THE RETURN TRIP TO ANTIOCH

18 After staying for some time, Paul said farewell to the brothers and sisters and sailed away to Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his head at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken.d 19 When they reached Ephesuse he left them there, but he himself entered the synagogue and debated with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he declined, 21 but he said farewell and added,B “I’ll come back to you again, if God wills.”f Then he set sail from Ephesus.

22 On landing at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church, then went down to Antioch.g

23 After spending some time there, he set out, traveling through one place after another in the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.h

THE ELOQUENT APOLLOS

24 Now a Jew named Apollos,i a native Alexandrian, an eloquent man who was competent in the use of the Scriptures, arrived in Ephesus. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit,C he was speaking and teaching accurately about Jesus, although he knew only John’s baptism.j 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. After Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him asideD and explained the way of God to him more accurately.k 27 When he wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers and sisters wrote to the disciples to welcome him. After he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed.l 28 For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating through the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.m

TWELVE DISCIPLES OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

19 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions and came to Ephesus. He found some disciplesn 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”o

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

3 “Into what then were you baptized?” he asked them.

“Into John’s baptism,” they replied.q

4 Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance,r telling the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Jesus.”s

5 When they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands ont them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in tonguesE and to prophesy.u 7 Now there were about twelve men in all.

IN THE LECTURE HALL OF TYRANNUS

8 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly over a period of three months, arguing and persuading them about the kingdom of God.v 9 But when some became hardened and would not believe, slandering the Way in front of the crowd, he withdrew from them, taking the disciples, and conducted discussions every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.w 10 This went on for two years, so that all the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks,x heard the word of the Lord.y

DEMONISM DEFEATED AT EPHESUS

11 God was performing extraordinary miracles by Paul’s hands, 12 so that even facecloths or apronsF that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them.z

13 Now some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists also attempted to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I command you by the Jesus that Paul preaches!”aa 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this. 15 The evil spirit answered them, “I know Jesus, and I recognize Paul—but who are you?” 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them, overpowered them all, and prevailed against them, so that they ran out of that house naked and wounded. 17 When this became known to everyone who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, they became afraid, and the name of the Lord Jesusa was held in high esteem.b

18 And many who had become believers came confessing and disclosing their practices, 19 while many of those who had practiced magicc collected their books and burned them in front of everyone. So they calculated their value and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 In this way the word of the Lord spread and prevailed.d

THE RIOT IN EPHESUS

21 After these events, Paul resolved by the SpiritA to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem. “After I’ve been there,” he said, “It is necessary for me to see Rome as well.”e 22 After sending to Macedonia two of those who assisted him, Timothy and Erastus,f he himself stayed in Asia for a while.g