Book of Common Prayer

²⁴ A Jew came to Ephesus. His name was Apollos. He was born in Alexandria. He spoke with power and was able to explain the holy writings well.

²⁵ This man had been taught the way of the Lord. He was strong in spirit as he talked to people. What he taught them about the Lord was true. But he knew only about the baptism of John.

²⁶ He began to speak without fear in the meeting place. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him to their house. They explained the way of God so that he knew more about it.

²⁷ Apollos decided to go into Achaia. The Christian brothers wrote to the disciples there and asked them to receive him. When he reached Achaia, he helped very much those who believed. They believed because God was kind to them.

²⁸ He talked strongly with the Jews before the people. He proved to them from the holy writings that Jesus is the Christ.

19 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul went over land and came to the city of Ephesus. There he met some disciples.

² Paul asked them, `Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' They said, `No. We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.'

³ Paul asked them, `How were you baptised?' They said, `We were baptised in John's way.'

⁴ Then Paul said, `John baptised people when they stopped their wrong ways. He told people that they should believe on the one who would follow him. That one is Jesus.'

⁵ When they heard this, they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus.

⁶ Paul put his hands on them. Then the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke in tongues of other lang-uages and spoke words from God.

⁷ In all, there were about twelve men.

²⁵ A man who taught God's law stood up and asked Jesus a question to try him out. `Teacher,' he said. `What must I do so that I will live for ever?'

²⁶ Jesus said to him, `What does the law say? What do you read there?'

²⁷ The man answered, `You must love the Lord your God with all your heart. Love him with all your soul. Love him with all your power, and love him with all your mind. And you must love your neighbour as you love yourself.'

²⁸ Jesus said, `That is the right answer. Do that and you will live for ever.'

²⁹ But the man wanted to prove that he was all right. So he said to Jesus, `Who is my neighbour?'

³⁰ Jesus answered, `A man was going from Jerusalem to Jericho. Bad men caught him on the road. They took his clothes and beat him. Then they went away and left him half dead.

³¹ A priest happened to be going down that road. He saw the man but he passed by on the other side of the road.

³² `A man who worked in the temple came along to that place also. He saw the man but he passed by on the other side.

³³ `A man from the country of Samaria was going on that road also, and came to the place. He saw the man and wanted to share in his troubles.

³⁴ He went to him and tied up the sores he had from the beating. He washed them with oil and wine. Then he lifted the man up and set him on his own animal to ride. He took him to the house for strangers. And he cared for him.

³⁵ `The next day he gave two pieces of money to the man who was in charge of the house for strangers. He said, "Take care of this man. If it costs you more than this, I will pay you when I come back.'' '

³⁶ Jesus said to the teacher of the law, `What do you think? Which of these three was a neighbour to the man who was caught by the bad men?'

³⁷ He said, `The man who was kind to him.' Jesus said, `Go and do as he did.'