Acts 18:1–28

¹ After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. ² There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to visit them, ³ and he stayed and worked with them because they were tentmakers by trade, just as he was. ⁴ Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks alike. ⁵ And when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself fully to the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. ⁶ But when they opposed and insulted him, he shook out his garments and told them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” ⁷ So Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titus Justus, a worshiper of God. ⁸ Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his whole household believed in the Lord. And many of the Corinthians who heard the message believed and were baptized. ⁹ One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking; do not be silent. ¹⁰ For I am with you and no one will lay a hand on you, because I have many people in this city.” ¹¹ So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching the word of God among the Corinthians. ¹² While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews coordinated an attack on Paul and brought him before the judgment seat. ¹³ “This man is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law,” they said. ¹⁴ But just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio told the Jews, “If this matter involved a wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to hear your complaint. ¹⁵ But since it is a dispute about words and names and your own law, settle it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of such things.” ¹⁶ And he drove them away from the judgment seat. ¹⁷ At this, the crowd seized Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the judgment seat. But none of this was of concern to Gallio. ¹⁸ Paul remained in Corinth for quite some time before saying goodbye to the brothers. He had his head shaved in Cenchrea to keep a vow he had made, and then he sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. ¹⁹ When they reached Ephesus, Paul parted ways with Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue there and reasoned with the Jews. ²⁰ When they asked him to stay for a while longer, he declined. ²¹ But as he left, he said, “I will come back to you if God is willing.” And he set sail from Ephesus. ²² When Paul had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church at Jerusalem. Then he went down to Antioch. ²³ After Paul had spe…