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Acts 18-19
New American Standard Bible

Paul in Corinth

18 After these events Paul left (A)Athens and went to (B)Corinth. 2 And he found a Jew named (C)Aquila, a native of (D)Pontus having recently come from (E)Italy with his wife (F)Priscilla, because (G)Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, 3 and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them, and (H)they worked together, for they were tent-makers by trade. 4 And Paul was reasoning (I)in the synagogue every (J)Sabbath and trying to persuade (K)Jews and Greeks.

5 But when (L)Silas and Timothy (M)came down from (N)Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, (O)testifying to the Jews that (P)Jesus was the [a]Christ. 6 But when they resisted and blasphemed, he (Q)shook out his garments and said to them, “Your (R)blood is [b]on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go (S)to the Gentiles.” 7 Then he left [c]the synagogue and went to the house of a man named [d]Titius Justus, (T)a worshiper of God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8 (U)Crispus, (V)the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord (W)together with his entire household; and many of the (X)Corinthians, as they listened to Paul, were believing and being baptized. 9 And the Lord said to Paul by (Y)a vision at night, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” 11 And he settled there for a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

12 But while Gallio was (Z)proconsul of (AA)Achaia, (AB)the Jews rose up together against Paul and brought him before (AC)the [e]judgment seat, 13 saying, “This man is inciting the people to worship God contrary to (AD)the [f]law.” 14 But when Paul was about to (AE)open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of some crime or vicious, unscrupulous act, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you; 15 but if there are [g](AF)questions about [h]teaching and [i]persons and your own law, see to it yourselves; I am unwilling to be a judge of these matters.” 16 And he drove them away from (AG)the [j]judgment seat. 17 But they all took hold of (AH)Sosthenes, (AI)the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him in front of (AJ)the judgment seat. And yet Gallio was not concerned about any of these things.

18 Now Paul, when he had remained many days longer, (AK)took leave of (AL)the brothers and sisters and sailed away to (AM)Syria, and (AN)Priscilla and (AO)Aquila were with him. [k]Paul first (AP)had his hair cut at (AQ)Cenchrea, for he was keeping a vow. 19 They came to (AR)Ephesus, and he left them there. Now he himself entered (AS)the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not consent, 21 but (AT)took leave of them and said, “I will return to you again (AU)if God wills,” and he set sail from (AV)Ephesus.

22 When he had landed in (AW)Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church, and went down to (AX)Antioch.

Third Missionary Journey

23 And after spending some time there, he left and passed successively through the (AY)Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

24 Now a Jew named (AZ)Apollos, an (BA)Alexandrian by birth, [l]an eloquent man, came to (BB)Ephesus; and he was proficient in the Scriptures. 25 This man had been instructed in (BC)the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was accurately speaking and teaching things about Jesus, being acquainted only with (BD)the baptism of John; 26 and [m]he began speaking boldly in the synagogue. But when (BE)Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained (BF)the way of God more accurately to him. 27 And when he wanted to go across to (BG)Achaia, (BH)the brothers encouraged him and wrote to (BI)the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly [n]helped those who had believed through grace, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating (BJ)by the Scriptures that (BK)Jesus was the [o]Christ.

Paul in Ephesus

19 Now it happened that while (BL)Apollos was in (BM)Corinth, Paul passed through the (BN)upper country and came to (BO)Ephesus, and found some disciples. 2 He said to them, “(BP)Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “On the contrary, (BQ)we have not even heard if there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “(BR)Into John’s baptism.” 4 Paul said, “(BS)John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people (BT)to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 When they heard this, they were (BU)baptized [p]in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had (BV)laid hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they began (BW)speaking with tongues and (BX)prophesying. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

8 And he entered (BY)the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, having discussions and persuading them (BZ)about the kingdom of God. 9 But when (CA)some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of [q](CB)the Way before the [r]people, he withdrew from them and took (CC)the disciples away with him, and had discussions daily in the school of Tyrannus. 10 This took place for (CD)two years, so that all who lived in [s](CE)Asia heard (CF)the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

Miracles at Ephesus

11 God was performing (CG)extraordinary [t]miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 (CH)so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and (CI)the evil spirits went out. 13 But also some of the Jewish (CJ)exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to [u]use the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had the evil spirits, saying, “I order you in the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches!” 14 Now there were seven sons of [v]Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, doing this. 15 But the evil spirit responded and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know of Paul, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit, pounced on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 This became known to all who lived in (CK)Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified. 18 Also many of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices. 19 And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they added up the prices of [w]the books and found it to be fifty thousand [x](CL)pieces of silver. 20 So [y](CM)the word of the Lord (CN)was growing and prevailing mightily.

21 Now after these things were finished, Paul resolved in [z]the Spirit to (CO)go to Jerusalem (CP)after he had passed through (CQ)Macedonia and (CR)Achaia, saying, “After I have been there, (CS)I must also see Rome.” 22 And after he sent into (CT)Macedonia two of (CU)those who assisted him, (CV)Timothy and (CW)Erastus, he himself stayed in [aa](CX)Asia for a while.

23 About that time [ab]a major disturbance occurred in regard to [ac](CY)the Way. 24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of [ad]Artemis, (CZ)was bringing [ae]considerable [af]business to the craftsmen; 25 he gathered these men together with the workmen of similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity [ag]depends upon this business. 26 You see and hear that not only in (DA)Ephesus, but in almost all of [ah](DB)Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that [ai](DC)gods made by hands are not gods at all. 27 Not only is there danger that this trade of ours will fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess [aj]Artemis will be regarded as worthless, and that she whom all of [ak](DD)Asia and (DE)the [al]world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence.”

28 When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began shouting, saying, “Great is [am]Artemis of the (DF)Ephesians!” 29 The city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging along (DG)Gaius and (DH)Aristarchus, Paul’s (DI)Macedonian traveling (DJ)companions. 30 And when Paul wanted to go into the assembly, (DK)the disciples would not let him. 31 Also some of the [an]Asiarchs who were friends of his sent word to him and repeatedly urged him not to [ao]venture into the theater. 32 (DL)So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the [ap]assembly was in confusion and the majority did not know [aq]for what reason they had come together. 33 Some of the crowd [ar]concluded it was Alexander, since the Jews had put him forward; and having (DM)motioned with his hand, Alexander was intending to make a defense to the assembly. 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single outcry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, “Great is [as]Artemis of the Ephesians!”

35 After quieting the crowd, the town clerk *said, “Men of (DN)Ephesus, what person is there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great [at]Artemis and of the image which fell down from [au]the sky? 36 So, since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do nothing rash. 37 For you have brought these men here who are neither (DO)temple robbers nor blasphemers of our goddess. 38 So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are in session and [av](DP)proconsuls are available; have them bring charges against one another. 39 But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the [aw]lawful [ax]assembly. 40 For indeed, we are in danger of being accused of a riot in connection with today’s events, since there is no real reason for it, and in this connection we will be unable to account for this disorderly gathering.” 41 After saying this he dismissed the [ay]assembly.

Footnotes

  1. Acts 18:5 I.e., Messiah
  2. Acts 18:6 I.e., the responsibility is all yours
  3. Acts 18:7 Lit from there
  4. Acts 18:7 One early ms Titus
  5. Acts 18:12 Or tribunal
  6. Acts 18:13 Or Law
  7. Acts 18:15 Or arguments
  8. Acts 18:15 Lit word
  9. Acts 18:15 Lit names
  10. Acts 18:16 Or tribunal
  11. Acts 18:18 Lit Having had his hair cut
  12. Acts 18:24 Or a learned man
  13. Acts 18:26 Lit this man
  14. Acts 18:27 Or helped greatly through grace those who had believed
  15. Acts 18:28 I.e., Messiah
  16. Acts 19:5 Lit into
  17. Acts 19:9 See John 14:6
  18. Acts 19:9 Lit multitude
  19. Acts 19:10 I.e., west coast province of Asia Minor
  20. Acts 19:11 Or works of power
  21. Acts 19:13 I.e., as an incantation
  22. Acts 19:14 Lit some Sceva
  23. Acts 19:19 Lit them
  24. Acts 19:19 Prob. Greek drachmas; a drachma was a day’s wages for a laborer
  25. Acts 19:20 Or according to the power of the Lord the word was growing
  26. Acts 19:21 Or his spirit
  27. Acts 19:22 I.e., west coast province of Asia Minor
  28. Acts 19:23 Lit no small
  29. Acts 19:23 See John 14:6
  30. Acts 19:24 Lat Diana
  31. Acts 19:24 Lit no little
  32. Acts 19:24 Or profit
  33. Acts 19:25 Lit is from
  34. Acts 19:26 See note v 22
  35. Acts 19:26 Lit those
  36. Acts 19:27 Lat Diana
  37. Acts 19:27 See note v 22
  38. Acts 19:27 Lit the inhabited earth
  39. Acts 19:28 Lat Diana
  40. Acts 19:31 I.e., political or religious officials of the province of Asia
  41. Acts 19:31 Lit give himself
  42. Acts 19:32 Gr ekklesia
  43. Acts 19:32 Or on whose account
  44. Acts 19:33 Or advised Alexander
  45. Acts 19:34 Lat Diana
  46. Acts 19:35 Lat Diana
  47. Acts 19:35 Lit Zeus; Lat Jupiter
  48. Acts 19:38 Or provincial governors
  49. Acts 19:39 Or regular
  50. Acts 19:39 Gr ekklesia
  51. Acts 19:41 Gr ekklesia
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Acts 18-19
New Living Translation

Paul Meets Priscilla and Aquila in Corinth

18 Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.[a] 2 There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome. 3 Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers[b] just as he was.

4 Each Sabbath found Paul at the synagogue, trying to convince the Jews and Greeks alike. 5 And after Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul spent all his time preaching the word. He testified to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. 6 But when they opposed and insulted him, Paul shook the dust from his clothes and said, “Your blood is upon your own heads—I am innocent. From now on I will go preach to the Gentiles.”

7 Then he left and went to the home of Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God and lived next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and everyone in his household believed in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also heard Paul, became believers, and were baptized.

9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! 10 For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me.” 11 So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching the word of God.

12 But when Gallio became governor of Achaia, some Jews rose up together against Paul and brought him before the governor for judgment. 13 They accused Paul of “persuading people to worship God in ways that are contrary to our law.”

14 But just as Paul started to make his defense, Gallio turned to Paul’s accusers and said, “Listen, you Jews, if this were a case involving some wrongdoing or a serious crime, I would have a reason to accept your case. 15 But since it is merely a question of words and names and your Jewish law, take care of it yourselves. I refuse to judge such matters.” 16 And he threw them out of the courtroom.

17 The crowd[c] then grabbed Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him right there in the courtroom. But Gallio paid no attention.

Paul Returns to Antioch of Syria

18 Paul stayed in Corinth for some time after that, then said good-bye to the brothers and sisters[d] and went to nearby Cenchrea. There he shaved his head according to Jewish custom, marking the end of a vow. Then he set sail for Syria, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him.

19 They stopped first at the port of Ephesus, where Paul left the others behind. While he was there, he went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews. 20 They asked him to stay longer, but he declined. 21 As he left, however, he said, “I will come back later,[e] God willing.” Then he set sail from Ephesus. 22 The next stop was at the port of Caesarea. From there he went up and visited the church at Jerusalem[f] and then went back to Antioch.

23 After spending some time in Antioch, Paul went back through Galatia and Phrygia, visiting and strengthening all the believers.[g]

Apollos Instructed at Ephesus

24 Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt. 25 He had been taught the way of the Lord, and he taught others about Jesus with an enthusiastic spirit[h] and with accuracy. However, he knew only about John’s baptism. 26 When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately.

27 Apollos had been thinking about going to Achaia, and the brothers and sisters in Ephesus encouraged him to go. They wrote to the believers in Achaia, asking them to welcome him. When he arrived there, he proved to be of great benefit to those who, by God’s grace, had believed. 28 He refuted the Jews with powerful arguments in public debate. Using the Scriptures, he explained to them that Jesus was the Messiah.

Paul’s Third Missionary Journey

19 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers.[i] 2 “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he asked them.

“No,” they replied, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

3 “Then what baptism did you experience?” he asked.

And they replied, “The baptism of John.”

4 Paul said, “John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.”

5 As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues[j] and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

Paul Ministers in Ephesus

8 Then Paul went to the synagogue and preached boldly for the next three months, arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of God. 9 But some became stubborn, rejecting his message and publicly speaking against the Way. So Paul left the synagogue and took the believers with him. Then he held daily discussions at the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for the next two years, so that people throughout the province of Asia—both Jews and Greeks—heard the word of the Lord.

11 God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. 12 When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled.

13 A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. 15 But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” 16 Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.

17 The story of what happened spread quickly all through Ephesus, to Jews and Greeks alike. A solemn fear descended on the city, and the name of the Lord Jesus was greatly honored. 18 Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices. 19 A number of them who had been practicing sorcery brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars.[k] 20 So the message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect.

21 Afterward Paul felt compelled by the Spirit[l] to go over to Macedonia and Achaia before going to Jerusalem. “And after that,” he said, “I must go on to Rome!” 22 He sent his two assistants, Timothy and Erastus, ahead to Macedonia while he stayed awhile longer in the province of Asia.

The Riot in Ephesus

23 About that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way. 24 It began with Demetrius, a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis.[m] He kept many craftsmen busy. 25 He called them together, along with others employed in similar trades, and addressed them as follows:

“Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business. 26 But as you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t really gods at all. And he’s done this not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province! 27 Of course, I’m not just talking about the loss of public respect for our business. I’m also concerned that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its influence and that Artemis—this magnificent goddess worshiped throughout the province of Asia and all around the world—will be robbed of her great prestige!”

28 At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 Soon the whole city was filled with confusion. Everyone rushed to the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, who were Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia. 30 Paul wanted to go in, too, but the believers wouldn’t let him. 31 Some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, also sent a message to him, begging him not to risk his life by entering the amphitheater.

32 Inside, the people were all shouting, some one thing and some another. Everything was in confusion. In fact, most of them didn’t even know why they were there. 33 The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward and told him to explain the situation. He motioned for silence and tried to speak. 34 But when the crowd realized he was a Jew, they started shouting again and kept it up for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

35 At last the mayor was able to quiet them down enough to speak. “Citizens of Ephesus,” he said. “Everyone knows that Ephesus is the official guardian of the temple of the great Artemis, whose image fell down to us from heaven. 36 Since this is an undeniable fact, you should stay calm and not do anything rash. 37 You have brought these men here, but they have stolen nothing from the temple and have not spoken against our goddess.

38 “If Demetrius and the craftsmen have a case against them, the courts are in session and the officials can hear the case at once. Let them make formal charges. 39 And if there are complaints about other matters, they can be settled in a legal assembly. 40 I am afraid we are in danger of being charged with rioting by the Roman government, since there is no cause for all this commotion. And if Rome demands an explanation, we won’t know what to say.” 41 [n]Then he dismissed them, and they dispersed.

Footnotes

  1. 18:1 Athens and Corinth were major cities in Achaia, the region in the southern portion of the Greek peninsula.
  2. 18:3 Or leatherworkers.
  3. 18:17 Greek Everyone; other manuscripts read All the Greeks.
  4. 18:18 Greek brothers; also in 18:27.
  5. 18:21 Some manuscripts read “I must by all means be at Jerusalem for the upcoming festival, but I will come back later.”
  6. 18:22 Greek the church.
  7. 18:23 Greek disciples; also in 18:27.
  8. 18:25 Or with enthusiasm in the Spirit.
  9. 19:1 Greek disciples; also in 19:9, 30.
  10. 19:6 Or in other languages.
  11. 19:19 Greek 50,000 pieces of silver, each of which was the equivalent of a day’s wage.
  12. 19:21 Or decided in his spirit.
  13. 19:24 Artemis is otherwise known as Diana.
  14. 19:41 Some translations include verse 41 as part of verse 40.
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