Book of Common Prayer

¹² When Gallio was ruler of the province of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat, ¹³ saying, This fellow counsels the people to worship God contrary to the law. ¹⁴ And as Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong, or an evil deed, O ye Jews, I should by reason hear you. ¹⁵ But if it is a question of words, or of names, or of your law, look to it yourselves. For I will be no judge in such matters. ¹⁶ And he drove them from the seat. ¹⁷ Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him outside the judge’s seat. And Gallio cared about none of these things.

¹⁸ After this, Paul remained there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren and set sail for Syria, Priscilla and Aquila accompanying him. And he shaved his head in Cenchrea, for he had made a vow. ¹⁹ And he came to Ephesus, and left Priscilla and Aquila there; but he himself entered into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. ²⁰ When they asked him to stay longer with them, he did not consent, ²¹ but bid them farewell, saying, I must be in Jerusalem at the coming feast. But I will return again to you, if God so wills. And he sailed from Ephesus, ²² and landed at Ceasarea, and ascended to Jerusalem, and briefly visited the congregation.

 And he went down to Antioch (in Syria). ²³ And when he had stayed there a while, he departed and went over all the region of Galatia and Phrygia systematically, strengthening all the disciples.

²⁴ And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, went to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, and strong in the scriptures. ²⁵ He was informed in the way of the Lord, and spoke fervently in spirit, and taught diligently the things of the Lord; but he knew only the baptism of John. ²⁶ And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him to themselves and expounded to him the way of God more perfectly. ²⁷ And when he wanted to go into Achaia, the brethren wrote exhorting the disciples to receive him. After he got there, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace. ²⁸ And with strong arguments he overcame the Jews, and that openly, showing by the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

¹⁵ And as the people were in expectation, and all musing in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ, ¹⁶ John answered and said to them all, I baptize you with water, but one stronger than I is coming after me, whose shoe latchet I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹⁷ He has his fan in his hand, and will purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his barn; but the chaff he will burn with fire that never shall be quenched.

¹⁸ And with many other exhortations, John preached to the people.

¹⁹ Then Herod the tetrarch (when he was rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils that Herod had done) ²⁰ added this above all, and shut up John in prison.

²¹ And it came to pass, as all the people were receiving baptism, and when Jesus was baptized and did pray, that heaven was opened, ²² and the Holy Spirit came down in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven saying, You are my dear Son; in you I do delight.