Acts 18:8-28

⁸Crispus, the synagogue leader, came to believe in the Lord, and so did all his household; and many of the Corinthians, as they listened to Paul, became believers in Christ and were baptised.

⁹One night the Lord said to Paul, in a vision, “Have no fear, but continue to speak, and refuse to be silenced;

¹⁰for I am with you, and no one will do you harm, for I have many people in this city.”

¹¹So he settled there for a year and a half, and taught God's message amongst the people.

¹²While Gallio was governor of Greece, some of the Jewish leaders made a combined attack on Paul, and brought him before the Governor's Bench,

¹³charging him with persuading people to worship God in a way forbidden by the Law.

¹⁴Just as Paul was on the point of speaking, Gallio said to them, “If this were a case of misdemeanor or some serious crime, there would be some reason for my listening patiently to you;

¹⁵but, since it is a dispute about words, and names, and your own Law, you must see to it yourselves. I do not choose to be a judge in such matters.”

¹⁶Saying this, he drove them back from the Bench.

¹⁷Then they all set on Sosthenes, the synagogue leader, and beat him in front of the Bench, but Gallio did not trouble himself about any of these things.

¹⁸Paul remained there some time after this, and then took leave of the followers, and sailed to Syria with Priscilla and Aquila, but not before his head had been shaved at Cenchreae, because he was under a vow.

¹⁹They put into Ephesus, and there Paul, leaving his companions, went into the synagogue and addressed the Jews.

²⁰When they asked him to prolong his stay, he declined, saying however,

²¹as he took his leave, “I will come back again to you, please God,” and then set sail from Ephesus.

²²On reaching Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and exchanged greetings with the church, and then went down to Antioch.

²³After making some stay in Antioch, he set out on a tour through the Phrygian district of Galatia, strengthening the faith of all the disciples as he went.

²⁴Meanwhile there had come to Ephesus an Alexandrian Jew, named Apollos, an eloquent man, who was well-versed in the scriptures.

²⁵He had been well-instructed in the Way of the Lord, and with burning zeal he spoke of, and taught carefully, the facts about Jesus, though he knew of no baptism but John's.

²⁶This man began to speak out fearlessly in the synagogue; and when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him home and explained the Way of God to him more carefully still.

²⁷When he wanted to cross to Greece, the followers furthered his plans, and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On his arrival he proved of great assistance to those who had, through the loving kindness of God, become believers in Christ,

²⁸for he vigorously confuted the Jews, publicly proving by the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.