Book of Common Prayer
At Corinth Paul is yet again rejected by the Jews
18 1-6 Before long Paul left Athens and went on to Corinth where he found a Jew called Aquila, a native of Pontus. This man had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had issued a decree that all Jews should leave Rome. He went to see them in their house and because they practised the same trade as himself he stayed with them. They all worked together, for their trade was tent-making. Every Sabbath Paul used to speak in the synagogue trying to persuade both Jews and Greeks. By the time Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia Paul was completely absorbed in preaching the message, showing the Jews as clearly as he could that Jesus is Christ. However, when they turned against him and abused him he shook his garments at them, and said, “Your blood be on your heads! From now on I go with a perfectly clear conscience to the Gentiles.”
7-8 Then he left them and went to the house of a man called Titius Justus, a man who reverenced God and whose house was next door to the synagogue. Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, became a believer in the Lord, with all his household, and many of the Corinthians who heard the message believed and were baptised. Then one night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision.
9-10 “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and let no one silence you, for I myself am with you and no man shall lift a finger to harm you. There are many in this city who belong to me.”
11 So Paul settled down there for eighteen months and taught them God’s message.
Jesus refuses to give a sign
11-12 Now the Pharisees came out and began an argument with him, wanting a sign from Heaven. Jesus gave a deep sigh, and then said, “What makes this generation want a sign? I can tell you this, they will certainly not be given one!”
13 Then he left them and got aboard the boat again, and crossed the lake.
14-20 The disciples had forgotten to take any food and had only one loaf with them in the boat. Jesus spoke seriously to them, “Keep your eyes open! Be on your guard against the ‘yeast’ of the Pharisees and the ‘yeast’ of Herod!” And this sent them into an earnest consultation among themselves because they had brought no bread. Jesus knew it and said to them, “Why all this discussion about bringing no bread? Don’t you understand or grasp what I say even yet? Are you like the people who ‘having eyes, do not see, and having ears, do not hear’? Have your forgotten—when I broke five loaves for five thousand people, how many baskets full of pieces did you pick up?” “Twelve,” they replied. “And then there were seven loaves for four thousand people, how many baskets of pieces did you pick up?” “Seven,” they said.
21 “And does that still mean nothing to you?” he said.
The New Testament in Modern English by J.B Phillips copyright © 1960, 1972 J. B. Phillips. Administered by The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England. Used by Permission.