Acts 18

King James Version

Full text for Acts Chapter 18

1¶ After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;

2And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.

3And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.

4And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

5And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews [that] Jesus [was] Christ.

6And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook [his] raiment, and said unto them, Your blood [be] upon your own heads; I [am] clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.

7¶ And he departed thence, and entered into a certain [man's] house, named Justus, [one] that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue.

8And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.

9Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, ‹Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:›

10‹For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.›

11And he continued [there] a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

12¶ And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat,

13Saying, This [fellow] persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.

14And when Paul was now about to open [his] mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O [ye] Jews, reason would that I should bear with you:

15But if it be a question of words and names, and [of] your law, look ye [to it]; for I will be no judge of such [matters].

16And he drave them from the judgment seat.

17Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat [him] before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things.

18¶ And Paul [after this] tarried [there] yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn [his] head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.

19And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.

20When they desired [him] to tarry longer time with them, he consented not;

21But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.

22And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch.

23And after he had spent some time [there], he departed, and went over [all] the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.

24¶ And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, [and] mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.

25This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.

26And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto [them], and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.

27And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:

28For he mightily convinced the Jews, [and that] publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Paul arrived in Corinth, working as a tentmaker with Aquila and Priscilla, and preached in the synagogue. Faced with Jewish opposition, he turned to the Gentiles, leading to many conversions, including Crispus. The Lord encouraged Paul in a vision to continue speaking, and he remained for eighteen months. Later, when Jews accused him before Gallio, the proconsul dismissed the charges, deeming them internal religious matters.

Medium Summary

After leaving Athens, Paul came to Corinth, where he met Aquila and Priscilla, fellow tentmakers, and resided with them. He regularly reasoned in the synagogue, persuading both Jews and Greeks. Upon the arrival of Silas and Timothy, Paul was compelled to declare Jesus as the Christ, but faced strong opposition and blasphemy from the Jews, prompting him to turn his ministry towards the Gentiles. He then moved to the house of Justus, and Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed, along with many Corinthians. The Lord appeared to Paul in a vision, assuring him of divine presence and protection, leading Paul to remain in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching God's word. When Jews later brought Paul before Gallio, the deputy of Achaia, accusing him of unlawful persuasion, Gallio refused to judge such religious disputes and dismissed the case. Paul subsequently departed, journeying through Ephesus, Caesarea, and Antioch, strengthening disciples, while Apollos, an eloquent and scripturally mighty Jew, began ministering in Ephesus, later receiving more complete instruction from Aquila and Priscilla before moving to Achaia to powerfully preach Christ.

Long Summary

Departing from Athens, Paul arrived in Corinth, where he encountered Aquila and Priscilla, Jewish tentmakers recently exiled from Rome by Claudius's decree. Sharing their craft, Paul lodged and worked with them, while also diligently reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath, persuading both Jews and Greeks. With the arrival of Silas and Timothy from Macedonia, Paul was intensely moved to testify to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. However, when met with fierce opposition and blasphemy, he dramatically shook his raiment, declaring his innocence of their blood and announcing his definitive turn to the Gentiles. Subsequently, Paul moved his base to the house of Justus, a God-worshipper whose house was adjacent to the synagogue, where Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with his entire household, and many other Corinthians also believed and were baptized. In a night vision, the Lord encouraged Paul, commanding him not to fear but to speak, promising His presence and protection, and revealing that He had many people in that city. Empowered by this divine assurance, Paul remained in Corinth for a significant period of eighteen months, teaching the word of God. Later, during Gallio's tenure as deputy of Achaia, the Jews collectively rose against Paul, bringing him to the judgment seat, accusing him of persuading men to worship God contrary to their law. Gallio, however, refused to arbitrate what he deemed matters of "words and names, and of your law," dismissing the case and driving them from the judgment seat. Following this, the Greeks seized Sosthenes, another chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat, an act Gallio disregarded. Paul then tarried a good while longer before taking leave of the brethren, sailing to Syria with Aquila and Priscilla, having shorn his head in Cenchrea due to a vow. He briefly stopped in Ephesus, reasoning in the synagogue, and promising to return if God willed, before continuing to Caesarea, saluting the church, and proceeding to Antioch. After spending some time there, he embarked on another journey, strengthening disciples throughout Galatia and Phrygia. Meanwhile, an eloquent and scripturally mighty Jew named Apollos, from Alexandria, arrived in Ephesus, having been instructed in the way of the Lord and fervent in spirit, though knowing only the baptism of John. Aquila and Priscilla, hearing him speak boldly in the synagogue, took him aside and more perfectly expounded the way of God to him. With the encouragement of the brethren, Apollos then journeyed to Achaia, where he greatly assisted believers and publicly and powerfully convinced the Jews by the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

Core Concepts

  • Paul's Ministry in CorinthPaul established a significant ministry in Corinth, initially reasoning in the synagogue, then shifting to the Gentiles, leading to many conversions and an eighteen-month stay under divine protection.
  • Divine Encouragement and ProtectionThe Lord appeared to Paul in a vision, assuring him not to be afraid, promising His presence and protection from harm, and affirming that He had "much people" in Corinth.
  • Judicial Indifference (Gallio)Gallio, the Roman deputy of Achaia, refused to judge the religious accusations brought against Paul by the Jews, declaring such matters outside his jurisdiction and demonstrating Roman policy towards internal Jewish disputes.
  • Transition to Gentile MinistryFaced with persistent opposition and blasphemy from the Jews in Corinth, Paul declared his intention to turn his focus definitively from the Jews to the Gentiles, marking a significant shift in his evangelistic strategy.
  • Apollos's Eloquence and InstructionApollos, an eloquent and scripturally mighty Jew, ministered powerfully in Ephesus, though his understanding was initially limited to John's baptism, prompting Aquila and Priscilla to provide him with more perfect instruction in the way of God.
  • Fellowship and PartnershipAquila and Priscilla are highlighted as steadfast companions and fellow workers with Paul, providing lodging, working alongside him, and later playing a crucial role in further instructing Apollos in the faith.
  • Missionary Journeys and Strengthening DisciplesThe chapter details Paul's movements, marking the conclusion of his second missionary journey and the beginning of his third, emphasizing his consistent effort to visit and strengthen the disciples in various regions.