Acts 18–19

Paul, Silas, and Timothy in Corinth

18After these things he departed from Athens and^* went to Corinth. ²And he found a certain Jew named^a Aquila, a native^b of Pontus who had arrived recently from Italy along with^c Priscilla his wife, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to depart from Rome, and^* he went to them. ³And because he was practicing the same trade, he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. ⁴And he argued in the synagogue every Sabbath, attempting to persuade^* both Jews and Greeks.

⁵Now when both Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began to be occupied with^* the message, solemnly testifying to the Jews that the Christ^d was Jesus. ⁶And when^* they resisted and reviled him,^* he shook out his^* clothes and^* said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am guiltless! From now on I will go to the Gentiles!” ⁷And leaving there, he entered into the house of someone named^e Titius Justus, a worshiper^f of God whose house was next door to the synagogue. ⁸And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his whole household. And many of the Corinthians, when they^* heard about it,^* believed and were baptized. ⁹And the Lord said to Paul by a vision in the night, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not keep silent, ¹⁰because I am with you and no one will attack you to harm you, because many people are mine in this city.” ¹¹So he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

Paul Accused Before the Proconsul Gallio

¹²Now when^* Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews rose up with one purpose against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, ¹³saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law!” ¹⁴But when^* Paul was about to open his^* mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it was some crime or wicked villainy, O Jews, I would have been justified in accepting^g your complaint. ¹⁵But if it is questions concerning a word and names and your own law,^h see to it^* yourselves! I do not wish to be a judge of these things.” ¹⁶And he drove them away from the judgment seat. ¹⁷So they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and^* began beating^* him^* in front of the judgment seat. And none of these things was a concern to Gallio.

Paul Returns to Antioch in Syria

¹⁸So Paul, after^* remaining many days longer, said farewell to the brothers and^* sailed away to Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his^* head at Cenchrea, because he had taken a vow.¹⁹So they arrived at Ephesus, and those he left behind there, but he himself entered into the synagogue and^* discussed with the Jews. ²⁰And when^* they asked him^* to stay for a longer time, he did not give his consent, ²¹but saying farewell and telling them,^* “I will return to you again if^* God wills,” he set sail from Ephesus.

²²And when he^* arrived at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and^* went down to Antioch. ²³And after^* spending some time there, he departed, traveling through one place after another in the Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

The Early Ministry of Apollos

²⁴Now a certain Jew namedⁱ Apollos, a native^j Alexandrian, arrived in Ephesus—an eloquent man who was well-versed in the scriptures. ²⁵This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and being enthusiastic in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things about Jesus, although he^* knew only the baptism of John. ²⁶And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when^* Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the way of God to him more accurately. ²⁷And when^* he wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him^* and^* wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he^* arrived, he^k assisted greatly those who had believed through grace. ²⁸For he was vigorously refuting the Jews in public, demonstrating through the scriptures that the Christ^l was Jesus.

Paul Finds Disciples of John the Baptist in Ephesus

19And it happened that while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the inland regions and^* came^a to Ephesus and found some disciples. ²And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you^* believed?” And they said to him, “But we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit!” ³And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into the baptism of John.” ⁴And Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people that they should believe in the one who was to come after him—that is, in Jesus.” ⁵And when they^* heard this,^* they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶And when^* Paul laid hands^b on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them and they began to speak^* in tongues and to prophesy. ⁷(Now the total number of men was about twelve.)

⁸So he entered into the synagogue and^* was speaking boldly for three months, discussing and attempting to convince^c them^* concerning^d the kingdom of God. ⁹But when some became hardened and were disobedient, reviling the Way before the congregation, he departed from them and^* took away the disciples, leading discussions every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. ¹⁰And this took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia^e heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

Would-be Exorcists

¹¹And God was performing extraordinary^f miracles by the hands of Paul, ¹²so that even handkerchiefs or work aprons that had touched his skin^g were carried away to those who were sick, and their^* diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.^{* 13}But some itinerant Jewish exorcists also attempted to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches!” ¹⁴(Now seven sons of a certain Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.) ¹⁵But the evil spirit answered and^* said to them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I am acquainted with, but who are you?” ¹⁶And the man who had the evil spirit^h leaped on them, subdued all of them, and^* prevailed against them, so that they ran away from that house naked and wounded. ¹⁷And this became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, and fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was exalted. ¹⁸And many of those who had believed came, confessing and disclosing their practices, ¹⁹and many of those who practiced magic brought together their^* books and^* burned them^* up in the sight of everyone. And they counted up their value and found it was fifty thousand silver coins.^{i 20}In this way the word of the Lord was growing in power and was prevailing.

A Major Riot in Ephesus

²¹Now when these things were completed, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, “After I have been there, it is necessary for me to see Rome also.” ²²So after^* sending two of those who were assisting him, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, he himself stayed some time in Asia.^j

²³Now there happened at that time no little disturbance concerning the Way. ²⁴For someone named^k Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver replicas of the temple of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen. ²⁵These^l he gathered together, and the workers occupied with such things, and^* said, “Men, you know that from this business we get our prosperity,^{m 26}and you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asiaⁿ this man Paul has persuaded and^* turned away a large crowd by^* saying that the gods made by hands are not gods. ²⁷So not only is there a danger this line of business of ours will come into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be regarded as nothing—and she is about to be brought down even from her grandeur, she whom the whole of Asia^o and the entire world worship!”

²⁸And when they^* heard this^* and became full of rage, they began to shout,^* saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” ²⁹And the city was filled with the tumult, and with one purpose they rushed into the theater, seizing Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were traveling companions of Paul. ³⁰But when^* Paul wanted to enter into the popular assembly, the disciples would not let him. ³¹And even some of the Asiarchs^p who were his friends sent word^* to him and^* were urging him^* not to risk himself by going into the theater. ³²So some were shouting one thing^* and some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and the majority did not know why^q they had assembled. ³³And some of the crowd advised^r Alexander, when^* the Jews put him forward. But Alexander, motioning with his^* hand, was wanting to defend himself to the popular assembly. ³⁴But when they^* recognized that he was a Jew, they were shouting with one voice from all of them for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” ³⁵And when^* the city secretary had quieted the crowd, he said, “Ephesian men, for who is there among men who does not know the Ephesian city is honorary temple keeper of the great Artemis and of her^* image fallen from heaven? ³⁶Therefore because^* these things are undeniable, it is necessary that you be quiet and do nothing rash! ³⁷For you have brought these men here who are neither temple robbers nor blasphemers of our goddess. ³⁸If then Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against anyone, the court days are observed and there are proconsuls—let them bring charges against one another! ³⁹But if you desire anything further, it will be settled in the lawful assembly. ⁴⁰For indeed we are in danger of being accused of rioting concerning today, since there^* is no cause in relation to which we will be able to give an account concerning this disorderly gathering!” And when he^* had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.^s