OET-RV ACTs Chapter 18

18 After this, Paul left Athens and travelled to Corinth. 2 There he came across a Jew named Aquila who had been born in Pontus but who had recently moved from Italy along with his wife Priscilla because Emperor Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. So Paul approached them, 3 and since they worked in the same trade, he ended up staying with them and they worked together in their craft of tent-making. 4 On every Rest Day, Paul debated in the Jewish meeting hall, and was persuading both Jews and Greeks.

5 However when Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was able to devote his full time to the message—demonstrating to the Jews that Yeshua is the promised messiah. 6 But when they opposed the message and made false accusations, he publicly brushed the dust off his clothes[fn] and said, “Your future deaths are your own problem. I’m innocent of your guilt. From now on, I’ll going to the non-Jews.” 7 So Paul left there, and went to stay at the house of a man named Titos Justus who worshipped God and whose house was next-door to the meeting hall. 8 Krispo the meeting hall leader and all his household decided to follow the master, and many of the Corinthians believed after they heard the message and were immersed.

9 Then the master spoke to Paul one night in a vision, “Don’t be afraid and stay silent, but keep speaking out 10 because I am with you and no one can mistreat you here because there are many of my people in this city.” 11 So Paul stayed on for eighteen months, teaching God’s message to the people there.

12 Then at the time when Gallio was the proconsul of Achaia, the Jews united against Paul and brought a case to the tribunal against him 13 saying, “This man is going against the law by persuading people to be worshipping his God.”

14 But as Paul opening his mouth to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, “I would have accepted this charge if it was a serious wrong or evil crime and would have listened to you Jews. 15 However, since it’s a question about a message and names and your own law, you all can see to it yourselves because I don’t want to get involved in judging things like that.” 16 So he sent them away from the tribunal, 17 but they grabbed Sosthenes, the leader from the meeting hall, and beat him up right there in front of the tribunal. But Gallio took action to stop them.

18 Paul stayed on for quite a few days after that, then he farewelled the believers and went to Cenchrea where he had his hair cut as was the custom for someone making a vow. Then taking Priscilla and Aquila with him, he sailed towards Syria. 19 When they arrived at Ephesus, he left the other two there while he went into the Jewish meeting hall and had a discussion with the Jews there. 20 They asked him to remain longer, but he turned them down 21 although as he gave his farewells, he said, “I’ll come back here again if God wills it,” then he sailed on from Ephesus.

22 When he landed at Caesarea, he went to Yerusalem and greeted the assembly there before continuing on to Antioch. 23 He stayed there for some time before travelling through the regions of Galatia and Phrygia strengthening the faith of the believers through his teaching.

24 Meanwhile a Jewish man named Apollos (who had been born in the city of Alexandria) arrived in Ephesus. He knew the Hebrew scriptures well 25 and had been taught about the master’s way. Being a very enthusiastic person, he started teaching about Yeshua, even though he didn’t know about being filled with the spirit.[ref] 26 So Apollos started speaking out boldly in the Jewish meeting hall. Priscilla and Aquila listened to him, then asked to speak with him privately and explained God’s way more accurately. 27 Now Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, so the believers encouraged him and sent a letter ahead of him to tell the believers there to welcome him, so when he arrived there, he was able to contribute a lot to those who through God’s grace had also become believers. 28 Apollos was also able to thoroughly refute the arguments of the Jews and used the scriptures to show that Yeshua is the messiah.