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.”^{(A) 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.^{(B) 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.”^{(C) 16} So he drove them from the tribunal. ¹⁷ And they all^[a] seized Sosthenes,^(D) 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.^{(E) 19} When they reached Ephesus^(F) 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,^[b] “I’ll come back to you again, if God wills.”^(G) 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.^(H)

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.^(I)

The Eloquent Apollos

²⁴ Now a Jew named Apollos,^(J) 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,^[c] he was speaking and teaching accurately about Jesus, although he knew only John’s baptism.^{(K) 26} He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. After Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside^[d] and explained the way of God to him more accurately.^{(L) 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.^{(M) 28} For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating through the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.^(N)

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^{(A) 2} and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” ^(B)

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

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

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

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

⁵ When they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ And when Paul had laid his hands on^(G) them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in tongues^[a] and to prophesy.^{(H) 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.^{(I) 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.^{(J) 10} This went on for two years, so that all the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks,^(K) heard the word of the Lord.^(L)

Demonism Defeated at Ephesus

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

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!” ^(N)