Information Retrieved -> Acts 13 - 18(NLT)

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Acts 13 1 Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon (called "the black man" ), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas ), and Saul.
Acts 13 2 One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Dedicate Barnabas and Saul for the special work I have for them."
Acts 13 3 So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.
Acts 13 4 Sent out by the Holy Spirit, Saul and Barnabas went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus.
Acts 13 5 There, in the town of Salamis, they went to the Jewish synagogues and preached the word of God. (John Mark went with them as their assistant.)
Acts 13 6 Afterward they preached from town to town across the entire island until finally they reached Paphos, where they met a Jewish sorcerer, a false prophet named Bar-Jesus.
Acts 13 7 He had attached himself to the governor, Sergius Paulus, a man of considerable insight and understanding. The governor invited Barnabas and Saul to visit him, for he wanted to hear the word of God.
Acts 13 8 But Elymas, the sorcerer (as his name means in Greek), interfered and urged the governor to pay no attention to what Saul and Barnabas said. He was trying to turn the governor away from the Christian faith.
Acts 13 9 Then Saul, also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked the sorcerer in the eye and said,
Acts 13 10 "You son of the Devil, full of every sort of trickery and villainy, enemy of all that is good, will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord?
Acts 13 11 And now the Lord has laid his hand of punishment upon you, and you will be stricken awhile with blindness." Instantly mist and darkness fell upon him, and he began wandering around begging for someone to take his hand and lead him.
Acts 13 12 When the governor saw what had happened, he believed and was astonished at what he learned about the Lord.
Acts 13 13 Now Paul and those with him left Paphos by ship for Pamphylia, landing at the port town of Perga. There John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem.
Acts 13 14 But Barnabas and Paul traveled inland to Antioch of Pisidia. On the Sabbath they went to the synagogue for the services.
Acts 13 15 After the usual readings from the books of Moses and from the Prophets, those in charge of the service sent them this message: "Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for us, come and give it!"
Acts 13 16 So Paul stood, lifted his hand to quiet them, and started speaking. "People of Israel," he said, "and you devout Gentiles who fear the God of Israel, listen to me.
Acts 13 17 "The God of this nation of Israel chose our ancestors and made them prosper in Egypt. Then he powerfully led them out of their slavery.
Acts 13 18 He put up with them through forty years of wandering around in the wilderness.
Acts 13 19 Then he destroyed seven nations in Canaan and gave their land to Israel as an inheritance.
Acts 13 20 All this took about 450 years. After that, judges ruled until the time of Samuel the prophet.
Acts 13 21 Then the people begged for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years.
Acts 13 22 But God removed him from the kingship and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, 'David son of Jesse is a man after my own heart, for he will do everything I want him to.'
Acts 13 23 "And it is one of King David's descendants, Jesus, who is God's promised Savior of Israel!
Acts 13 24 But before he came, John the Baptist preached the need for everyone in Israel to turn from sin and turn to God and be baptized.
Acts 13 25 As John was finishing his ministry he asked, 'Do you think I am the Messiah? No! But he is coming soon--and I am not even worthy to be his slave. '
Acts 13 26 "Brothers--you sons of Abraham, and also all of you devout Gentiles who fear the God of Israel--this salvation is for us!
Acts 13 27 The people in Jerusalem and their leaders fulfilled prophecy by condemning Jesus to death. They didn't recognize him or realize that he is the one the prophets had written about, though they hear the prophets' words read every Sabbath.
Acts 13 28 They found no just cause to execute him, but they asked Pilate to have him killed anyway.
Acts 13 29 "When they had fulfilled all the prophecies concerning his death, they took him down from the cross and placed him in a tomb.
Acts 13 30 But God raised him from the dead!
Acts 13 31 And he appeared over a period of many days to those who had gone with him from Galilee to Jerusalem--these are his witnesses to the people of Israel.
Acts 13 32 "And now Barnabas and I are here to bring you this Good News. God's promise to our ancestors has come true in our own time,
Acts 13 33 in that God raised Jesus. This is what the second psalm is talking about when it says concerning Jesus, 'You are my Son. Today I have become your Father. '
Acts 13 34 For God had promised to raise him from the dead, never again to die. This is stated in the Scripture that says, 'I will give you the sacred blessings I promised to David.'
Acts 13 35 Another psalm explains more fully, saying, 'You will not allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.'
Acts 13 36 Now this is not a reference to David, for after David had served his generation according to the will of God, he died and was buried, and his body decayed.
Acts 13 37 No, it was a reference to someone else--someone whom God raised and whose body did not decay.
Acts 13 38 "Brothers, listen! In this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins.
Acts 13 39 Everyone who believes in him is freed from all guilt and declared right with God--something the Jewish law could never do.
Acts 13 40 Be careful! Don't let the prophets' words apply to you. For they said,
Acts 13 41 'Look, you mockers, be amazed and die! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn't believe even if someone told you about it.'"
Acts 13 42 As Paul and Barnabas left the synagogue that day, the people asked them to return again and speak about these things the next week.
Acts 13 43 Many Jews and godly converts to Judaism who worshiped at the synagogue followed Paul and Barnabas, and the two men urged them, "By God's grace, remain faithful."
Acts 13 44 The following week almost the entire city turned out to hear them preach the word of the Lord.
Acts 13 45 But when the Jewish leaders saw the crowds, they were jealous; so they slandered Paul and argued against whatever he said.
Acts 13 46 Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, "It was necessary that this Good News from God be given first to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life--well, we will offer it to Gentiles.
Acts 13 47 For this is as the Lord commanded us when he said, 'I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.'"
Acts 13 48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were appointed to eternal life became believers.
Acts 13 49 So the Lord's message spread throughout that region.
Acts 13 50 Then the Jewish leaders stirred up both the influential religious women and the leaders of the city, and they incited a mob against Paul and Barnabas and ran them out of town.
Acts 13 51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them and went to the city of Iconium.
Acts 13 52 And the believers were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 14 1 In Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went together to the synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Gentiles believed.
Acts 14 2 But the Jews who spurned God's message stirred up distrust among the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas, saying all sorts of evil things about them.
Acts 14 3 The apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. The Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders.
Acts 14 4 But the people of the city were divided in their opinion about them. Some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles.
Acts 14 5 A mob of Gentiles and Jews, along with their leaders, decided to attack and stone them.
Acts 14 6 When the apostles learned of it, they fled for their lives. They went to the region of Lycaonia, to the cities of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding area,
Acts 14 7 and they preached the Good News there.
Acts 14 8 While they were at Lystra, Paul and Barnabas came upon a man with crippled feet. He had been that way from birth, so he had never walked.
Acts 14 9 He was listening as Paul preached, and Paul noticed him and realized he had faith to be healed.
Acts 14 10 So Paul called to him in a loud voice, "Stand up!" And the man jumped to his feet and started walking.
Acts 14 11 When the listening crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in their local dialect, "These men are gods in human bodies!"
Acts 14 12 They decided that Barnabas was the Greek god Zeus and that Paul, because he was the chief speaker, was Hermes.
Acts 14 13 The temple of Zeus was located on the outskirts of the city. The priest of the temple and the crowd brought oxen and wreaths of flowers, and they prepared to sacrifice to the apostles at the city gates.
Acts 14 14 But when Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening, they tore their clothing in dismay and ran out among the people, shouting,
Acts 14 15 "Friends, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings like yourselves! We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them.
Acts 14 16 In earlier days he permitted all the nations to go their own ways,
Acts 14 17 but he never left himself without a witness. There were always his reminders, such as sending you rain and good crops and giving you food and joyful hearts."
Acts 14 18 But even so, Paul and Barnabas could scarcely restrain the people from sacrificing to them.
Acts 14 19 Now some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and turned the crowds into a murderous mob. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, apparently dead.
Acts 14 20 But as the believers stood around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.
Acts 14 21 After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned again to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia,
Acts 14 22 where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that they must enter into the Kingdom of God through many tribulations.
Acts 14 23 Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church and prayed for them with fasting, turning them over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had come to trust.
Acts 14 24 Then they traveled back through Pisidia to Pamphylia.
Acts 14 25 They preached again in Perga, then went on to Attalia.
Acts 14 26 Finally, they returned by ship to Antioch of Syria, where their journey had begun and where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed.
Acts 14 27 Upon arriving in Antioch, they called the church together and reported about their trip, telling all that God had done and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, too.
Acts 14 28 And they stayed there with the believers in Antioch for a long time.
Acts 15 1 While Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch of Syria, some men from Judea arrived and began to teach the Christians: "Unless you keep the ancient Jewish custom of circumcision taught by Moses, you cannot be saved."
Acts 15 2 Paul and Barnabas, disagreeing with them, argued forcefully and at length. Finally, Paul and Barnabas were sent to Jerusalem, accompanied by some local believers, to talk to the apostles and elders about this question.
Acts 15 3 The church sent the delegates to Jerusalem, and they stopped along the way in Phoenicia and Samaria to visit the believers. They told them--much to everyone's joy--that the Gentiles, too, were being converted.
Acts 15 4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas were welcomed by the whole church, including the apostles and elders. They reported on what God had been doing through their ministry.
Acts 15 5 But then some of the men who had been Pharisees before their conversion stood up and declared that all Gentile converts must be circumcised and be required to follow the law of Moses.
Acts 15 6 So the apostles and church elders got together to decide this question.
Acts 15 7 At the meeting, after a long discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as follows: "Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News and believe.
Acts 15 8 God, who knows people's hearts, confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he gave him to us.
Acts 15 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he also cleansed their hearts through faith.
Acts 15 10 Why are you now questioning God's way by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear?
Acts 15 11 We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the special favor of the Lord Jesus."
Acts 15 12 There was no further discussion, and everyone listened as Barnabas and Paul told about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.
Acts 15 13 When they had finished, James stood and said, "Brothers, listen to me.
Acts 15 14 Peter has told you about the time God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for himself.
Acts 15 15 And this conversion of Gentiles agrees with what the prophets predicted. For instance, it is written:
Acts 15 16 'Afterward I will return, and I will restore the fallen kingdom of David. From the ruins I will rebuild it, and I will restore it,
Acts 15 17 so that the rest of humanity might find the Lord, including the Gentiles--all those I have called to be mine. This is what the Lord says,
Acts 15 18 he who made these things known long ago.'
Acts 15 19 And so my judgment is that we should stop troubling the Gentiles who turn to God,
Acts 15 20 except that we should write to them and tell them to abstain from eating meat sacrificed to idols, from sexual immorality, and from consuming blood or eating the meat of strangled animals.
Acts 15 21 For these laws of Moses have been preached in Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath for many generations."
Acts 15 22 Then the apostles and elders and the whole church in Jerusalem chose delegates, and they sent them to Antioch of Syria with Paul and Barnabas to report on this decision. The men chosen were two of the church leaders--Judas (also called Barsabbas) and Silas.
Acts 15 23 This is the letter they took along with them: "This letter is from the apostles and elders, your brothers in Jerusalem. It is written to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. Greetings!
Acts 15 24 "We understand that some men from here have troubled you and upset you with their teaching, but they had no such instructions from us.
Acts 15 25 So it seemed good to us, having unanimously agreed on our decision, to send you these official representatives, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
Acts 15 26 who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Acts 15 27 So we are sending Judas and Silas to tell you what we have decided concerning your question.
Acts 15 28 "For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these requirements:
Acts 15 29 You must abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or eating the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. If you do this, you will do well. Farewell."
Acts 15 30 The four messengers went at once to Antioch, where they called a general meeting of the Christians and delivered the letter.
Acts 15 31 And there was great joy throughout the church that day as they read this encouraging message.
Acts 15 32 Then Judas and Silas, both being prophets, spoke extensively to the Christians, encouraging and strengthening their faith.
Acts 15 33 They stayed for a while, and then Judas and Silas were sent back to Jerusalem, with the blessings of the Christians, to those who had sent them.
Acts 15 34 See Footnote
Acts 15 35 Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch to assist many others who were teaching and preaching the word of the Lord there.
Acts 15 36 After some time Paul said to Barnabas, "Let's return to each city where we previously preached the word of the Lord, to see how the new believers are getting along."
Acts 15 37 Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark.
Acts 15 38 But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not shared in their work.
Acts 15 39 Their disagreement over this was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus.
Acts 15 40 Paul chose Silas, and the believers sent them off, entrusting them to the Lord's grace.
Acts 15 41 So they traveled throughout Syria and Cilicia to strengthen the churches there.
Acts 16 1 Paul and Silas went first to Derbe and then on to Lystra. There they met Timothy, a young disciple whose mother was a Jewish believer, but whose father was a Greek.
Acts 16 2 Timothy was well thought of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium,
Acts 16 3 so Paul wanted him to join them on their journey. In deference to the Jews of the area, he arranged for Timothy to be circumcised before they left, for everyone knew that his father was a Greek.
Acts 16 4 Then they went from town to town, explaining the decision regarding the commandments that were to be obeyed, as decided by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem.
Acts 16 5 So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew daily in numbers.
Acts 16 6 Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had told them not to go into the province of Asia at that time.
Acts 16 7 Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not let them go.
Acts 16 8 So instead, they went on through Mysia to the city of Troas.
Acts 16 9 That night Paul had a vision. He saw a man from Macedonia in northern Greece, pleading with him, "Come over here and help us."
Acts 16 10 So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, for we could only conclude that God was calling us to preach the Good News there.
Acts 16 11 We boarded a boat at Troas and sailed straight across to the island of Samothrace, and the next day we landed at Neapolis.
Acts 16 12 From there we reached Philippi, a major city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony; we stayed there several days.
Acts 16 13 On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we supposed that some people met for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had come together.
Acts 16 14 One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying.
Acts 16 15 She was baptized along with other members of her household, and she asked us to be her guests. "If you agree that I am faithful to the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my home." And she urged us until we did.
Acts 16 16 One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a demon-possessed slave girl. She was a fortune-teller who earned a lot of money for her masters.
Acts 16 17 She followed along behind us shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved."
Acts 16 18 This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and spoke to the demon within her. "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her," he said. And instantly it left her.
Acts 16 19 Her masters' hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace.
Acts 16 20 "The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!" they shouted.
Acts 16 21 "They are teaching the people to do things that are against Roman customs."
Acts 16 22 A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods.
Acts 16 23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn't escape.
Acts 16 24 So he took no chances but put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.
Acts 16 25 Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.
Acts 16 26 Suddenly, there was a great earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!
Acts 16 27 The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself.
Acts 16 28 But Paul shouted to him, "Don't do it! We are all here!"
Acts 16 29 Trembling with fear, the jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down before Paul and Silas.
Acts 16 30 He brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
Acts 16 31 They replied, "Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with your entire household."
Acts 16 32 Then they shared the word of the Lord with him and all who lived in his household.
Acts 16 33 That same hour the jailer washed their wounds, and he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized.
Acts 16 34 Then he brought them into his house and set a meal before them. He and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.
Acts 16 35 The next morning the city officials sent the police to tell the jailer, "Let those men go!"
Acts 16 36 So the jailer told Paul, "You and Silas are free to leave. Go in peace."
Acts 16 37 But Paul replied, "They have publicly beaten us without trial and jailed us--and we are Roman citizens. So now they want us to leave secretly? Certainly not! Let them come themselves to release us!"
Acts 16 38 When the police made their report, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.
Acts 16 39 They came to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city.
Acts 16 40 Paul and Silas then returned to the home of Lydia, where they met with the believers and encouraged them once more before leaving town.
Acts 17 1 Now Paul and Silas traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.
Acts 17 2 As was Paul's custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he interpreted the Scriptures to the people.
Acts 17 3 He was explaining and proving the prophecies about the sufferings of the Messiah and his rising from the dead. He said, "This Jesus I'm telling you about is the Messiah."
Acts 17 4 Some who listened were persuaded and became converts, including a large number of godly Greek men and also many important women of the city.
Acts 17 5 But the Jewish leaders were jealous, so they gathered some worthless fellows from the streets to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd.
Acts 17 6 Not finding them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers instead and took them before the city council. "Paul and Silas have turned the rest of the world upside down, and now they are here disturbing our city," they shouted.
Acts 17 7 "And Jason has let them into his home. They are all guilty of treason against Caesar, for they profess allegiance to another king, Jesus."
Acts 17 8 The people of the city, as well as the city officials, were thrown into turmoil by these reports.
Acts 17 9 But the officials released Jason and the other believers after they had posted bail.
Acts 17 10 That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the synagogue.
Acts 17 11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul's message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to check up on Paul and Silas, to see if they were really teaching the truth.
Acts 17 12 As a result, many Jews believed, as did some of the prominent Greek women and many men.
Acts 17 13 But when some Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God in Berea, they went there and stirred up trouble.
Acts 17 14 The believers acted at once, sending Paul on to the coast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind.
Acts 17 15 Those escorting Paul went with him to Athens; then they returned to Berea with a message for Silas and Timothy to hurry and join him.
Acts 17 16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city.
Acts 17 17 He went to the synagogue to debate with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there.
Acts 17 18 He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, "This babbler has picked up some strange ideas." Others said, "He's pushing some foreign religion."
Acts 17 19 Then they took him to the Council of Philosophers. "Come and tell us more about this new religion," they said.
Acts 17 20 "You are saying some rather startling things, and we want to know what it's all about."
Acts 17 21 (It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.)
Acts 17 22 So Paul, standing before the Council, addressed them as follows: "Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious,
Acts 17 23 for as I was walking along I saw your many altars. And one of them had this inscription on it--'To an Unknown God.' You have been worshiping him without knowing who he is, and now I wish to tell you about him.
Acts 17 24 "He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn't live in man-made temples,
Acts 17 25 and human hands can't serve his needs--for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need there is.
Acts 17 26 From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand which should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.
Acts 17 27 "His purpose in all of this was that the nations should seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him--though he is not far from any one of us.
Acts 17 28 For in him we live and move and exist. As one of your own poets says, 'We are his offspring.'
Acts 17 29 And since this is true, we shouldn't think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.
Acts 17 30 God overlooked people's former ignorance about these things, but now he commands everyone everywhere to turn away from idols and turn to him.
Acts 17 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead."
Acts 17 32 When they heard Paul speak of the resurrection of a person who had been dead, some laughed, but others said, "We want to hear more about this later."
Acts 17 33 That ended Paul's discussion with them,
Acts 17 34 but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the Council, a woman named Damaris, and others.
Acts 18 1 Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
Acts 18 2 There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had been expelled from Italy as a result of Claudius Caesar's order to deport all Jews from Rome.
Acts 18 3 Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was.
Acts 18 4 Each Sabbath found Paul at the synagogue, trying to convince the Jews and Greeks alike.
Acts 18 5 And after Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul spent his full time preaching and testifying to the Jews, telling them, "The Messiah you are looking for is Jesus."
Acts 18 6 But when the Jews opposed him and insulted him, Paul shook the dust from his robe and said, "Your blood be upon your own heads--I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."
Acts 18 7 After that he stayed with Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God and lived next door to the synagogue.
Acts 18 8 Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and all his household believed in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also became believers and were baptized.
Acts 18 9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, "Don't be afraid! Speak out! Don't be silent!
Acts 18 10 For I am with you, and no one will harm you because many people here in this city belong to me."
Acts 18 11 So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching the word of God.
Acts 18 12 But when Gallio became governor of Achaia, some Jews rose in concerted action against Paul and brought him before the governor for judgment.
Acts 18 13 They accused Paul of "persuading people to worship God in ways that are contrary to the law."
Acts 18 14 But just as Paul started to make his defense, Gallio turned to Paul's accusers and said, "Listen, you Jews, if this were a case involving some wrongdoing or a serious crime, I would be obliged to listen to you.
Acts 18 15 But since it is merely a question of words and names and your Jewish laws, you take care of it. I refuse to judge such matters."
Acts 18 16 And he drove them out of the courtroom.
Acts 18 17 The mob had grabbed Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and had beaten him right there in the courtroom. But Gallio paid no attention.
Acts 18 18 Paul stayed in Corinth for some time after that and then said good-bye to the brothers and sisters and sailed for the coast of Syria, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him. (Earlier, at Cenchrea, Paul had shaved his head according to Jewish custom, for he had taken a vow.)
Acts 18 19 When they arrived at the port of Ephesus, Paul left the others behind. But while he was there, he went to the synagogue to debate with the Jews.
Acts 18 20 They asked him to stay longer, but he declined.
Acts 18 21 So he left, saying, "I will come back later, God willing." Then he set sail from Ephesus.
Acts 18 22 The next stop was at the port of Caesarea. From there he went up and visited the church at Jerusalem and then went back to Antioch.
Acts 18 23 After spending some time in Antioch, Paul went back to Galatia and Phrygia, visiting all the believers, encouraging them and helping them to grow in the Lord.
Acts 18 24 Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had just arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt.
Acts 18 25 He had been taught the way of the Lord and talked to others with great enthusiasm and accuracy about Jesus. However, he knew only about John's baptism.
Acts 18 26 When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God more accurately.
Acts 18 27 Apollos had been thinking about going to Achaia, and the brothers and sisters in Ephesus encouraged him in this. They wrote to the believers in Achaia, asking them to welcome him. When he arrived there, he proved to be of great benefit to those who, by God's grace, had believed.
Acts 18 28 He refuted all the Jews with powerful arguments in public debate. Using the Scriptures, he explained to them, "The Messiah you are looking for is Jesus."
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