Founding the Corinthian Church

1After this, he left Athens and went to Corinth, 2where he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul came to them, 3and since they were of the same occupation, tentmakers by trade, he stayed with them and worked. 4He reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and tried to persuade both Jews and Greeks.

5When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself to preaching the word and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah. 6When they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his clothes and told them, “Your blood is on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” 7So he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, along with his whole household. Many of the Corinthians, when they heard, believed and were baptized.

9The Lord said to Paul in a night vision, “Don’t be afraid, but keep on speaking and don’t be silent. 10For I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to hurt you, because I have many people in this city.” 11He stayed there a year and a half, teaching the word of God among them.

12While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack against Paul and brought him to the tribunal. 13“This man,” they said, “is persuading people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”

14As Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or of a serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you Jews. 15But if these are questions about words, names, and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of such things.” 16So he drove them from the tribunal. 17And they all seized Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal, but none of these things mattered to Gallio.

The Return Trip to Antioch

18After staying for some time, Paul said farewell to the brothers and sisters and sailed away to Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his head at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. 19When they reached Ephesus he left them there, but he himself entered the synagogue and debated with the Jews. 20When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he declined, 21but he said farewell and added, “I’ll come back to you again, if God wills.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.

22On landing at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church, then went down to Antioch.

23After spending some time there, he set out, traveling through one place after another in the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

The Eloquent Apollos

24Now a Jew named Apollos, a native Alexandrian, an eloquent man who was competent in the use of the Scriptures, arrived in Ephesus. 25He had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately about Jesus, although he knew only John’s baptism. 26He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. After Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the way of God to him more accurately. 27When he wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers and sisters wrote to the disciples to welcome him. After he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. 28For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating through the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.