Acts 17:10–19:20
10 Now the brothers sent away both Paul and Silas at once, during the night, to Berea. ⌊They⌋e went into the synagogue of the Jews when they* arrived. 11 Now these were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica. ⌊They⌋f accepted the message with all eagerness, examining the scriptures every day to see if these things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed, and not a few of the prominent Greek women and men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica found out that the message of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there too, inciting and stirring up the crowds. 14 So then the brothers sent Paul away at once to go to the sea, and both Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 And those who conducted Paul brought him* as far as Athens, and after* receiving an order for Silas and Timothy that they should come to him as soon as possible, they went away.
16 Now while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he* observed the city was full of idols. 17 So he was discussing in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles,* and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 And even some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him, and some were saying, “What does this babbler want to say?” But others said,* “He appears to be a proclaimer of foreign deities,” because he was proclaiming the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took hold of him and* brought him* to the Areopagus, saying, “May we learn what is this new teaching being proclaimed by you? 20 For you are bringing some astonishing things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what ⌊these things mean⌋.”g 21 (Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who stayed there used to spend their time in nothing else than telling something or listening to something new.)
22 So Paul stood there in the middle of the Areopagus and* said, “Men of Athens, I see you are very religious ⌊in every respect⌋.h 23 For as I* was passing through and observing carefully your objects of worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, ‘To an unknown God.’ Therefore what you worship without knowing it,* this I proclaim to you—24 the God who made the world and all the things in it. This one, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, 25 nor is he served by human hands as if he* needed anything, because* he himself gives to everyone life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of humanity to live on all the face of the earth, determining their fixed times and the fixed boundaries of their habitation, 27 to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find him.* And indeed he is not far away from each one of us, 28 for in him we live and move and exist,i as even some of ⌊your own⌋j poets have said: ‘For we also are ⌊his⌋k offspring.’l 29 Therefore, because we* are offspring of God, we ought not to think the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and thought. 30 Therefore although* God has overlooked the times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man who he has appointed, having provided proof to everyone by* raising him from the dead.” 32 Now when they* heard about the resurrection of the dead, some scoffed, but others said, “We will hear you about this again also.” 33 So Paul went out from the midst of them. 34 But some people* joined him and* believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman ⌊named⌋m Damaris and others with them.
Paul, Silas, and Timothy in Corinth
18 After these things he departed from Athens and* went to Corinth. 2 And 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. 3 And because he was practicing the same trade, he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. 4 And he argued in the synagogue every Sabbath, attempting to persuade* both Jews and Greeks.
5 Now when both Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began to be occupied with* the message, solemnly testifying to the Jews that the Christd was Jesus. 6 And 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!” 7 And leaving there, he entered into the house of someone ⌊named⌋e Titius Justus, a worshiperf of God whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8 And 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. 9 And the Lord said to Paul by a vision in the night, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not keep silent, 10 because I am with you and no one will attack you to harm you, because many people are mine in this city.” 11 So he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
Paul Accused Before the Proconsul Gallio
12 Now when* Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews rose up with one purpose against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, 13 saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law!” 14 But 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. 15 But 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.” 16 And he drove them away from the judgment seat. 17 So 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
18 So 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.19 So they arrived at Ephesus, and those he left behind there, but he himself entered into the synagogue and* discussed with the Jews. 20 And when* they asked him* to stay for a longer time, he did not give his consent, 21 but saying farewell and telling them,* “I will return to you again if* God wills,” he set sail from Ephesus.
22 And when he* arrived at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and* went down to Antioch. 23 And after* spending some time there, he departed, traveling through one place after another in the Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
24 Now a certain Jew ⌊named⌋i Apollos, ⌊a native⌋j Alexandrian, arrived in Ephesus—an eloquent man who was well-versed in the scriptures. 25 This 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. 26 And 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. 27 And 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. 28 For he was vigorously refuting the Jews in public, demonstrating through the scriptures that the Christl was Jesus.
Paul Finds Disciples of John the Baptist in Ephesus
19 And it happened that while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the inland regions and* camea to Ephesus and found some disciples. 2 And 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!” 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into the baptism of John.” 4 And 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.” 5 And when they* heard this,* they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when* Paul laid handsb 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.)
8 So he entered into the synagogue and* was speaking boldly for three months, discussing and attempting to convincec them* concerningd the kingdom of God. 9 But 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. 10 And this took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asiae heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
11 And God was performing ⌊extraordinary⌋f miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so 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.) 15 But the evil spirit answered and* said to them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I am acquainted with, but who are you?” 16 And 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. 17 And this became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, and fear fell upon