Acts 18:1-16 ▼

1 After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife, Priscilla, because [the Roman Emperor] Claudius had issued an edict that all the Jews were to leave Rome. Paul went to see them,

3 and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them; and they worked together for they were tent-makers.

4 And he reasoned and debated in the synagogue every Sabbath, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks;

5 but when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia (northern Greece), Paul began devoting himself completely to [preaching] the word, and solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

6 But since the Jews kept resisting and opposing him, and blaspheming [God], he shook out his robe and said to them, “Your blood (damnation) be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

7 Then he moved on from there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, who worshiped God and whose house was next door to the synagogue.

8 Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his entire household [joyfully acknowledging Him as Messiah and Savior]; and many of the Corinthians who heard [Paul’s message] were believing and being baptized.

9 One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, “Do not be afraid anymore, but go on speaking and do not be silent;

10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you in order to hurt you, because I have many people in this city.”

11 So he settled there for a year and six months, teaching them the word of God [concerning eternal salvation through faith in Christ].

12 But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia (southern Greece), the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the judgment seat,

13 declaring, “This man is persuading people to worship God in violation of the law [of Moses].”

14 But when Paul was about to reply, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of some misdemeanor or serious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to put up with you;

15 but since it is merely a question [of doctrine within your religion] about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves; I am unwilling to judge these matters.”

16 And he drove them away from the judgment seat.