Acts 18:1-17

New International Reader's Version

Paul Goes to Corinth

18 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. ² There he met a Jew named Aquila, who was a native of Pontus. Aquila had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla. The emperor Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see Aquila and Priscilla. ³ They were tentmakers, just as he was. So he stayed and worked with them. ⁴ Every Sabbath day he went to the synagogue. He was trying to get both Jews and Greeks to believe in the Lord.

⁵ Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia. Then Paul spent all his time preaching. He was a witness to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. ⁶ But they opposed Paul. They treated him badly. So he shook out his clothes in protest. Then he said to them, “God’s judgment against you will be your own fault! Don’t blame me for it! From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

⁷ Then Paul left the synagogue and went to the house next door. It was the house of Titius Justus, a man who worshiped God. ⁸ Crispus was the synagogue leader. He and everyone living in his house came to believe in the Lord. Many others who lived in Corinth heard Paul. They too believed and were baptized.

⁹ One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Keep on speaking. Don’t be silent. ¹⁰ I am with you. No one will attack you and harm you. I have many people in this city.” ¹¹ So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half. He taught them God’s word.

¹² At that time Gallio was governor of Achaia. The Jews of Corinth got together and attacked Paul. They brought him into court. ¹³ They made a charge against Paul. They said, “This man is talking people into worshiping God in wrong ways. Those ways are against the law.”

¹⁴ Paul was about to give reasons for his actions. But just then Gallio spoke to them. He said, “You Jews don’t claim that Paul has committed a great or small crime. If you did, it would make sense for me to listen to you. ¹⁵ But this is about your own law. It is a question of words and names. Settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” ¹⁶ So he made them leave. ¹⁷ Then the crowd there turned against Sosthenes, the synagogue leader. They beat him up in front of the governor. But Gallio didn’t care at all.