²⁵ After they had completed their relief mission, Barnabas and Saul returned to^[a] Jerusalem, taking along John who was called Mark.^(A)

Preparing for the Mission Field

13 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, a close friend of Herod the tetrarch,^(B) and Saul.

² As they were worshiping^[b] the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”^{(C) 3} Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off.^(D)

The Mission to Cyprus

⁴ So being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. ⁵ Arriving in Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as their assistant.^{(E) 6} When they had traveled the whole island as far as Paphos, they came across a sorcerer, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus.^{(F) 7} He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God.^{(G) 8} But Elymas the sorcerer (that is the meaning of his name) opposed^(H) them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith.^(I)

⁹ But Saul—also called Paul—filled with the Holy Spirit, stared straight at Elymas ¹⁰ and said, “You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery, you son of the devil^(J) and enemy of all that is right. Won’t you ever stop perverting the straight paths^(K) of the Lord? ¹¹ Now, look, the Lord’s hand is against you.^(L) You are going to be blind, and will not see the sun for a time.” Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

¹² Then, when he saw what happened, the proconsul believed, because he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.^(M)

Paul’s Sermon in Antioch of Pisidia

¹³ Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia, but John left them and went back to Jerusalem.^{(N) 14} They continued their journey from Perga and reached Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.^{(O) 15} After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, you can speak.”^(P)

¹⁶ Paul stood up and motioned with his hand and said, “Fellow Israelites, and you who fear God, listen!^{(Q) 17} The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors, made the people prosper during their stay in the land of Egypt, and led them out of it with a mighty^[c] arm.^{(R) 18} And for about forty years he put up with them^[d] in the wilderness;^{(S) 19} and after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan,^(T) he gave them their land as an inheritance. ²⁰ This all took about 450 years. After this, he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.^{(U) 21} Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.^{(V) 22} After removing him,^(W) he raised up David as their king and testified about him, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse to be a man after my own heart,^[e](X) who will carry out all my will.’

²³ “From this man’s descendants, as he promised, God brought to Israel^(Y) the Savior, Jesus.^{[f] 24} Before his coming to public attention, John had previously proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.^{(Z) 25} Now as John was completing his mission, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not the one. But one is coming after me, and I am not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet.’^(AA)

²⁶ “Brothers and sisters, children of Abraham’s race, and those among you who fear God, it is to us that the word of this salvation has been sent.^{(AB) 27} Since the residents of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize him or the sayings of the prophets that are read every Sabbath, they have fulfilled their words by condemning him.^{(AC) 28} Though they found no grounds for the death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him killed.^{(AD) 29} When they had carried out all that had been written about him, they took him down from the tree and put him in a tomb.^{(AE) 30} But God raised him from the dead,^{(AF) 31} and he appeared for many days to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people.^{(AG) 32} And we ourselves proclaim to you the good news of the promise that was made to our ancestors.^{(AH) 33} God has fulfilled this for us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second Psalm:

³⁴ As to his raising him from the dead, never to return to decay, he has spoken in this way, I will give you the holy and sure promises of David.^{[i](AJ) 35} Therefore he also says in another passage, You will not let your Holy One see decay.^{[j](AK) 36} For David, after serving God’s purpose in his own generation, fell asleep,^(AL) was buried with his fathers, and decayed,^{(AM) 37} but the one God raised up did not decay. ³⁸ Therefore, let it be known to you, brothers and sisters, that through this man forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you.^{(AN) 39} Everyone who believes is justified^[k] through him from everything that you could not be justified from through the law of Moses.^{(AO) 40} So beware that what is said in the prophets does not happen to you:

Paul and Barnabas in Antioch

⁴² As they were leaving, the people^[m] urged them to speak about these matters the following Sabbath. ⁴³ After the synagogue had been dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking with them and urging them to continue in the grace of God.^(AQ)

⁴⁴ The following Sabbath almost the whole town assembled to hear the word of the Lord.^{[n] 45} But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what Paul was saying, insulting him.^(AR)

⁴⁶ Paul and Barnabas boldly replied, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we are turning to the Gentiles.^{(AS) 47} For this is what the Lord has commanded us:

⁴⁸ When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and honored the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed to eternal life believed. ⁴⁹ The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. ⁵⁰ But the Jews incited the prominent God-fearing women and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their district.^{(AU) 51} But Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet^(AV) against them^(AW) and went to Iconium. ⁵² And the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.^(AX)

Growth and Persecution in Iconium

14 In Iconium they entered the Jewish synagogue, as usual, and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed.^{(AY) 2} But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.^{(AZ) 3} So they stayed there a long time and spoke boldly for the Lord, who testified to the message of his grace by enabling them to do signs and wonders.^{(BA) 4} But the people of the city were divided, some siding with the Jews and others with the apostles.^{(BB) 5} When an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat and stone them, ⁶ they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian towns of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding countryside.^{(BC) 7} There they continued preaching the gospel.^(BD)

Mistaken for Gods in Lystra

⁸ In Lystra a man was sitting who was without strength in his feet, had never walked, and had been lame from birth. ⁹ He listened as Paul spoke. After looking directly at him and seeing that he had faith to be healed, ¹⁰ Paul said in a loud voice, “Stand up on your feet!” And he jumped up and began to walk around.^(BE)

¹¹ When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” ^{(BF) 12} Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. ¹³ The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the town, brought bulls and wreaths to the gates because he intended, with the crowds, to offer sacrifice.

¹⁴ The apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their robes when they heard this and rushed into the crowd, shouting,^{(BG) 15} “People! Why are you doing these things? We are people also, just like you, and we are proclaiming good news to you, that you turn from these worthless things^(BH) to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them.^{[p](BI) 16} In past generations he allowed all the nations^(BJ) to go their own way, ¹⁷ although he did not leave himself without a witness,^(BK) since he did what is good by giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons^(BL) and filling you with food and your hearts with joy.” ¹⁸ Even though they said these things, they barely stopped the crowds from sacrificing to them.

¹⁹ Some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and when they won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead.^{(BM) 20} After the disciples gathered around him, he got up and went into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.^(BN)

Church Planting

²¹ After they had preached the gospel in that town and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch,^{(BO) 22} strengthening the^[q] disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith^(BP) and by telling them, “It is necessary to go through many hardships^(BQ) to enter the kingdom of God.” ²³ When they had appointed elders^(BR) for them in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

²⁴ They passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. ²⁵ After they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. ²⁶ From there they sailed back to Antioch where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now completed.^{(BS) 27} After they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported everything God had done with them^(BT) and that he had opened the door^(BU) of faith to the Gentiles. ²⁸ And they spent a considerable time with the disciples.

Dispute in Antioch

15 Some men^(BV) came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised^(BW) according to the custom prescribed by Moses,^(BX) you cannot be saved.” ² After Paul and Barnabas had engaged them in serious argument and debate, Paul and Barnabas and some others were appointed to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem about this issue.^{(BY) 3} When they had been sent on their way by the church,^(BZ) they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and they brought great joy to all the brothers and sisters.

⁴ When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.^{(CA) 5} But some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”

The Jerusalem Council

⁶ The apostles and the elders gathered to consider this matter. ⁷ After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you are aware that in the early days God made a choice among you,^[r] that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the gospel message and believe. ⁸ And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he also did to us.^{(CB) 9} He made no distinction between us and them,^(CC) cleansing their hearts by faith.^{(CD) 10} Now then, why are you testing God by putting a yoke on the disciples’ necks^(CE) that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? ¹¹ On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace^(CF) of the Lord Jesus in the same way they are.”

¹² The whole assembly became silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul describe all the signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.^{(CG) 13} After they stopped speaking, James responded, “Brothers, listen to me. ¹⁴ Simeon^[s] has reported how God first intervened to take from the Gentiles a people for his name.^{(CH) 15} And the words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:

¹⁹ Therefore, in my judgment, we should not cause difficulties for those among the Gentiles who turn to God, ²⁰ but instead we should write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality,^(CJ) from eating anything that has been strangled, and from blood. ²¹ For since ancient times, Moses has had those who proclaim him in every city, and every Sabbath day he is read aloud in the synagogues.”^(CK)

The Letter to the Gentile Believers

²² Then the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, decided to select men who were among them and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas, called Barsabbas, and Silas,^(CL) both leading men among the brothers. ²³ They wrote:

“From the apostles and the elders, your brothers,

To the brothers and sisters among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:^(CM)

Greetings.

²⁴ Since we have heard that some without our authorization went out from us^(CN) and troubled you with their words and unsettled your hearts,^{[v](CO) 25} we have unanimously^(CP) decided to select men and send them to you along with our dearly loved Barnabas and Paul, ²⁶ who have risked their lives^(CQ) for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷ Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who will personally report the same things by word of mouth. ²⁸ For it was the Holy Spirit’s decision—and ours—not to place further burdens on you beyond these requirements:^{(CR) 29} that you abstain from food offered to idols, from blood, from eating anything that has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.^(CS) You will do well if you keep yourselves from these things.

Farewell.”

The Outcome of the Jerusalem Letter

³⁰ So they were sent off and went down to Antioch, and after gathering the assembly, they delivered the letter. ³¹ When they read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. ³² Both Judas and Silas, who were also prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers and sisters and strengthened them with a long message.^{(CT) 33} After spending some time there, they were sent back in peace^(CU) by the brothers and sisters to those who had sent them.^{[w][x] 35} But Paul and Barnabas, along with many others, remained in Antioch, teaching and proclaiming the word of the Lord.^(CV)

Paul and Barnabas Part Company

³⁶ After some time had passed, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit the brothers and sisters in every town^(CW) where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they’re doing.” ³⁷ Barnabas wanted to take along John who was called Mark. ³⁸ But Paul insisted that they should not take along this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work. ³⁹ They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company, and Barnabas took Mark^(CX) with him and sailed off to Cyprus. ⁴⁰ But Paul chose Silas and departed, after being commended by the brothers and sisters to the grace of the Lord.^{(CY) 41} He traveled through Syria^(CZ) and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Paul Selects Timothy

16 Paul went on to Derbe and Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy,^(DA) the son of a believing Jewish woman,^(DB) but his father was a Greek. ² The brothers and sisters at Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him.^{(DC) 3} Paul wanted Timothy to go with him; so he took him and circumcised^(DD) him because of the Jews who were in those places, since they all knew that his father was a Greek. ⁴ As they traveled through the towns, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem for the people to observe.^{(DE) 5} So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.^(DF)

Evangelization of Europe

⁶ They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia; they had been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.^{(DG) 7} When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus^(DH) did not allow them. ⁸ Passing by Mysia they went down to Troas.^{(DI) 9} During the night Paul had a vision in which a Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him, “Cross over to Macedonia and help us!” ^{(DJ) 10} After^(DK) he had seen the vision, we immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Lydia’s Conversion

¹¹ From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, the next day to Neapolis, ¹² and from there to Philippi,^(DL) a Roman colony and a leading city of the district of Macedonia. We stayed in that city for several days. ¹³ On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate by the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and spoke to the women gathered there. ¹⁴ A God-fearing woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying.^{(DM) 15} After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.”^(DN) And she persuaded us.

Paul and Silas in Prison

¹⁶ Once, as we were on our way to prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit by which she predicted the future.^(DO) She made a large profit for her owners by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ As she followed Paul and us she cried out, “These men, who are proclaiming to you^[y] a way of salvation, are the servants of the Most High God.” ¹⁸ She did this for many days.

Paul was greatly annoyed. Turning to the spirit, he said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out right away.^(DP)

¹⁹ When her owners realized that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas^(DQ) and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. ²⁰ Bringing them before the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are seriously disturbing our city. They are Jews ²¹ and are promoting customs that are not legal for us as Romans to adopt or practice.”^{(DR) 22} The crowd joined in the attack against them, and the chief magistrates stripped off their clothes and ordered them to be beaten with rods.^{(DS) 23} After they had severely flogged them, they threw them in jail, ordering the jailer to guard them carefully. ²⁴ Receiving such an order, he put them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks.^(DT)

A Midnight Deliverance

²⁵ About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains came loose.^{(DU) 27} When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison standing open, he drew his sword and was going to kill himself, since he thought the prisoners had escaped.

²⁸ But Paul called out in a loud voice, “Don’t harm yourself, because we’re all here!”

²⁹ The jailer called for lights, rushed in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ He escorted them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” ^(DV)

³¹ They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”^{(DW) 32} And they spoke the word of the Lord to him along with everyone in his house. ³³ He took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds. Right away he and all his family were baptized. ³⁴ He brought them into his house, set a meal before them, and rejoiced because he had come to believe in God with his entire household.^(DX)

An Official Apology

³⁵ When daylight came, the chief magistrates sent the police to say, “Release those men.”

³⁶ The jailer reported these words to Paul: “The magistrates have sent orders for you to be released. So come out now and go in peace.”^(DY)

³⁷ But Paul said to them, “They beat us in public without a trial, although we are Roman citizens, and threw us in jail. And now are they going to send us away secretly? Certainly not! On the contrary, let them come themselves and escort us out.”^(DZ)

³⁸ The police reported these words to the magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. ³⁹ So they came to appease them, and escorting them from prison, they urged them to leave town. ⁴⁰ After leaving the jail, they came to Lydia’s house, where they saw and encouraged the brothers and sisters, and departed.^(EA)

A Short Ministry in Thessalonica

17 After they passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica,^(EB) where there was a Jewish synagogue. ² As usual, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures,^{(EC) 3} explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and rise from the dead: “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah.”^{(ED) 4} Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, including a large number of God-fearing Greeks, as well as a number of the leading women.^(EE)

Riot in the City

⁵ But the Jews became jealous, and they brought together some wicked men from the marketplace, formed a mob, and started a riot in the city. Attacking Jason’s house, they searched for them to bring them out to the public assembly.^{(EF) 6} When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too, ⁷ and Jason has welcomed them. They are all acting contrary to Caesar’s decrees,^(EG) saying that there is another king—Jesus.”^{(EH) 8} The crowd and city officials who heard these things were upset. ⁹ After taking a security bond from Jason and the others, they released them.

The Bereans Search the Scriptures

¹⁰ As soon as it was night, the brothers and sisters sent Paul and Silas away to Berea.^(EI) Upon arrival, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. ¹¹ The people here were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, since they received the word with eagerness and examined^[z] the Scriptures^(EJ) daily to see if these things were so. ¹² Consequently, many of them believed, including a number of the prominent Greek women as well as men. ¹³ But when the Jews from Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul at Berea, they came there too, agitating and upsetting^[aa] the crowds. ¹⁴ Then the brothers and sisters immediately sent Paul away to go to the coast, but Silas and Timothy^(EK) stayed on there. ¹⁵ Those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving instructions for Silas and Timothy to come to him as quickly as possible, they departed.^(EL)

Paul in Athens

¹⁶ While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply distressed when he saw that the city was full of idols. ¹⁷ So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with those who worshiped God, as well as in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.^{(EM) 18} Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also debated with him. Some said, “What is this ignorant show-off^[ab] trying to say?”

Others replied, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign deities”—because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.^(EN)

¹⁹ They took him and brought him to the Areopagus,^[ac] and said, “May we learn about this new teaching you are presenting?^{(EO) 20} Because what you say sounds strange to us, and we want to know what these things mean.” ²¹ Now all the Athenians and the foreigners residing there spent their time on nothing else but telling or hearing something new.

The Areopagus Address

²² Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said, “People of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious in every respect. ²³ For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God.’ Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. ²⁴ The God who made the world and everything in it^(EP)—he is Lord of heaven and earth^(EQ)—does not live in shrines made by hands.^{(ER) 25} Neither is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything,^(ES) since he himself gives everyone life and breath and all things.^{(ET) 26} From one man^[ad] he has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live.^{(EU) 27} He did this so that they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.^{(EV) 28} For in him we live and move and have our being, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’^{(EW) 29} Since, then, we are God’s offspring, we shouldn’t think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image fashioned by human art and imagination.^(EX)

³⁰ “Therefore, having overlooked^(EY) the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, ³¹ because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”^(EZ)

³² When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some began to ridicule him, but others said, “We’d like to hear from you again about this.” ³³ So Paul left their presence. ³⁴ However, some people joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

Founding the Corinthian Church

18 After this, he^[ae] left Athens and went to Corinth,^{(FA) 2} where he found a Jew named Aquila,^(FB) 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 came to them, ³ and since they were of the same occupation, tentmakers by trade,^(FC) he stayed with them and worked. ⁴ He reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and tried to persuade both Jews and Greeks.^(FD)

⁵ When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself to preaching the word^[af] and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah.^{(FE) 6} When they resisted and blasphemed,^(FF) he shook out his clothes^(FG) and told them, “Your blood is on your own heads!^(FH) I am innocent.^[ag] From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”^{(FI) 7} So he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. ⁸ Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, along with his whole household.^(FJ) Many of the Corinthians, when they heard, believed and were baptized.

⁹ The Lord said to Paul in a night vision, “Don’t be afraid, but keep on speaking and don’t be silent. ¹⁰ For I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to hurt you, because I have many people in this city.”^{(FK) 11} He stayed there a year and a half, teaching the word of God among them.

¹² While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack against Paul and brought him to the tribunal.^{(FL) 13} “This man,” they said, “is persuading people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”

¹⁴ As Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or of a serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you Jews. ¹⁵ But if these are questions about words, names, and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of such things.”^{(FM) 16} So he drove them from the tribunal. ¹⁷ And they all^[ah] seized Sosthenes,^(FN) the leader of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal, but none of these things mattered to Gallio.

The Return Trip to Antioch

¹⁸ After staying for some time, Paul said farewell to the brothers and sisters and sailed away to Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his head at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken.^{(FO) 19} When they reached Ephesus^(FP) he left them there, but he himself entered the synagogue and debated with the Jews. ²⁰ When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he declined, ²¹ but he said farewell and added,^[ai] “I’ll come back to you again, if God wills.”^(FQ) Then he set sail from Ephesus.

²² On landing at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church, then went down to Antioch.^(FR)

²³ After spending some time there, he set out, traveling through one place after another in the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.^(FS)

The Eloquent Apollos

²⁴ Now a Jew named Apollos,^(FT) a native Alexandrian, an eloquent man who was competent in the use of the Scriptures, arrived in Ephesus. ²⁵ He had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit,^[aj] he was speaking and teaching accurately about Jesus, although he knew only John’s baptism.^{(FU) 26} He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. After Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside^[ak] and explained the way of God to him more accurately.^{(FV) 27} When he wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers and sisters wrote to the disciples to welcome him. After he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed.^{(FW) 28} For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating through the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.^(FX)

Twelve Disciples of John the Baptist

19 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions and came to Ephesus. He found some disciples^{(FY) 2} and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” ^(FZ)

“No,” they told him, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”^(GA)

³ “Into what then were you baptized?” he asked them.

“Into John’s baptism,” they replied.^(GB)

⁴ Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance,^(GC) telling the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Jesus.”^(GD)

⁵ When they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ And when Paul had laid his hands on^(GE) them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in tongues^[al] and to prophesy.^{(GF) 7} Now there were about twelve men in all.

In the Lecture Hall of Tyrannus

⁸ Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly over a period of three months, arguing and persuading them about the kingdom of God.^{(GG) 9} But when some became hardened and would not believe, slandering the Way in front of the crowd, he withdrew from them, taking the disciples, and conducted discussions every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.^{(GH) 10} This went on for two years, so that all the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks,^(GI) heard the word of the Lord.^(GJ)

Demonism Defeated at Ephesus

¹¹ God was performing extraordinary miracles by Paul’s hands, ¹² so that even facecloths or aprons^[am] that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them.^(GK)

¹³ Now some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists also attempted to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I command you by the Jesus that Paul preaches!” ^{(GL) 14} Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this. ¹⁵ The evil spirit answered them, “I know Jesus, and I recognize Paul—but who are you?” ¹⁶ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them, overpowered them all, and prevailed against them, so that they ran out of that house naked and wounded. ¹⁷ When this became known to everyone who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, they became afraid, and the name of the Lord Jesus^(GM) was held in high esteem.^(GN)

¹⁸ And many who had become believers came confessing and disclosing their practices, ¹⁹ while many of those who had practiced magic^(GO) collected their books and burned them in front of everyone. So they calculated their value and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver. ²⁰ In this way the word of the Lord spread and prevailed.^(GP)

The Riot in Ephesus

²¹ After these events, Paul resolved by the Spirit^[an] to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem. “After I’ve been there,” he said, “It is necessary for me to see Rome as well.”^{(GQ) 22} After sending to Macedonia two of those who assisted him, Timothy and Erastus,^(GR) he himself stayed in Asia for a while.^(GS)

²³ About that time there was a major disturbance about the Way.^{(GT) 24} For a person named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, provided a great deal of business for the craftsmen. ²⁵ When he had assembled them, as well as the workers engaged in this type of business, he said, “Men, you know that our prosperity is derived from this business. ²⁶ You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this man Paul has persuaded and misled a considerable number of people by saying that gods made by hand are not gods.^{(GU) 27} Not only do we run a risk that our business may be discredited, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be despised and her magnificence come to the verge of ruin—the very one all of Asia and the world worship.”

²⁸ When they had heard this, they were filled with rage and began to cry out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” ²⁹ So the city was filled with confusion, and they rushed all together into the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius^(GV) and Aristarchus,^(GW) Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions. ³⁰ Although Paul wanted to go in before the people, the disciples did not let him. ³¹ Even some of the provincial officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent word to him, pleading with him not to venture^[ao] into the amphitheater. ³² Some were shouting one thing and some another,^(GX) because the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. ³³ Some Jews in the crowd gave instructions to Alexander^[ap] after they pushed him to the front. Motioning with his hand, Alexander wanted to make his defense to the people.^{(GY) 34} But when they recognized that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

³⁵ When the city clerk had calmed the crowd down, he said, “People of Ephesus! What person is there who doesn’t know that the city of the Ephesians is the temple guardian of the great^[aq] Artemis, and of the image that fell from heaven? ³⁶ Therefore, since these things are undeniable, you must keep calm and not do anything rash. ³⁷ For you have brought these men here who are not temple robbers or blasphemers of our^[ar] goddess. ³⁸ So if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a case against anyone, the courts are in session, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another.^{(GZ) 39} But if you seek anything further, it must be decided in a legal assembly. ⁴⁰ In fact, we run a risk of being charged with rioting^(HA) for what happened today, since there is no justification that we can give as a reason for this disturbance.” ⁴¹ After saying this, he dismissed the assembly.

Paul in Macedonia

20 After the uproar was over, Paul sent for the disciples, encouraged them, and after saying farewell, departed to go to Macedonia.^{(HB) 2} And when he had passed through those areas and offered them many words of encouragement, he came to Greece ³ and stayed three months. The Jews plotted against him when he was about to set sail for Syria, and so he decided to go back through Macedonia.^{(HC) 4} He was accompanied^[as] by Sopater son of Pyrrhus^[at] from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy,^(HD) and Tychicus^(HE) and Trophimus^(HF) from the province of Asia. ⁵ These men went on ahead and waited for us in Troas,^{(HG) 6} but we sailed away from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread.^(HH) In five days we reached them at Troas, where we spent seven days.

Eutychus Revived at Troas

⁷ On the first day of the week, we assembled to break bread.^(HI) Paul spoke to them, and since he was about to depart the next day, he kept on talking until midnight. ⁸ There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we were assembled, ⁹ and a young man named Eutychus was sitting on a window sill and sank into a deep sleep as Paul kept on talking. When he was overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. ¹⁰ But Paul went down, bent over him, embraced him, and said, “Don’t be alarmed, because he’s alive.”^{(HJ) 11} After going upstairs, breaking the bread, and eating, Paul talked a long time until dawn. Then he left. ¹² They brought the boy home alive and were greatly comforted.

From Troas to Miletus

¹³ We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul on board, because these were his instructions, since he himself was going by land. ¹⁴ When he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went on to Mitylene. ¹⁵ Sailing from there, the next day we arrived off Chios. The following day we crossed over to Samos, and^[au] the day after, we came to Miletus.^{(HK) 16} For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, because he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, for the day of Pentecost.^(HL)

Farewell Address to the Ephesian Elders

¹⁷ Now from Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and summoned the elders of the church. ¹⁸ When they came to him, he said to them, “You know, from the first day I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time,^{(HM) 19} serving the Lord with all humility, with tears, and during the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews.^{(HN) 20} You know that I did not hesitate to proclaim anything to you that was profitable and to teach you publicly and from house to house. ²¹ I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God^(HO) and faith in our Lord Jesus.^(HP)

²² “And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, compelled by the Spirit,^[av] not knowing what I will encounter there,^{(HQ) 23} except that in every town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me.^{(HR) 24} But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course^[aw] and the ministry^(HS) I received from the Lord Jesus,^(HT) to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.

²⁵ “And now I know that none of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will ever see me again. ²⁶ Therefore I declare to you this day that I am innocent^[ax] of the blood of all of you,^{(HU) 27} because I did not avoid declaring to you the whole plan of God.^{(HV) 28} Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock^(HW) of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers,^(HX) to shepherd the church of God,^[ay] which he purchased with his own blood.^{(HY) 29} I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰ Men will rise up even from your own number and distort the truth to lure the disciples into following them.^{(HZ) 31} Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for three years I never stopped warning each one of you with tears.^(IA)

³² “And now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace,^(IB) which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance^(IC) among all who are sanctified. ³³ I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.^{(ID) 34} You yourselves know that I worked with my own hands to support myself and those who are with me.^{(IE) 35} In every way I’ve shown you that it is necessary to help the weak by laboring like this and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, because he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

³⁶ After he said this, he knelt down and prayed with all of them.^{(IF) 37} There were many tears shed by everyone. They embraced Paul and kissed him, ³⁸ grieving most of all over his statement that they would never see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.^(IG)

Warnings on the Journey to Jerusalem

21 After^(IH) we tore ourselves away from them, we set sail straight for Cos, the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. ² Finding a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we boarded and set sail. ³ After we sighted Cyprus, passing to the south of it,^[az] we sailed on to Syria and arrived at Tyre, since the ship was to unload its cargo there. ⁴ We sought out the disciples and stayed there seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go to Jerusalem.^{(II) 5} When our time had come to an end, we left to continue our journey, while all of them, with their wives and children, accompanied us out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach to pray, ⁶ we said farewell to one another and boarded the ship, and they returned home.

⁷ When we completed our voyage^[ba] from Tyre, we reached Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day.^{(IJ) 8} The next day we left and came to Caesarea, where we entered the house of Philip^(IK) the evangelist,^(IL) who was one of the Seven, and stayed with him. ⁹ This man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.^(IM)

¹⁰ After we had been there for several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹ He came to us, took Paul’s belt, tied his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him over to the Gentiles.’”^{(IN) 12} When we heard this, both we and the local people pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem.

¹³ Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”^(IO)

¹⁴ Since he would not be persuaded, we said no more except, “The Lord’s will be done.”^(IP)

Conflict over the Gentile Mission

¹⁵ After this we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁶ Some of the disciples from Caesarea also went with us and brought us to Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to stay.^(IQ)

¹⁷ When we reached Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters welcomed us warmly.^{(IR) 18} The following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.^{(IS) 19} After greeting them, he reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.^(IT)

²⁰ When they heard it, they glorified God and said, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous^(IU) for the law. ²¹ But they have been informed about you—that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or to live according to our customs.^{(IV) 22} So what is to be done?^[bb] They will certainly hear that you’ve come. ²³ Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have made a vow. ²⁴ Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay for them to get their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that what they were told about you amounts to nothing, but that you yourself are also careful about observing the law.^{(IW) 25} With regard to the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter containing our decision that^[bc] they should keep themselves from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality.”