Acts 18:1–18

Founding the Corinthian Church

18After this, he ^wleft Athens and went to Corinth, ^x2where he found a Jewish man named Aquila, ^ya native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius ^zhad ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul came to them, ³and being of the same occupation, stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers ^aby trade. ^b4He reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and tried to persuade both Jews and Greeks. ^c

⁵When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with preaching the message ^dand solemnly testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah. ^e6But when they resisted and blasphemed, ^fhe shook his robe ^ghand told them, “Your blood is on your own heads! ⁱI am innocent. ^jFrom now on I will go to the Gentiles.” ^k7So he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. ⁸Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed the Lord, along with his whole household. ^lMany of the Corinthians, when they heard, believed and were baptized.

⁹Then the Lord said to Paul in a night vision, “Don’t be afraid, but keep on speaking and don’t be silent. ¹⁰For I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to hurt you, because I have many people in this city.” ^m11And he stayed there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

¹²While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack against Paul and brought him to the judge’s bench. ⁿ¹³“This man,” they said, “persuades people to worship God contrary to the law!”

¹⁴As Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of a crime or of moral evil, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you Jews. ¹⁵But if these are questions about words, names, and your own law, see to it yourselves. I don’t want to be a judge of such things.” ^o16So he drove them from the judge’s bench. ¹⁷Then they all ^pseized Sosthenes, ^qthe leader of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the judge’s bench. But none of these things concerned Gallio.

The Return Trip to Antioch

¹⁸So Paul, having stayed on for many days, said good-bye to the brothers and sailed away to Syria. Priscilla and Aquila were with him. He shaved his head at Cenchreae because he had taken a vow. ^r