowed to follow.”
22 Many people had gathered around Paul and Silas. They were calling out things against them. The leaders had the clothes of Paul and Silas taken off and had them beaten with sticks. 23 After they had hit them many times, they put Paul and Silas in prison. The soldiers told the man who watched the prison to be sure to keep them from getting away. 24 Because of this, they were put in the inside room of the prison and their feet were put in pieces of wood that held them.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing songs of thanks to God. The other men in prison were listening to them. 26 All at once the earth started to shake. The stones under the prison shook and the doors opened. The chains fell off from everyone.
27 The man who watched the prison woke up. He saw the prison doors wide open and thought the men in prison had gotten away. At once he pulled out his sword to kill himself. 28 But Paul called to him, “Do not hurt yourself. We are all here!” 29 The man who watched the prison called for a light. Then he ran in and got down in front of Paul and Silas. He was shaking with fear. 30 As he took them outside, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They said, “Put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and you and your family will be saved from the punishment of sin.”
32 Then Paul spoke the Word of God to him and his family. 33 It was late at night, but the man who watched the prison took Paul and Silas in and washed the places on their bodies where they were hurt. Right then he and his family were baptized. 34 He took Paul and Silas to his house and gave them food. He and all his family were full of joy for having put their trust in God.
Paul and Silas Are Allowed to Go Free
35 When it was day, the leaders sent a soldier to say, “Let these men go free.” 36 The man who watched the prison told this to Paul. He said, “The leaders have sent word to let you go free. Come out now and go without any trouble.”
37 Paul said, “No! They have beaten us in front of many people without a trial. We are Roman citizens and they have put us in prison. Now do they think they can send us away without anyone knowing? No! They must come themselves and take us out.” 38 The soldiers told this to the leaders. Then the leaders were afraid when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. 39 They went themselves and told Paul and Silas they were sorry. Then they took them out and asked them to leave their city. 40 Paul and Silas went to Lydia’s house after they left the prison. They met with the Christians and gave them comfort. Then they went away from the city.
Paul and Silas Start a Church in Thessalonica
17 After Paul and Silas had gone through the cities of Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to the city of Thessalonica. The Jews had a place of worship there. 2 Paul went in as he always did. They gathered together each Day of Rest for three weeks and he taught them from the Holy Writings. 3 He showed them that Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead. He said, “I preach this Jesus to you. He is the Christ.” 4 Some of them put their trust in Christ and followed Paul and Silas. There were many Greek people and some leading women who honored God among those who had become Christians.
The Jews Make It Hard for Paul and Silas
5 The Jews who did not put their trust in Christ became jealous. They took along some sinful men from the center of town where people gather and brought them out on the street. These angry men started all the people in the city to cry out with loud voices. They went to the house of Jason hoping to find Paul and Silas there and bring them out to the people. 6 But they did not find them there. Then they dragged Jason and some other Christians out in front of the leaders and cried out, “These men who have been making trouble over all the world have come here also. 7 And Jason has taken them in. They say there is another King called Jesus. They are working against the laws made by Caesar.”
8 When the people and city leaders heard this, they were troubled. 9 Then they made Jason and the others pay some money and let them go.
Paul and Silas Go to Berea
10 At once the Christians sent Paul and Silas away at night to the city of Berea. When they got there, they went to the Jewish place of worship. 11 These Jews were more willing to understand than those in the city of Thessalonica. They were very glad to hear the Word of God, and they looked into the Holy Writings to see if those things were true. 12 Many of them became Christians. Some of them were respected Greek women and men. 13 The Jews of Thessalonica heard that Paul was preaching the Word of God in Berea. They went there and worked against the missionaries by talking to the people. 14 At once the Christians sent Paul away to the sea-shore. But Silas and Timothy stayed there.
Paul Preaches on Mars’ Hill in Athens
15 Those who took Paul brought him to the city of Athens. Paul sent word with them that Silas and Timothy should come to him as soon as they could. Then they left. 16 While Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy in Athens, his spirit was troubled as he saw the whole city worshiping false gods. 17 He talked to the Jews and other people who were worshiping in the Jewish place of worship. Every day he talked with people who gathered in the center of town.
18 Some men from two different groups were arguing with Paul. The one group thought that men might as well get all the fun out of life that they can. The other group thought that wisdom alone makes men happy. Some of them said, “This man has lots of little things to talk about. They are not important. What is he trying to say?” Others said, “He preaches about strange gods.” It was because he preached of Jesus and of His being raised from the dead.
19 Then they took him to Mars’ Hill and said, “We want to hear of this new teaching of yours. 20 Some of the things you are telling us are strange to our ears. We want to know what these things mean.” 21 The people of Athens and those visiting from far countries used all their time in talking or hearing some new thing. 22 Then Paul stood up on Mars’ Hill and said, “Men of Athens, I see how very religious you are in every way. 23 As I was walking around and looking at the things you worship, I found an altar where you worship with the words written on it, TO THE GOD WHO IS NOT KNOWN. You are worshiping Him without knowing Him. He is the One I will tell you about.
24 “The God Who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth. He does not live in buildings made by hands. 25 No one needs to care for Him as if He needed anything. He is the One who gives life and breath and everything to everyone. 26 He made from one blood all nations who live on the earth. He set the times and places where they should live.
27 “They were to look for God. Then they might feel after Him and find Him because He is not far from each one of us. 28 It is in Him that we live and move and keep on living. Some of your own men have written, ‘We are God’s children.’ 29 If we are God’s children, we should not think of Him as being like gold or silver or stone. Such gods made of gold or silver or stone are planned by men and are made by them.
30 “God did not remember these times when people did not know better. But now He tells all men everywhere to be sorry for their sins and to turn from them. 31 He has set a day when He will say in the right way if the people of the world are guilty. This will be done by Jesus Christ, the One He has chosen. God has proven this to all men by raising Jesus Christ from the dead.”
32 Some people laughed and made fun when they heard Paul speak of Christ being raised from the dead. Others said, “We want to listen to you again about this.” 33 So Paul went away from the people. 34 Some people followed him and became Christians. One was Dionysius, a leader in the city. A woman named Damaris believed. And there were others also.
Paul Goes to Corinth
18 After that Paul went from the city of Athens and came to the city of Corinth. 2 He met a Jew there named Aquila who was born in the country of Pontus. He had lived in the country of Italy a short time. His wife Priscilla was with him. Claudius, who was the leader of the country, had told all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see Aquila and Priscilla. 3 They made tents for a living. Paul did the same kind of work so he stayed with them and they worked together.
4 Every Day of Rest he would go to the Jewish place of worship and teach both Jews and Greeks. 5 Silas and Timothy came down from the country of Macedonia. Then Paul used all his time preaching to the Jews. He taught that Jesus was the Christ. 6 But they worked against Paul and said bad things about him. He shook his clothes and said, “Whatever happens to you is your own doing. I am free from your guilt. From now on I will go to the people who are not Jews.”
7 Paul went from there and came to the house of a man named Titus Justus who worshiped God. His house was next to the Jewish place of worship. 8 Crispus was the leader of the Jewish place of worship. He and his family believed in the Lord. Many of the people of Corinth who heard Paul became Christians and were baptized.
9 Paul saw the Lord in a dream one night. He said to Paul, “Do not be afraid. Keep speaking. Do not close your mouth. 10 I am with you. No one will hurt you. I have many people in this city who belong to Me.” 11 For a year and a half Paul stayed there and taught them the Word of God.
12 Gallio was leader of the country of Greece. All the Jews worked against Paul and brought him in front of the court. 13 They said, “This man is trying to get people to worship God against the Law.” 14 Paul was ready to speak, but Gallio said to the Jews, “If this were something bad or a wrong doing, I would listen to you. 15 But because it is about words and names and your own Law, you will have to take care of it yourselves. I do not want to judge who is right or wrong in things like this.” 16 And he sent them out of his court.
17 Then all the Greek people took Sosthenes, the leader of the Jewish place of worship, and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio did not let this trouble him.
Paul Goes Back to Antioch
18 Paul stayed in Corinth many days longer. Then he said good-bye and left the followers. He went by ship to the country of Syria with Priscilla and Aquila going with him. In the city of Cenchrea he had his hair cut short because of a promise he had made to God. 19 They came to the city of Ephesus. Priscilla and Aquila stayed there. Paul went to the Jewish place of worship and argued with the Jews. 20 They wanted him to stay longer but he would not. 21 As he left them, he said, (*“I must go to the special supper at Jerusalem.) I will return again to you if God wants me to.” Then he got on a ship and left Ephesus. 22 He stopped in the city of Caesarea to greet the people in the church. Then he went down to the city of Antioch.
Acts 15:36-18:22
New International Version
Acts 15:36-18:22
New International Version
Disagreement Between Paul and Barnabas
36 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns(A) where we preached the word of the Lord(B) and see how they are doing.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark,(C) with them, 38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them(D) in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas(E) and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord.(F) 41 He went through Syria(G) and Cilicia,(H) strengthening the churches.(I)
Timothy Joins Paul and Silas
16 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra,(J) where a disciple named Timothy(K) lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer(L) but whose father was a Greek. 2 The believers(M) at Lystra and Iconium(N) spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.(O) 4 As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders(P) in Jerusalem(Q) for the people to obey.(R) 5 So the churches were strengthened(S) in the faith and grew daily in numbers.(T)
Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia
6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia(U) and Galatia,(V) having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.(W) 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus(X) would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.(Y) 9 During the night Paul had a vision(Z) of a man of Macedonia(AA) standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we(AB) got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel(AC) to them.
Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi
11 From Troas(AD) we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12 From there we traveled to Philippi,(AE) a Roman colony and the leading city of that district[a] of Macedonia.(AF) And we stayed there several days.
13 On the Sabbath(AG) we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira(AH) named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart(AI) to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household(AJ) were baptized,(AK) she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
Paul and Silas in Prison
16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer,(AL) we were met by a female slave who had a spirit(AM) by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God,(AN) who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.(AO)
19 When her owners realized that their hope of making money(AP) was gone, they seized Paul and Silas(AQ) and dragged(AR) them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar(AS) 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans(AT) to accept or practice.”(AU)
22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods.(AV) 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer(AW) was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.(AX)
25 About midnight(AY) Paul and Silas(AZ) were praying and singing hymns(BA) to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken.(BB) At once all the prison doors flew open,(BC) and everyone’s chains came loose.(BD) 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.(BE) 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.(BF) 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”(BG)
31 They replied, “Believe(BH) in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved(BI)—you and your household.”(BJ) 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night(BK) the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.(BL) 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he(BM) was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.
35 When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” 36 The jailer(BN) told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”(BO)
37 But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens,(BP) and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”
38 The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed.(BQ) 39 They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city.(BR) 40 After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house,(BS) where they met with the brothers and sisters(BT) and encouraged them. Then they left.
In Thessalonica
17 When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica,(BU) where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue,(BV) and on three Sabbath(BW) days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,(BX) 3 explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer(BY) and rise from the dead.(BZ) “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,”(CA) he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas,(CB) as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.
5 But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city.(CC) They rushed to Jason’s(CD) house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.[b] 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged(CE) Jason and some other believers(CF) before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world(CG) have now come here,(CH) 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.”(CI) 8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9 Then they made Jason(CJ) and the others post bond and let them go.
In Berea
10 As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas(CK) away to Berea.(CL) On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.(CM) 11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica,(CN) for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures(CO) every day to see if what Paul said was true.(CP) 12 As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.(CQ)
13 But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea,(CR) some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. 14 The believers(CS) immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas(CT) and Timothy(CU) stayed at Berea. 15 Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens(CV) and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.(CW)
In Athens
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue(CX) with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news(CY) about Jesus and the resurrection.(CZ) 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus,(DA) where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching(DB) is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians(DC) and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus(DD) and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.(DE) 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship(DF)—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.
24 “The God who made the world and everything in it(DG) is the Lord of heaven and earth(DH) and does not live in temples built by human hands.(DI) 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.(DJ) 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.(DK) 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.(DL) 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’[c](DM) As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’[d]
29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.(DN) 30 In the past God overlooked(DO) such ignorance,(DP) but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.(DQ) 31 For he has set a day when he will judge(DR) the world with justice(DS) by the man he has appointed.(DT) He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”(DU)
32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead,(DV) some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus,(DW) also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.
In Corinth
18 After this, Paul left Athens(DX) and went to Corinth.(DY) 2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla,(DZ) because Claudius(EA) 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.(EB) 4 Every Sabbath(EC) he reasoned in the synagogue,(ED) trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.
5 When Silas(EE) and Timothy(EF) came from Macedonia,(EG) Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.(EH) 6 But when they opposed Paul and became abusive,(EI) he shook out his clothes in protest(EJ) and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads!(EK) I am innocent of it.(EL) From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”(EM)
7 Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God.(EN) 8 Crispus,(EO) the synagogue leader,(EP) and his entire household(EQ) 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:(ER) “Do not be afraid;(ES) keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10 For I am with you,(ET) 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.(EU)
12 While Gallio was proconsul(EV) of Achaia,(EW) 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(EX)—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(EY) the synagogue leader(EZ) 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(FA) and sailed for Syria,(FB) accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila.(FC) Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae(FD) because of a vow he had taken.(FE) 19 They arrived at Ephesus,(FF) 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.”(FG) Then he set sail from Ephesus. 22 When he landed at Caesarea,(FH) he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.(FI)
Footnotes
- Acts 16:12 The text and meaning of the Greek for the leading city of that district are uncertain.
- Acts 17:5 Or the assembly of the people
- Acts 17:28 From the Cretan philosopher Epimenides
- Acts 17:28 From the Cilician Stoic philosopher Aratus
Acts 15:36-18:22
King James Version
Acts 15:36-18:22
King James Version
36 And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do.
37 And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.
38 But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.
39 And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;
40 And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.
41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.
16 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:
2 Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.
3 Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.
4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.
5 And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.
6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,
7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.
8 And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.
9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.
10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.
11 Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis;
12 And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.
13 And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
20 And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
21 And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.
22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
35 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.
36 And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace.
37 But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.
38 And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.
39 And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.
40 And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.
17 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:
2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.
4 And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;
7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
8 And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.
9 And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.
10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
12 Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people.
14 And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.
15 And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.
16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.
17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.
18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.
19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?
20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.
33 So Paul departed from among them.
34 Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
18 After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;
2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.
3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.
4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.
6 And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean; from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.
7 And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man's house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue.
8 And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.
9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:
10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.
11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
12 And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat,
13 Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.
14 And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you:
15 But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters.
16 And he drave them from the judgment seat.
17 Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things.
18 And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.
19 And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.
20 When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not;
21 But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.
22 And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch.
New Life Version (NLV)
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.