Acts 18 - An Understandable Version (2005 edition)

¹ After this happened Paul left Athens and went to Corinth [i.e., a principal city of Greece].

² There he met a certain Jewish man named Aquila, a native of Pontus, [in northern Asia Minor] who, with his wife Priscilla, had recently come from Rome, because Claudius [the Roman Emperor] had ordered all Jews out of that city. Paul met this couple

³ and, because they followed the same trade of tent making, he stayed with them and went to work [for them].

⁴ Every Sabbath day Paul held discussions in the synagogues, trying to convince [both] Jews and Greeks [i.e., Gentiles, that Jesus was the Messiah].

⁵ But when Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia [i.e., from the town of Berea], Paul began devoting his full time to declaring the message to Jews that Jesus was the Christ.

⁶ When the Jews resisted [Paul’s efforts] and spoke against him and his message, he shook out his clothing [i.e., an expression of rejection and contempt] and said to them “Let your blood be on your own heads [i.e., you are responsible for whatever harm comes from your action]; I am not responsible. From now on I will go [and preach] to the Gentiles [only].”

⁷ So, he left [this assembly of Jews] and went to the house of a certain man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was right next door to the synagogue.

⁸ Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and all of his family became believers in the Lord. [And] many of the Corinthians who heard [Paul’s message] believed [in the Lord] and were immersed [into Christ].

⁹ Then the Lord spoke to Paul in a night vision [i.e., a divinely given dream]: “Do not be afraid, but speak up and do not hold [anything] back,

¹⁰ for I will be with you [See Matt. 28:20] and no one will attack you or hurt you, for I have many people in this city [i.e., who will be converted].”

¹¹ So, Paul lived there [in Corinth] for eighteen months, teaching God’s message among the inhabitants [of the city].

¹² But when Gallio was magistrate of Achaia [i.e., the southern province of Greece] the Jews joined forces to attack Paul and brought him before the court of justice,

¹³ and said [about him], “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the Law [of Moses].”

¹⁴ When Paul was about to respond [to this charge], Gallio said to the Jews, “[My] Jewish [constituents], if it were a simple case of wrongdoing or some serious crime, there would be good reason for me to consider your charge [against this man].

¹⁵ But if it is only a dispute over words, titles and your [religious] law, tend to it yourselves; I refuse to pass judgment on such [trivial] matters.”

¹⁶ And he had them thrown out of the courtroom.

¹⁷ Then, all of them [Note: This “all” could refer to the Greeks, the Jews or the Roman officers. Since the text does not specify, it seems most reasonable to suggest it was the Romans] grabbed Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the court of justice. But Gallio showed no interest in the whole affair.

¹⁸ After this [incident] Paul remained [in Corinth] for some time before leaving the brothers and sailing for Syria with Priscilla and Aquila. Paul shaved his head while in Cenchrea as part of a vow he had taken.

¹⁹ When they arrived at Ephesus, Paul left Priscilla and Aquila there. He then went into the [Jewish] synagogue and held discussions with the Jews.

²⁰ When they asked him to stay [and continue the discussions] longer, he declined.

²¹ So, he left them, saying, “I will come back to you if it is God’s will.” Then He sailed from Ephesus.

²² And when he landed at Ceasarea, he went up [Note: This would mean either up to Ceasarea or up to Jerusalem] and greeted the church [there], then went down to Antioch [in Syria].

²³ After spending some time there, he left and traveled through the district of Galatia, [and] then through Phrygia, strengthening [spiritually] all the disciples [along the way].

²⁴ Now a certain Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria [Egypt] and an effective speaker, who was well-grounded in the [Old Testament] Scriptures, came to Ephesus.

²⁵ He was a man who had learned the way of the Lord, and with spiritual fervor, taught accurately [what he knew] about Jesus, although he knew [and had received] only the immersion [taught and practiced] by John.

²⁶ He began speaking boldly in the synagogue and when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and proceeded to explain to him God's way more accurately [than he had known].

²⁷ And when he desired to travel over into Achaia, he was encouraged [to do so] by the brothers, who wrote to the disciples [in Achaia and urged them] to welcome him. When he arrived [in Achaia] he was a great help to those who had become believers through the unearned favor of God. [Note: An alternate meaning is, “he was a great help, through God’s unearned favor upon him, to those who had become believers”].

²⁸ For Apollos effectively refuted [the position of] the Jews, publicly proving, by using the [Old Testament] Scriptures, that Jesus was the Christ.