Acts 18:1–18

In Corinth

18After this, Paul left Athens^c and went to Corinth.^{d 2}There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla,^e because Claudius^f had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, ³and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.^{g 4}Every Sabbath^h he reasoned in the synagogue,ⁱ trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

⁵When Silas^j and Timothy^k came from Macedonia,^l Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.^{m 6}But when they opposed Paul and became abusive,ⁿ he shook out his clothes in protest^o and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads!^p I am innocent of it.^q From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”^r

⁷Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God.^{s 8}Crispus,^t the synagogue leader,^u and his entire household^v believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.

⁹One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision:^w “Do not be afraid;^x keep on speaking, do not be silent. ¹⁰For I am with you,^y and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” ¹¹So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.^z

¹²While Gallio was proconsul^a of Achaia,^b the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. ¹³“This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”

¹⁴Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. ¹⁵But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law^c—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” ¹⁶So he drove them off. ¹⁷Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes^d the synagogue leader^e and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever.

Priscilla, Aquila and Apollos

¹⁸Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters^f and sailed for Syria,^g accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila.^h Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreaeⁱ because of a vow he had taken.^j